Homeless shelter turned down amid strong pushback

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This article was published 15/11/2023 (1048 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Neighborhood Renewal Corporation’s 24-7 shelter planned for 817 Rosser Ave. was turned down Nov. 1 by the city’s planning commission after facing strong pushback from six business owners in the downtown area.

The decision has forced the BNRC to make alternative shelter arrangements, with two churches having agreed to handle overnight clients while the Blue Door continues to provide daytime services.

The shelter initiative, which aimed at providing essential refuge and support between November and March 31, 2024, was opposed by New System Store owner Neil Cristall, Sneath Group chief executive officer Robyn Sneath, Brandon Downtown Biz representative Mike Maendel, and downtown business owners Daniel Burns, Miles Crossman and Steve Baker.

Cristall told the Sun that downtown Rosser Avenue is not a suitable location for the shelter.

“It is very important that people have safe places and shelter, that people have food and that they have some sort of shelter,” Cristall said. “I also believe that the main commercial and retail areas of the town aren’t the best location to have all the social service programs. They need to be spread out and in safe locations.”

He said his concerns are rooted in the zoning board’s decisions, emphasizing that concentrating such services in the heart of the downtown commercial area contradicted the intended zoning purpose.

“That wasn’t how it was intended. But I do believe strongly that we need to find a place that works for the people who need the services.”

Echoing similar sentiment, Sneath also expressed support for a 24-hour shelter but questioned its placement in the downtown core.

“I am 100 per cent in support of the shelter innovation but not in that location. In the city secondary plan, they have designated a core area of the downtown that is of priority for them to see revitalized,” she told the Sun. “Placing a 24-hour homeless shelter right in the heart of the city is taking a step backward, not a step forward.”

The shelter, Sneath added, would “have a seriously negative impact not only on our tenants and our property but on the entire downtown core. No one from this organization has approached me to seek my input into this, even though we are located a mere two doors down from the proposed site.

“We have invested all of our money into trying to revitalize Brandon’s downtown,” she said. “I firmly support having a shelter, but I just don’t feel that locating it right in the heart of the few blocks that you want to see revitalized is the best location.”

Brandon Downtown Biz representative Mike Maendel said the collective is 100 per cent supportive of the much-needed overnight shelter for those who are unhoused, homeless, or otherwise in a situation that would have them exposed to the elements through Brandon’s cold winter months.

“Everyone should have a roof over their head,” Maendel told the Sun via email. “We believe the city, province, and federal government should be funding permanent spaces for this purpose — a piecemeal and last-minute approach has left us in the situation that we presently find ourselves in, where BNRC and the Ask-Auntie program are flailing to find a space at the 11th hour. We call on the community and our leaders to proceed with a planned approach to help our agencies and our unhoused population.”

He said the Biz has held meetings with both BNRC and the Ask Auntie program to find common ground and looks forward to working with both agencies toward a common goal of a prosperous downtown and a bridge to ending homelessness in our community.

“The Blue Door brings a host of issues such as verbal threats to pedestrians, public urination and defecation, drug use, and increased littering of garbage,” he said. “This application will hurt businesses and properties within this area.”

The city, in collaboration with community groups, is exploring alternative arrangements while engaging in a dialogue concerning homelessness and downtown development.

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett acknowledged the pending appeal by BNRC and highlighted ongoing community efforts to address homelessness. He disclosed that an alternative arrangement is being explored with churches to accommodate homeless individuals while awaiting BNRC’s decision.

“We’ve been working hard … BNRC is the lead. We worked hard to get the 24-hour funding, which would mean drop-in evenings for the Blue Door,” he told the Sun. “The application they made was denied based mostly on location. As a community, we’ve reached out to other groups in the community, and there are opportunities to provide this service.”

BNRC executive director Rushana Newman said the group has heightened its efforts since the public hearing to find a suitable location that is not within the downtown business district.

“The mayor has been helping us with that as well,” Newman said. “We humbly approached a few church groups. Right now, we have two church groups who are willing to provide their space to us or allow us to access their space for just the overnight components.”

Clarifying the intention to maintain the Blue Door’s current location for daytime services while using church spaces exclusively for overnight services, “we’re not looking to move The Blue Door; it will remain in its current location and operate daytime services. However, these church groups have proposed that we will use their space for the overnight drop-in service. We will have to submit a variance application for these locations. We will do community outreach, educate neighbours about the intended use, and then finalize one location to apply.”

Newman said BNRC decided not to proceed with an appeal due to the availability of alternative locations and collaborative support from the Brandon Downtown Biz in finding a semi-permanent or permanent space.

“They’ve scheduled meetings where we will be attending Brandon Downtown Business meetings in collaboration with the city. So it’s going to be a really good partnership,” she said. “These are conversations that needed to happen. Maybe this rejection of a variance application has opened a whole can of worms where we identify and understand that these conversations are needed to help our city grow.”

Addressing security concerns raised by church groups, Newman outlined security measures and provisions BNRC intends to implement.

“The city of Brandon will provide us with cadets who will monitor the area,” she said. “One church group mentioned that it’s a sanctuary and should be revered, so we would implement something, maybe check backpacks before entry. And one church group mentioned having their staff working the overnight component to ensure things are being kept the way discussed.”

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