EDMONTON- A number of Terwillegar residents gathered Saturday evening, to get more information on a controversial housing development planned for the area.
Jasper Place Health and Wellness plans to build a 60-unit supportive housing project on land leased from the Anglican Church, located west of 156th Street and north of 14th Avenue. The organization says the project embraces the principles of housing first, which is designed to provide homeless people with housing quickly, to transition them out of the shelter system.
Plans for the project have been in the works since 2010. However, many residents say they’ve only recently learned of the development.
The proposed housing project has been met with resistance. Some residents believe this isn’t the right location for the development. Earlier this month, the words “No Homeless” were spray painted on two of the church walls.
Terwillegar resident Evan Burnett attended Saturday’s meeting and says this development “makes absolutely no sense” in the proposed location.
“There’s nothing for them there. There’s no store, there’s no drug store, there’s no sidewalks, there’s no facility, there’s no bus. This is the wrong place for it,” he explained. “Put it on the other side of Anthony Henday where the new police station is, where all the facilities are. That’s where it belongs.”
“The other question we had in mind, as well, is how that will affect our property value in the area,” added fellow Terwillegar resident Ragaei Soliman. “There’s always opportunity to negotiate and we want to get to the right possible solution for everyone.”
Another meeting is planned for July 29.
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