Neighbourhood is certainly not better

Re: “Housing raises safety fears,” July 20.

Mayor Lisa Helps says: “The neighbourhood has gotten better, not worse,” since the the opening of the temporary shelter across from Central Middle School, but that is not true.

I don’t call street people shooting up in the parking lot, leaving their dirty toilet paper by my vehicle or sneaking around trying to camp around the building making a neighbourhood better. I don’t call street people’s belongings piled up in the school yard now that we are into summer holidays better, either.

Management has tried to deter this by opening up potential hiding places, putting in obstacles that would make it less likely that street people will park there, taking down bushes. Still there are those who pee in the parking lot. I don’t call that a better neighbourhood.

I am dealing with stress issues and illness. I want to find accommodations that will ensure I have a decent lifestyle on the limited amount of cash I have. I have been trying to find another place to live but housing is so expensive that I might need to move out of Victoria completely. Since I moved into my building five years ago, it has not gotten better, it has gotten worse. I would never have moved here had it been like it is now.

I share the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s concern about the housing complex due to open around the corner from its building next week and how it might affect its students. Lynda Boyd Victoria