GuelphToday received the following letter from James Gollinger regarding the proposed permanent supportive housing project:
To the private and non-profit real estate developers, charity groups, government organs, local politicians, the County of Wellington, and the City of Guelph who have decided the our neighborhood should subsidize their charity:
It is with great disappointment that I write to you with regards to the proposed permanent supportive housing project that will be built in the Onward Willow neighborhood. I, and my children, have lived here for over 10 years, in one of the apartment buildings immediately adjacent to the proposed site, and I am appalled that, despite Onward Willow being actively engaged in community development the entire time I've lived here, no one on your planning team has seen fit to reach out to any community group operating in the area before undertaking such a disruptive project in the heart of our neighborhood.
I am, or have been, involved with several community groups in my time here. I've worked with the Willow Road Public School Parent Council for over five years, I've attended Community Safety meetings at the Shelldale Community Centre for three years (which a number of you also attend), and I've been involved with the Outreach Team, a group of volunteers who personally reach out to individuals in our community who are struggling with issues ranging from social isolation to poverty to addiction. I also attend the Shelldale AGM every year. To the best of my knowledge, none of these groups have been contacted by the planners of this project or, if they have been privately contacted, they have not brought it to the attention of the public.
There are serious concerns around this project that have absolutely not been addressed or even acknowledged.
The plan seems to be to house 30 of the cities 150 "chronically homeless" population in a facility located directly adjacent to a daycare, an K-8 public school, and our community centre. All we know about these 150, via the FAQ, is that they are "known to local agencies." This does not inspire confidence.
It seems to me, then, that this is most likely the worst possible place in the city for a facility such as this one. While I'm sure some minority of the tenants will be those with debilitating physical or mental health issues that will be no harm to anyone, I'm also quite sure that there will be a significant number of people housed here with potentially dangerous illnesses.
If you had asked us, the community of people living in the area, we would not have asked for the land in question to be used as a repository for the most dependant homeless people of the city. We have very real needs that this land could be used in support of.
I am always willing to support my community. If we can come up with a plan, in consultation with those currently living here, that is guaranteed to not increase the risk to our children, at the very least, I could support it. But if your plan is to drop this building, like a bomb, into the middle of an already struggling neighborhood, simply because it is convenient for you, the powerful and connected elites, to do so, I will fight you every step of the way and beyond.
– James Gollinger
