Parksville’s mayor says homeless people won’t be turned out into the street after council rejected a bid for a change in use for the motel they’ve been living in.
Mayor Ed Mayne anticipates that B.C. Housing will be able to find new shelter for those now calling the 21-room motel home.
B.C. Housing and Parksville officials met Wednesday to discuss the situation. Mayne said he expects a formal written agreement will be arranged to allow tenants to stay in the motel for up to 180 days to allow enough time for relocation.
At its Sept. 7 meeting, council turned down an application from V.I.P. Motel Ltd. for a temporary-use permit to run until March 2023 to permit supportive housing to continue at the motel. The property at 414 Island Highway is zoned for tourism use.
Although council did not approve the permit, Mayne said it is working with B.C. Housing because: “We don’t want the 21 people that are there to be put out on the street either.”
Area residents have complained about garbage and needles left on the streets. One said his nine-year-old granddaughter, who lives with him, is afraid to go outdoors.
Council blasted B.C. Housing for moving vulnerable people into the motel in 2021 when the facility was not zoned for that use.
Coun. Doug O’Brien, whose motion to approve the temporary-use permit failed, blamed B.C. Housing for the situation. “The thing is they’ve taken those individuals that needed housing and they flagrantly disobeyed a bylaw that said that [the motel] was not suitable,” said O’Brien, who also criticized B.C. Housing for putting tenants next to a four-lane highway, where he’s seen them jaywalk to reach the other side.
The situation is “super dangerous,” he said.
“Literally it is just a gong show as to when something tragic is going to happen to these individuals.
“So it was a terrible choice, a terrible decision.”
The V.I.P. — now called Ocean Place — is in the middle of a tourist area and its new use as supportive housing has had a huge impact on existing businesses that are operating legally, he said.
O’Brien urged compassion for the tenants and said the supportive-housing managers are doing their best to care for the residents.
The supportive-housing operation is managed by the Oceanside Homelessness Ecumenical Advocacy Response Team Society on behalf of B.C. Housing.
Paul Drummond of the Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism Association said drug trafficking and loitering around the motel are affecting other guests in the area, along with Parksville’s reputation.
The rooms in the motel could have been used for tourism accommodation, he said.
Removing those rooms from tourism use took away potential spending at shops, restaurants and service stations, he said.
Coun. Mark Chandler added that when the number of hotel rooms is reduced, it pushes up room rates.
He voted against the temporary-use permit, saying: “I don’t believe anything will happen in March of 2023. I don’t believe we are going to see any change.”
Chandler predicted B.C. Housing would simply seek an extension next spring.
“I won’t support this although I do support the homeless community,” said Chandler, noting B.C. is facing an addiction and mental health crisis.
Mayne said that he has the “deepest sympathy” for the individuals in the motel who are in the middle of the a situation that they had nothing to do with.
He said on Wednesday that B.C. Housing has been offered municipal land outside the downtown core to build on but turned it down.
John McEown, associate vice-president of development strategies at B.C. Housing, said the agency is committed to ongoing community consultation and to finding permanent housing for residents at the motel.
B.C. Housing said in a statement it was disappointed council voted against the temporary use permit, saying the motel provides 24/7 support to 20 people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Ocean Place opened to house people in “urgent need of housing following a fire that had displaced them from another site,” it said.
“Previously, the site was an important part of the COVID-19 pandemic response, providing safe and secure housing to vulnerable people in the community.”
B.C. Housing is “exploring all possible options to prevent people staying at the motel from being forced into homelessness and will share an update soon,” the statement said.
“Everyone benefits when people at risk of homelessness have a safe place to call home.”
