Westview Ratepayers Society (WRS) has requested qathet Regional Hospital District address ongoing nuisance issues affecting the Joyce Avenue supportive housing facility and neighbouring properties.
At the June 24 hospital district board meeting, Mark Scott, WRS supporting housing subcommittee member, asked that the hospital board take appropriate action to address concerns raised by the community.
“Westview Ratepayers Society, and in particular, this subcommittee, strongly support housing for the unhoused in our community,” said Scott. “For almost three years, the subcommittee has been engaging with BC Housing, the supportive housing provider, which is Lift Community Services, and City [of Powell River] Council, to address significant operational issues with the current supportive housing at 4910 Joyce Avenue. We believe that an external evaluation of the housing provider’s management and operations is necessary.”
Scott referred to the lease between the hospital district and the Provincial Rental Housing Corporation, which is administered by BC Housing Corporation. The supportive housing facility is located on hospital district property.
Scott said there is a section pertaining to nuisance, which states: “The tenant will not carry on, or suffer, or permit to be carried on, in or upon the leased area, anything which constitutes a nuisance or annoyance to any neighbouring properties, or their owners or occupants.”
Scott said that according to a freedom of information request, WRS has two letters from the hospital board to Lift Community Services. He said the letters include the following statements: “We would like to address with you the antisocial issues spilling from Lift’s supportive housing facility at 4910 Joyce Avenue onto the adjacent regional hospital district property. qathet Regional District staff have spent numerous hours dealing with issues from the site, talking and following up with the RCMP, Lift staff, city bylaw officers and the neighbours. We believe the root cause of these issues stems from activities introduced by the establishment of the supportive housing unit.”
Scott said WRS members and the community report frequent incidents of violence, sexual assaults and coercion within the supportive housing facility.
“We also hear regular reports of disturbances, theft and antisocial behaviour affecting neighbouring properties and businesses,” added Scott. “We respectfully request that the hospital board, in its capacity as landlord, fulfill its fiduciary duty and address the ongoing nuisance issues.
“We believe these issues largely relate to current management and operations of the housing provider. We respectfully request that the hospital board take immediate action to ensure the tenant addresses the nuisance issues.”
Scott said WRS has direct evidence related to nuisance and can provide it to support every claim they are making.
“We believe the impacts we are experiencing are excessive and above and beyond what should be tolerated,” said Scott.
City director Cindy Elliott said the WRS ask is for the hospital board to make some preliminary enquiries with tenants around options for improving things.
“Those would need to be within our mandate from the agreement,” said Elliott. “That may be a legal thing.”
Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox suggested a notice of motion that the regional hospital district require staff to prepare a report on the definitions of nuisance within the current lease agreement pertaining to the supportive housing facility, and options to ensure compliance from the tenant. The motion has been referred to the August 26 regional hospital board meeting.
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