The Lethbridge Housing Authority is looking for a pair of zoning amendments which will allow 24 hour support to be present at two of its locations. Until August this year, a social worker was present for working hours Monday to Friday at Castle Apartments, which is co-owned by Lethbridge Housing Authority and the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Robin James, chief administrative officer for Lethbridge housing, said 24 hour support can help current clients to stay housed. In a letter to neighbours, the organization said many evictions and non-renewed leases could have been prevented with proper support for residents.
“What we are looking to do at both of those locations is provide some supportive living — so we are not looking to do a resource centre; we are not looking to do a shelter — we are simply looking to get direct control so that we can apply for a development permit under supportive housing,” James said. “The clients that we would like to support there are for the most part the clients that we already serve at both buildings. They are at-risk, they are medium to low acuity individuals. They are individuals who are financially in need and who struggle to maintain housing.”
The second location, Halmrast Manor, has 142 units and James says the organization wants to provide 24 hour support for between 25–30 units. Right now, according to the letter from the housing authority, a social worker is only available by appointment at this location.
“We are trying to house people in those units and provide those exact people with supports,” James says. “So not additional people, not people dropping in, not people stopping by. Specific to those individuals that have a lease agreement that live in those units. Right now, we don’t have supportive housing, we don’t have that zoning — we just simply have community workers that can be in and out of those buildings. What we are asking for is 24 hour support.”
The Downtown Lethbridge BRZ sent out a letter on Nov. 28 claiming the housing authority was seeking zoning to put in a shelter and resource centre at the Castle Apartments downtown, which is something housing authority officials say is not true. James says the intent of the rezoning is to provide better support for people already living in the buildings.
“We just want people to not be thinking that are going to surprise them or not be transparent with them. We are being very transparent — we are looking for supportive housing. We already serve a client base that is a little bit harder to house. All of our neighbours already know that that is who we are serving. We are simply just trying to keep those folks housed,” James says.
Sarah Amies, community director with the Downtown BRZ, says she did not contact Lethbridge Housing Authority to ensure accuracy before sending information out to members.
“I received information specific to this particular issue on Friday from a contact at the city and I basically sent out information to the membership, not opinion, just information providing folks with some details that I received from my contact at the city and giving some details about when open houses were going to be held,” Amies says. “I am certainly sorry if I have confused the issue but as I said, I didn’t make it up. I was going on information that I received from a contact in the city.”
Lethbridge Housing Authority will host an open house on Dec. 5 from 6–8 p.m regarding the Castle Apartments at the organization’s main office. It will do the same for the Halmrast Manor building on Dec. 1.