To the Editor,
Re: Uplands housing project reaches permit stage, Feb. 12.
It is so good to hear an update from one of the other supportive housing buildings that will house some of the chronically and frequently homeless in Nanaimo.
I recently had two friends, Carol Mickey and Rowena Mack, die who were among those who spent extended periods of time on the streets and there is no doubt their overall health suffered from it.
Carol, Rowena and others are why some of us have been pushing for this housing for years. While their passing has saddened many in the community, both were in the end housed – among the first to be housed at the Wesley Street complex. They were no longer homeless, they had finally found a home.
This type of housing is essential to our community so that we in Nanaimo can proudly say that to the best of our ability, no person will die living on the streets.
While there are many who disagree with providing supportive housing to the homeless, the benefits of doing so far outweigh not.
Let Nanaimo be a leading example that other communities can follow in looking after the less fortunate.
Carol and Rowena: you will be missed.
Gordon W. Fuller
Nanaimo
