Don Johnson lives in a close-knit building where he feels supported and understood.
B次元官网网址淎nd they donB次元官网网址檛 treat you like youB次元官网网址檙e homeless,B次元官网网址� he said.
The 66 year old, who has a brain injury, said heB次元官网网址檚 gone through some rough times but has found a welcoming community at Mount Edwards Court on Vancouver Street, on the edge of the Rockland neighbourhood.
B次元官网网址淭hey help me out, I help them out. I like to walk down the hall, and everybody says B次元官网网址榟i.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Johnson sits on his bed in a small, but tidy bachelor suite. He is well put-together, wearing a black blazer and slacks, his hair is neat and he has a big smile on his face.
The staff are very supportive, he said. Today, they helped him pick an outfit for a job interview B次元官网网址� Johnson said he has a degree in hotel management and the interview was in that field.
B次元官网网址淭hey understand where youB次元官网网址檙e coming from. They donB次元官网网址檛 look at you like B次元官网网址次元官网网址� he said, trailing off.
Johnson is one of 32 current residents of , which city council approved for a new housing use by the Victoria Cool Aid Society, after a busy public hearing Thursday.
More than 40 people voiced a mix of opposition and support for the controversial rezoning application, the details of which were presented to council by Cool Aid CEO Kathy Stinson.
Cool Aid plans to convert the former seniors home and temporary housing for tent city residents into 78 supportive and 15 affordable rental housing units for adults 55 and older with low to moderate support needs. Residents will be screened using B.C. HousingB次元官网网址檚 vulnerability assessment tool. Only those with no known history of violence and no current substance abuse issues will be accepted at the building, which will have at least three staff on site 24/7 and a controlled entry.
But many neighbours, parents and representatives of Christ Church Cathedral School across the street were not convinced Thursday that the safeguards would be enough.
B次元官网网址淧overty is the true concern of this city,B次元官网网址� said Samantha Stone, whose children attend the private school. B次元官网网址淎ddiction, even monitored, is another. As a parent, IB次元官网网址檓 wondering when safety for children, for seniors and for neighbours will also register?B次元官网网址�
Michael Geoghegan, a government and media consultant who ran for Saanich council last month, said supportive housing across the street from a school posed potential dangers for children.
B次元官网网址淭his is inherently risky. I believe it is criminally irresponsible to put housing like this near a school,B次元官网网址� he said.
Other hearing attendees supported Cool AidB次元官网网址檚 application. Alison Acker, 89, who lives in James Bay and is on the Committee to End Homelessness Victoria, said it seemed like a good home for the seniors.
B次元官网网址淚 feel very badly when others are afraid of poor people or the homeless. I donB次元官网网址檛 know whatB次元官网网址檚 happened to them in their past or why they should fear them or their presence,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think children should grow up thinking the world is a pretty, nice place for everybody. ItB次元官网网址檚 not.B次元官网网址�
Only Coun. Geoff Young opposed the rezoning application when put to a vote. Coun. Charlayne Thornton Joe acknowledged the communityB次元官网网址檚 misgivings, but voted in favour of the project.
B次元官网网址淧eople have expressed fear for their children, and I respect that,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭his council has said our goal is to solve the issue of homelessness. One of the [steps in] solving the issue of homelessness is providing homes, and this is an opportunity thatB次元官网网址檚 been placed before us.B次元官网网址�
Renovations on the second floor of the building are underway and Cool Aid has already begun transitioning its resident mix into an older age demographic. The third floor, where the affordable rental units would be, requires major renovations and may not be ready until early 2019.
