Pubdate: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 Source: Nanaimo Daily News (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 Nanaimo Daily News Contact: http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1608 Author: Derek Spalding Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) HOMELESS HOTEL DRAWS CRITICISM Drop-in Centre for Street People Is Part of Plan for Mental Health Facility The proposal for a mental health resource centre at the old Balmoral Hotel could provide housing and programs for the mentally ill, much to the dismay of south-end residents who do not want a homeless drop-in centre in the middle of their neighbourhood. The Canadian Mental Health Association could have possession of the $925,000 Haliburton Street site later this month if building inspections, mortgages and program funding come through as planned. The project calls for the renovation of 20 existing social housing units for people with mental illness and a new location for the Living Room daytime homeless shelter, which has to leave its current home in the Salvation Army's New Hope Centre because the religious group does not support handing out needles to addicts. South-end residents support the $400,000 revitalization of the run-down building, but they disagree with setting up a homeless drop-in centre because of the high volume of drug users it will attract to an already troubled neighbourhood. After a public hearing Wednesday, the South End Community Association will not support the plan for a drop-in centre, said chairman Douglas Hardie. CMHA staff do not have to go to city council for approval of its plan, but Christina Martens, executive director of the CMHA mid-Island branch, wants to work with residents and move in as a good neighbour. "We don't want to go in and impose something on the neighbours, we want to work with them," Martens said. "It's an area under stress. I don't understand why they wouldn't want programming in the area to address some of the issues that they have." More than 120 people packed the room and withstood the evening heat as representatives from VIHA, city council and police took questions from a fiery audience dead set against a drop-in centre in their neighbourhood. While VIHA's plan calls for security within the building, nearly every resident at the meeting wanted a guarantee that the neighbourhood would be safe from the increased traffic around the drop-in centre. "How can you operate it without impacting the neighbourhood?" asked Barbara Dunsmore, who lives on Irwin Street near the hotel. "You can tell us you're going to make it work, but you're going to have to prove that to us first." Balmoral Hotel residents found notices shoved under their doors yesterday about the meeting. The lack of answers only created skepticism for George Simich, who has lived there for four years. "This is my home. This is not a crack shack," he said to the eruption of applause and foot stomping from the crowd behind him. After the meeting he talked about his recovering addict neighbours who do not want to be around drug users loitering outside the building. "They're in there trying to clean up their lives and the last thing they need is to be around that sort of temptation," he said. "There's so much room for conflict with this plan." VIHA plans to renovate the hotel's bar and lounge space to house the drop-in program that could operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The design will offer services to those looking to get out of the weather or access the downtown crisis team. The program will connect clients to mental health and addictions treatment, according to an outline provided to residents. The Living Room has had trouble finding a permanent home for several years. Now workers are preparing for a possible second move in just over a year. Residents and business owners in the area criticized the program for violence and drug activity outside the 55 Nichol Street building before VIHA made the long-awaited move to the New Hope Centre in 2007. But the Vancouver Island Health Authority recently butted heads with Salvation Army management who said they will not support VIHA staff handing out needles and condoms, according to Marg Fraser, director of mental health. "We declined the Salvation Army's request to remove the harm-reduction language from the contract which was negotiated with the previous management," she said in an e-mail. "We are continuing to look for solutions, which . . . may include another location." New Hope Centre management are a "little more protective" of the Army's standards and policies, said Major Brian Venables, director of public relations in Vancouver. "They're just pulling up their socks a bit from our side. Although we tried to offer an all-encompassing facility, it just wasn't a good fit. The Salvation Army thinks that abstinence is the only way to beat an addiction so the distribution of needles just would not fit." Differing philosophies played a role, but a lack of space for such programs also gave VIHA incentive to find a new location, Fraser explained at the meeting. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake