After contentious public hearing, Lacombe city council approves transitional housing project

One letter of opposition received prior to the meeting pondered clients having questionable backgrounds and criminal records, plus drug and alcohol problems. It also posited users of the home would cause vandalism and have, “sex in the back alley.”

“These ladies will be able to party all night 24/7,” reads the letter, whose author The City redacted due to FOIP. “Absolutely not. Not in my back yard. Are we just mean, judgemental people? No we are not.”

“As a landowner, l have financial interest in this decision. My home value will decrease because of this development, 100 per cent, and my resale will be an issue. I have not worked 17 years to build equity into my home to see it all vanish in an instant,” said one resident to council, who lives a block away from the site.

“Although I support The Broom Tree Foundation in what it represents, I do not support its development and this Land Use Bylaw amendment. My concern is once we open up the doors for this amendment, it is ripe potentially for safe injection sites and other support services, and that is not going to happen literally in my back yard.”

City administration debunked all of these concerns prior to and in-meeting.

“A clear effort has been made here to define ‘transitional housing,’ so if there’s concern about this becoming, say, a safe injection site (actual term: supervised consumption services), this doesn’t include that,” said administration. “I don’t think any reasonable person would interpret this use as including that.”

The Broom Tree Program Director Tamara Noordhof spoke to rdnewsNOW to let the community know exactly what it can expect.

“What we want to say to the community is that one of our three pillars is transitional or temporary housing. We want to be able to provide a safe space for these women who are facing significant life circumstances,” says Noordhof. “The reality is that there are a lot of life circumstances which any of us can face. Many people have this picture of homelessness that isn’t necessarily representative of, certainly, the people we serve. Homelessness can be your sister, your grandma, your aunt.”

In 2022, The Broom Tree Foundation assisted 40 women in finding transitional housing, and has supported more than 240 women since launching in January 2020.

As for vetting, Noordhof explains women experiencing addiction or more serious domestic abuse scenarios will be referred to shelters.

The house, she says, will have seven units and five offices. She says the foundation is ready to listen when it comes to requirements the Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) may set out. That could happen as early as Feb. 1 after the foundation submitted its development permit application this week.

Requirements may relate to lighting, security and a rear parking lot that could need paving, a cost the foundation would have to bear.

Noordhof, who adds she wasn’t surprised to hear some of the feedback brought forward, says the foundation wants to get to work on renovating the building and move towards opening as soon as possible.

Prior to final readings, council members spoke, including Reuben Konnik, council’s longest-serving member. For him, it was deja vu.

“Maybe a decade ago, we had a packed gallery when Youth Unlimited came to us, wanting to bring transitional housing for young men aged 16-24. They’d purchased a home in a residential neighbourhood and some of the same concerns as tonight were brought forward,” said Konnik. “Lo and behold, none of the concerns ever materialized. Those young men shoveled sidewalks, baked goods and ended up being a wonderful addition to that particular street.”

Konnik and others expressed confidence in Broom Tree leadership to steer the ship well.

“I value the work The Broom Tree does; [though] I’m not deaf to the concerns outlined by some landowners,” said Mayor Grant Creasey. “But I think through working with administration, and between MPC and the proposed owners, we can come up with some viable solutions to some of the concerns.

“I am of the opinion there’ll never be a perfect location. This one’s available now, so could we build it in a way that does respect the neighbourhood? What it comes down to for me is I have no reason to doubt Tamara and her colleagues will live up to the [City’s] expectations,” Creasey added. “It’s an unfortunate but very necessary and proven need in our community, and one that deserves a space to operate safely.”

Councillor Thalia Hibbs was visibly broken up when speaking to the issue.

“This is a highly valuable thing to have in our community, but it has to be done right. One thing I really do like about this location is that when you have a situation like this [in your life], it’s important to keep things as normal as possible,” she said. “Having access to schools for kids nearby; and there’s a playground nearby, you [feel like] you’re still in the community. You can make a change, you’re supported. This is a need in our community and we have an opportunity to work together to make this happen and have it be a positive experience for all the neighbours.”

Council’s approval of the project has no expiry.

Noordhof believes it will be a permanent fixture for Lacombe with the need unlikely to ever cease.

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

After contentious public hearing, Lacombe city council approves transitional housing project

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