Edmonton won't allow new homeless shelters near big industrial plants

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Edmonton will not allow new homeless shelters directly next to big industrial projects and will create new limits for how much space can be dedicated to sleeping mats.

City council on Wednesday voted to continue allowing homeless shelters in areas with some industrial activity, but not when the property next door is zoned for “heavy” industrial use — such an oil refinery or chemical plant. Council asked city staff to draft changes to the city’s zoning bylaws to reflect this, along with amendments to restrict the maximum floorspace for “congregate sleeping areas” for shelters.

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Coun. Andrew Knack said although people would probably agree shelters make the most sense in a residential area or a commercial area — and it’s the most humane location for them — there’s tension when a shelter comes to a community. He supported the motion but thinks council should open a broader discussion around shelter locations and about shelters where people mainly sleep on mats in a big room on the floor.

“A shelter, at a minimum, shouldn’t be beside heavy industrial land use, and I think we need to have a real conversation about the mat program,” he said.

Coun. Michael Janz said while having shelters in industrial areas isn’t ideal, the organizations looking to run shelters have limited options for securing funding in a new location. He knows some industrial zones are close to services people need, like transit, so he said restricting them from being next to “heavy” use industrial strikes the right balance in offering people somewhere to go.

He said this change is meant to recognize the need for shelters while also ensuring there isn’t “a problem with concentration again.”

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“All of us know that there is a magic number. The bigger the crowd gets, the more chaotic it can get. And this makes it much more achievable, disseminated around the city, the community, and stops some of the co-location that’s been a problem in the past.”

Coun. Erin Rutherford voted against the motion. She doesn’t want to see homeless shelters in industrial areas at all. The city doesn’t even allow hotels in those areas, let alone permanent housing, she said.

“My ultimate argument and concern is that we’re still allowing this in industrial areas, full stop. We don’t allow any other residential use, even temporary sleeping hotels in these areas, yet we’re saying it’s OK for our most marginalized,” she told reporters. “We are saying that for this group of people it’s OK for them to be pushed out into industrial areas that we wouldn’t allow any other person to sleep in.”

The topic came up shortly after council approved a rezoning request in June to allow Hope Mission to open a new 120-bed homeless shelter in the west end near Yellowhead Trail and 149 Street. Although the land was already zoned to allow for a shelter, Hope Mission needed the rezoning so it could provide additional services inside the building — not to increase the sleeping area.

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Tim Pasma, director of programs for Hope Mission, told councillors at the time more people are experiencing homelessness in Edmonton and there’s a need in that area in particular.

He said Hope Mission is making an effort to follow Edmonton’s shelter guidelines and that the shelter will take a housing-focused approach. There will be a bus for transportation, semi-private spaces and storage. It will have 24/7 services, including separate eating area and day-use space, a high level of accessibility and inclusion, space for couples and barrier-free and gender-neutral washrooms and showers, laundry, and a range of other services onsite that connect people to other services, he said.

lboothby@postmedia.com

@laurby

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