To the Editor,
Re: Fellowship opts for extreme weather shelter, Sept. 4.
I do not agree to locating an extreme weather shelter in the Townsite Rosehill area.
This area is, and has always been, a problem with drug dealing and other things that follow low-income rentals.
Rosehill Street still sees a plethora of RCMP activity on a daily basis. To inject 24 homeless people in this area goes against the grain of homeowners in the Townsite area.
I am not saying all homeless people are bad, but many have drug dependencies and should be housed in areas where drugs are not readily available.
A winter homeless shelter should be located close to their needs. They need clothing, food, transportation, medical and social services. The First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo (595 Townsite Rd.) is not close to any required services and presents a problem of vagrancy to the community outside of their operating hours.
The city will soon have a vacant annex which is close to policing, medical buildings, social services and food banks. A central housing area would make sense to people who have no money for transportation.
The fellowship is not a good location.
We can’t expect the homeless to walk in the dead of winter to seek provisions and services located miles away.
Matt James
Nanaimo
