Editor:
I read your article in the Hope Standard regarding the BC housing presentation to the Hope Council with great interest.
READ MORE: Supportive housing would prioritize local needs: BC Housing
I also attended the meeting and listened carefully to Ms. Brunemeyer’s presentation. It did not, in my opinion, address many of the real concerns that the people of Hope have voiced.
Instead, it was a well formatted spiel that can be found on the BC Housing website under “Community Acceptance Series and Toolkits” which carefully outlines the strategies interested parties can employ to have the community buy into the proposal.
While listening to Ms. Brunemeyer speak I noticed that the problems, solutions, and benefits are almost exactly those which are presented in the BC Housing acceptance toolkit.
The Case Study: Building Knowledge toolkit describes their past experience in community as thus:”Community opposition in all five cases was quick to emerge as soon as neighbours heard about the proposed developments, especially if the property needed rezoning.” (Case Study: Building Knowledge, page 2. BC Housing website). It would appear that BC Housing fully anticipated Hope’s reaction and was well prepared to deal with it.
Further the toolkit describes having public meetings to deal with concerns, justify the need for the development, set a clear timeline for public input, develop and community advisory committee, and be clear on key messaging and ensure consistent messaging from interested parties.
I would suggest that this format was well followed right down to suggesting that the site would be kept up by appropriate landscaping and maintenance. At no time, however, did I actually hear of specific and detailed plans and strategies to address the proposed site in Hope.
I would also like to take exception to the claim of lower police call outs as this is definitely one pressing concern here in the Hope community.
The stats presented via power-point suggested that there is an initial increase followed by a decrease of call-outs. If you read the data limitations on BC Housing research you will see that this data is from only five ‘successful’ housing sites built, two of which are not the kind being developed in Hope.
The research data is also limited to those who work in the housing projects and does not include the neighbours or even the residents of the projects. (BC Housing, Building Knowledge,Case Study: Community Acceptance Series, Data Limitations, page 5, 6). Research of this type is at best biased and flawed and at worst deceiving.
I greatly encourage those who live here to read and digest what has been presented to you and compare it to the toolkits on the BC Housing website. I suspect you may come away feeling like I did.
I am offended that my government would attempt to manipulate me in such a blatant way. Yet clearly that is what they are doing. Fair enough.
Tina Laursen