Meeting on controversial housing project in Terwillegar Towne leaves residents with unanswered questions

EDMONTON – Frustration is growing in south Edmonton’s Terwillegar Towne, as residents continue to seek answers about a proposed supportive housing development in the neighbourhood.

The 60-unit apartment block would house some of Edmonton’s homeless population on land leased from the Holy Trinity Anglican Church. The project has generated a lot of backlash from some residents, many of whom came out Monday evening to voice their concerns.

A meeting on the housing project attracted around 500 area residents. And they raised the same questions they’ve had since learning about the project – those include questions about security and how tenants will be screened, to who the tenants will be, and how the project will operate. Concerns about property values, as well as the location of resources for those individuals needing help were also raised.

But the biggest issue, according to residents, is what they feel has been a lack of consultation.

“What has been made very clear is that they’re going to go forward, whether we like it or not,” said Abby Carrothers. “This is going to sound snobby, but we pay a lot of money to be here, to have our kids safe and to be in a safe area where you can walk at night. I’ve lived downtown, I don’t want to experience that here.”

One woman, who only wished to be identified as Heather, said that for her, it’s not a matter of whether there will be homeless people in the community.

“The issue is, what kind of facility is it, and where’s the support coming from? How are they going to back it up, and how are we going to transition these people into the community depending on their needs?”

“There’s nobody here to speak to those answers…And so these people on the poor panel are being badgered – and rightfully in some cases, and wrongfully in others. But the fact of the matter is, they don’t have the answers. And how can we, as a community, make any kind of informed decision about what’s going on when nobody will tell us?”

Much to the disappointment of many attendees, representatives from the Jasper Place Health and Wellness (the developer behind the project) along with officials from the city and the province were not in attendance.

“It’s unfortunate that the people who needed to be here were not here. They didn’t show up, they’re conveniently on vacation. So they need to really see that the community that lives here did not have the opportunity to really speak to the people that need to be spoken to,” said Edward Boutin.

Representatives from the Edmonton Police Service, Edmonton Transit, as well as the area’s MP fielded some questions at the meeting. But it was the representative from Homeward Trust who was put in the hot seat.

In terms of residents feelings questions were being left unanswered, Homeward Trust CEO Susan McGee said that there are some issues that it’s more appropriate for the developer to speak to.

“Unfortunately they weren’t able to make it,” she said. “I would anticipate that this is the beginning of more consultations…and more opportunities for dialogue.”

With the land zoned for apartments and the province having already approved grants, shovels can be in the ground as early as fall.

Community open houses are scheduled with Jasper Place Health and Wellness and other stakeholders throughout August, with the next meeting scheduled for August 8th.

Below is a list of answers provided by Jasper Place Health and Wellness to the questions they’ve received.

With files from Quinn Ohler, Global News
Follow @TrishKozicka