City of Kamloops, BC Housing working with businesses to make shelters smoother

KAMLOOPS — Some residents are now into Merit Place on Notre Dame Drive. By next week, all 50 beds will be filled.

There are safety concerns from businesses about what could happen in the neighbourhood, but the City of Kamloops is working on a solution to make the area as safe as possible.

“What we’ll be doing around Merit Place and Moira House [on Kingston Avenue] is increasing the CSO presence, so the Community Service Officer patrols through the area.”

Mazzotta adds the city is trying to work with businesses on other crime-prevention strategies.

“Looking at lighting and access and egress and the safety of spaces that maybe travelling through,” said Mazzotta. “And also the safety and design of businesses and buildings. Offering that through our crime-prevention unit.”

BC Housing, a partner in all these affordable housing projects, wants to create safe sites that benefit both those needing a home and the businesses that surround them.

The organization acknowledges you can’t please everyone in whatever neighbourhood they’re built.

“With the announcement of Merit Place and Kingston, these are communities that have not previously had shelters before, and we are very aware and very alive to some of the concerns that are coming forward, so we’re taking a very one-to-one approach with each of the businesses to relay their concerns and do what we can to support the businsses,” said BC Housing regional manager of operations Nanette Drobot.

Businesses surrounding shelters or supportive housing units have seen more emergency calls and question whether they should be deemed nuisance properties by the city, but staff say the emergency calls at those sites are needed.

“Often you do see in sites like shelters or supportive housing sites, you have folks with complex needs, and they may have a need for emergency services at times, so we have to be cognizant of that when we’re looking at calls for service,” noted Mazzotta. “It’s the same as you would in, say, a seniors supportive housing site as well.”

The housing operators, whether it’s the Canadian Mental Health Association or ASK Wellness, have to sign good neighbour agreements, as do the tenants, outlining a committment to keep neighbourhoods safe and clean.

Whenever there is criminal activity involved, BC Housing says the RCMP gets involved to intervene.

“We make sure that from our shelter point of view that we are a good neighbour and that we really ensure what’s happening on our site is appropriate and that we have eyes on the neighbours and the community nearby to make sure we can run interference on things that are happening,” said Drobot.