4 days ago
Neighbourhood already helps homelessness, Sarnia residents argue with supportive housing in the works
Several weeks have passed since residents of Sarnia's George Street started raising the alarm about an incoming supportive housing development headed for their neighbourhood.
Now, they have a way to express their concerns, after a motion for public consultation was passed at council earlier this week.
Indwell, a Christian charity that has launched supportive housing projects across Ontario for the past 50 years is behind the plan, after a land donation from Lambton County for a 51-unit residence. The project would be the first in Sarnia, though no building application has been submitted yet.
Retired resident Chris Beausoleil, who lives in the area, says in this case, NIMBYism, or the "not in my backyard" sentiment, is a compliment rather than a criticism when it refers to someone "attempting to protect their family."
"[This is] not because we don't believe [in] a solution to the plight of our most afflicted and disadvantaged fellow citizens," Beausoleil said in an email to CBC News.
Instead, he says there are three reasons he and his neighbours are disgruntled.
"[We are] being forced by the county to host the facility without our consent. We believe that locating a facility in a residential neighbourhood is a safety risk to the families who live there. And we believe that [our neighbourhood] in particular is already doing our part for the homeless."
Although Lambton County does not legally have to consult citizens when it comes to a land transfer, several motions have been brought up at Sarnia city council, requesting some kind of public discussion. A consultation will now take place on the morning of Aug. 11 with Indwell and the County of Lambton in attendance.
Natasha Thuemler, the southwestern Ontario regional director at Indwell, says they were anticipating this pushback.
"There's a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding of supportive housing," she said. "Especially when we are new to a community, those questions come up. We were anticipating them [and] we're interested in continuing to hear from some of the neighbours."
Dr. George Farag is a cardiologist with Bluewater Health. His Cardio-Care Heart Institute is located on George Street, where he says there is already a shelter that has caused some issues for residents.
He says he doesn't see the need for another housing solution in the area.
"This area is already saturated. Sandwiching the neighbourhood between two housing [services] may overwhelm it," he said. "I'm not sure if this is the right thing, to always ask [the area] to do more."
River City Vineyard church has been running a shelter for several years in the neighbourhood. Residents have complained about the shelter in the past, but it has since prohibited drug use for clients of the shelter.
Vineyard did not respond to a request for comment — Beausoleil says the policy change has improved the situation for nearby residents, including himself.
"I think everybody just goes by their past experience to predict what the future will show. And if the best experience wasn't very pleasant then I'm not sure how the future will be," said Farag.
Ian Hanney, Lambton County's manager of homelessness prevention and social planning, says supportive housing is not only different from a shelter, but also fills a necessary gap as the homelessness crisis in the area grows.
"This is strategic. Federal and provincial governments are asking municipalities to prioritize home building however possible and when possible, we wish to prioritize investments toward priority vulnerable populations," he said.
In the fall of 2023, Lambton County retained a company called Flourish, a "social purpose real estate development services company" to develop a supportive housing plan. Flourish, though described as independent, was launched by Indwell.
"Once Flourish does complete their consultative work, it's up to the municipalities which direction they want to go. Often they put out RFPs in which Indwell would have the opportunity to respond [to]," said Thuemler.
Hanney says the decision to choose Indwell does fulfil a greater housing strategy for the area. "Indwell has a proven track record of stabilizing long term tenancies and brings a wealth of experience with designed tailored housing with on-site support staff, especially for those with complex needs, which fills the current gap."
According to Thuemler, the decision to choose a residential area for the project is multi-faceted, including giving clients access to transportation and amenities and allowing them the opportunity to feel part of a community as they find more stability.
Though Indwell is not a shelter, but rather permanent housing with on-site support staff, some of the neighbours say they remain concerned it's not going to be enough to guarantee security and stability.
"We don't know the turnaround time for their staff, how well trained they are and what time they leave that building, because they are not going to sleep over there," says Farag.
"[If] doors close at 10 and [support staff] go home, except one security person, how is that one person able to control the whole situation if clients are free to enter and exit as they please?"
For Beausoleil, "good intentions do not excuse poor planning."
"If the county truly holds housing for the homeless as one of its top priorities, then they need to commit their resources to identify or procure a site that is ideal for both the future tenants and the community at large."
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley says the county receives all the funding for housing in the area and the city has not yet received a building application from Indwell, calling the upcoming consultation a "general meeting."
Sarnia city council, Lambton County and Indwell will all gather for the meeting on Aug. 11.
