EDITORIAL: LET’S TALK SHELTER, FULLY AND RESPECTFULLY

The city of Ottawa has a homelessness problem that it’s not even close to solving. Which is why social service providers still offer emergency shelter beds. A few months ago, one such agency, the Salvation Army, unrolled an ambitious plan to build a huge new shelter, with related programs, in Vanier.

Its pitch is to move from its current, overstuffed home on George Street to 333 Montreal Rd., where a modern, $50-million building designed by an eminent architectural firm would offer 140 shelter beds, 100 more for men in various programs, 50 for addiction and rehab clients, and 60 for men needing certain specialized care. There’d be other services too. But that’s a lot of beds and a lot of square footage.

Many Vanier residents are upset about this — not just about the possibility of a “mega shelter” dominating a community struggling toward prosperity, but also about the lack of warning they got on a plan that’s been discussed with the city (but not with them) for years.

Some housing experts are unhappy too, saying the Salvation Army is cleaving to outdated models for helping the homeless. These people argue the trend is away from centralized programs, that a true “housing first” model wouldn’t put so many emergency beds in one place.

Finally, opponents are also worried that the facility doesn’t conform to the city’s official plan or its vision for how “mainstreets” should be developed.

It’s this last part that will lead to at least one day of hearings by the city’s planning committee this week. The Salvation Army seeks changes to the official plan and zoning so it can build its facility. Depending on whether the committee interprets its own job narrowly or broadly — chair Jan Harder’s office didn’t reply to a query on this from the editorial board Friday — hearings could extend up to three days.

The proposal has become hugely emotional. The Salvation Army says opponents don’t fully understand its plan; foes say they do, but aren’t persuaded. They vow to fight as far as the Ontario Municipal Board if they must.

We hope city councillors this week hear from as wide a variety of voices as possible. Vanier residents, housing experts, social service providers from across the city, Salvation Army folks — and the homeless themselves. We’d like councillors, at this stage, not to restrict themselves to zoning technicalities, as important as those are. This debate is a chance to cast light on assisting the most vulnerable people in our city. Let’s have a full, respectful hearing.

Only then should councillors decide on next steps.