At the July 24 evening council meeting/public hearing on rezoning for a proposed shelter, I was one of the more than 20 people who spoke against putting this facility next to our homes.
We are primarily a neighbourhood of seniors, many of us living alone; we feel threatened by this decision.
Most spoke in favour of compassion and assistance for the unhoused, and acknowledged help must be forthcoming. However, we do not feel safe. Our lifestyle and sense of security and community has been badly affected by the current encampment located next to the proposed shelter site. Discarded drug paraphernalia and theft is a daily concern. Local realtors have gone on record to say with the shelter, property values will decline. The loss of future revenue from the sale of property will definitely affect the life plans of seniors who live close to this site.
Council did not address these concerns except to say the tents would be removed as space in the shelter becomes available. However, if the shelter is full, or affected individuals do not want to move inside, there was no guarantee tents would not return to the site.
There is no expectation shelter users need to be drug or alcohol free and they may live there indefinitely.
This shelter will have a profound effect on our sense of safety and community.
When it came to the final summations for the hearing, Coun. Sylvia Lindgren said via zoom that providing a permanent or semi-permanent home for the unhoused was her priority, and that “the only concern she had in supporting this zoning was out of fear that those needing the shelter would feel unwanted and unwelcome,” that we would be a big deterrent to their self-worth. What an outright insult to the tax paying citizens who took the time to be there and give their input. Had she attended in person she may have sensed we are not people to be feared. We pay our taxes, look after our neighbours and ourselves, follow our laws and have contributed to the well-being of our city.
Having a group of seniors shoulder so much of the emotional and monetary cost is unacceptable and unfair. We were not well served by our elected officials.
Read more: Letter: Difficulty of Salmon Arm shelter decision a result of ‘astonishing imbalances’
Read more: Compassion drives council’s support of rezoning for proposed Salmon Arm shelter
Bernadette Jordan
newsroom@saobserver.net
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