Seniors residence thrives five years after NIMBY backlash over re-zoning
Villa Beaurepaire makes a difference by meeting demand for affordable housing
While the Villa Beaurepaire has settled in to serve an ongoing demand for affordable housing needs within an aging West Island demographic, the project faced a not-in-my-backyard — NIMBY — backlash over a rezoning request when proposed.
The seniors housing facility in Beaconsfield marked its fifth anniversary with a celebration dinner on Saturday. Discussions about the project began 12 years ago and the concept was not a popular one with neighbours.
“(Finally) after so much NIMBYism back in the time when we had to get the zoning changed, our neighbours are pleased and we hear nothing from them,” noted Kate Coulter, a former city councillor who has worked with the seniors to find housing. “Our tenants are part of a tightknit community. We have a waiting list and the management is solid and successful.”
The Villa project was initiated by members of Beaurepaire United Church. The idea was to build the seniors project on an unused portion of their lot on Fieldfare Ave. near Beaconsfield Blvd. In 2010, concerns were raised about the impact on the neighbourhood’s character, parking spaces and population density. However, proponents of the project evoked a seldom-used petition procedure under municipal laws to quash opposition and block a potential zoning referendum.
A crisis was averted in Villa’s favour, although any future housing projects will surely face naysayers.
The idea of the project being a multi-unit rental complex seemed to be the main objection from some owners of single-family homes, Coulter recalled.
“At that point, I almost lost faith in humanity. I couldn’t believe the opposition from people,” she said. The pushback faded with time and Villa and its tenants have blended in nicely in the Beaurepaire Village neighbourhood, she added.
While every project should be scrutinized before a city greenlights construction, it’s clear West Island housing needs don’t start and stop with single-family homes, whether it be in Beaconsfield, Pierrefonds or PointeClaire.
The lack of affordable housing options was a key topic during a recent forum hosted by the Table de quartier sud de l’Ouestde-l’Île. Housing forum organizers said that an estimated 9,000 people live under the poverty line within the south West Island sector that the TQSOI covers. There is a real need for affordable rental units.
The West Island’s aging demographic continues to increase and there is growing demand for assisted living, nursing homes and long-term care facilities. By 2030, it’s been estimated that seniors aged 75 and over will represent 12 per cent of the total population in the territory covered by the West Island’s health-care agency.
The Villa Beaurepaire, with its 50 units with rents that may be subsidized by the government for those tenants with eligibility, may not meet all the demands of an aging West Island, but it is a good example of how a community initiative can make a difference and it has proven to be a successful step in the right direction.