I am a resident and small business owner in Trail and attended the council meeting to request a no vote for the proposed shelter on Riverside by BC Housing.
The proposal is for one per cent of Trail’s population and I asked our leadership to help us create a positive outcome for all citizens of Trail and to include the safety and protection of Trail’s housed and the health of Trail business properties.
The new location on Riverside Avenue is a wet house model that will further enable and extend the war zone we currently have been dealing with in downtown Trail.
The residents’ safety is not being addressed and the strategy is not being shared on how this is proposed.
Even though we have doubled the number of homeless in the last six months and they have taken over the downtown business area, in all likelihood this will continue.
How are citizens expected to allow this without hearing what the plan is to manage this war zone?
How will this shelter be managed any differently than the current location where there is 24 hour workers already?
Will there still be 100’s of first responders sirens going monthly to provide services to this one per cent of residents?
I expected the mayor and council to maintain community standards that contribute to improving the quality of life in Trail.
With council’s yes vote, be sure only more businesses, shared green space, covered staircases and residential neighborhoods’ will be taken hostage and residents will have to contend with an even larger war zone.
We simply do not have the capacity to provide the services needed to mentally ill/addicted people in Trail.
I am requesting a democratic public meeting with BC Housing away from city hall to answer the concerns of all citizens that were not answered.
This shelter effects everyone who lives, works, shops and visits Trail and the community deserves to know a plan is in place for managing the behavioral and nuisance issues.
Sincerely,
Audry Durham
Trail