Neighbours complain of crime, drugs, trash near supportive housing units

Residents and business owners say they’re concerned supportive housing complexes for the homeless are bringing further crime and drug use to their neighbourhoods.

Main Street Project, which operates a pair of supportive housing buildings in the West End, has initiated an “action plan” after receiving repeated complaints about drug use, reckless behaviour and litter near the buildings.

Two housing units at 777 Sargent Ave. and 583 Furby St., which are run by Main Street Project under the province’s Your Way Home strategy, are guided by plans that aim to “promote safety for residents, staff and neighbours.”

Executive director Jamil Mahmood said he received complaints from Coun. Cindy Gilroy and several residents and businesses that prompted the acceleration of the strategy.

“One of the challenges was we tenanted that (Sargent) building very quickly,” Mahmood said. “There’s lots of pressure to get folks out of encampments and into housing. We had construction wrap up and … we filled them up right away without making sure folks had the right support in place.”

The Sargent building has 33 tenants and the Furby unit is housing nine people while it wraps up renovations. The building has 24 total units with bachelor and multi-room units.

Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre) has heard of increased crime, small encampments and gang activity near the buildings.

“We’re taking an encampment and we’re just housing that encampment,” she said. “So, kind of the same behaviors are mimicked the way you see in an encampment. Those are the things that we’re going to have to try to figure out in order to make these buildings be really successful.”

A business owner who operates near the Sargent building, who asked not to be named out of fear of retribution, has seen an increase in incidents around the business since mid-July.

The owner described seeing items hoarded in shopping carts, drug deals and trash strewn around the area.

“There’s people everywhere. Coming and going at all hours, garbage everywhere,” the business owner said. “I’m all for these buildings, but it just seems like there’s not enough supports for (the residents) or people looking over what’s going on there.”

The operator has brought those concerns to public officials but says if action isn’t taken soon, they might consider relocating.

“It’s just not what I signed up for.”

Main Street Project’s plan outlines action for safety and community standards, garbage, litter and cleanliness, community relationship building, neighbourhood communications and information access.

The buildings are staffed 24-7 and each resident has a customized plan for any treatment or support they might require, Mahmood said.

Since the plan was deployed, there have been fewer complaints to the non-profit, but Mahmood recognizes there is still work to do.

“We want to be good neighbours,” he said. “We want everyone to have the same rights and protections while ensuring people living there have the best chance at success.”

Gilroy suggested Main Street Project’s shelter system and housing units be more co-ordinated in their approach so wraparound supports are consistent for every stage of homeless to housed.

“We want everyone to have the same rights and protections while ensuring people living there have the best chance at success.”

In the meantime, a public hearing for a series of supportive housing projects that has been subject to scrutiny in recent weeks was adjourned to gather more information on what supports will be available for residents.

A city proposal identified five potential locations in the River Heights-Fort Garry, Old Kildonan, Transcona, Mynarski and Daniel McIntyre wards that would be reserved for refugees, people leaving hospital, youth exiting care, people from encampments and those at risk of gender-based violence or who require residential care for mental-health challenges.

The hearing to approve the zoning of the city-owned land was adjourned to a special meeting on Oct. 20 at the request of the property and development committee to request more information about the project.

Coun. Evan Duncan told the committee he wanted to see what services would be offered before he voted on the proposal.

The province previously told the Free Press it is too early to comment on the resources that will be available as part of the supportive housing plan.

Since the launch of the province’s homelessness strategy, 77 people have been moved from encampments into housing and remain housed.

Jackson Unger, who lives near one of the potential locations, said the units need to exist in neighbourhoods where people can “feel like they’re part of something.”

“So that people can be taken care of,” Unger said. “I think that we need to all be on the same page and recognize that the city is not a business, that the city is a place to take care of residents.”

“…We need to all be on the same page and recognize that the city is not a business, that the city is a place to take care of residents.”

Kathy Carlson was concerned about the 546 Sherburn St. building, which would overtake a green space in the neighbourhood.

Carlson suggested the city develop one of several vacant or derelict lots in the area instead.

“On Portage Avenue alone, next to the Shoppers Drug Mart close to us, there’s a huge parking lot, two big parking lots there with nothing in them,” she said. “(The city doesn’t) develop it and then they take apart trees and grass, and they want to put up a great, big, huge, three-storey structure, it doesn’t make any sense to me.”

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca