BC Housing seeking to join high-profile Parksville supportive housing lawsuit
PARKSVILLE — BC Housing wants to join the legal fray surrounding a contentious supportive housing development in Parksville.
The provincial organization is seeking to be listed as a defendent alongside the City of Parksville in a lawsuit filed by several community members. The case could be precedent setting, with BC Housing telling NanaimoNewsNOW they’re not aware of any similar lawsuits in the past.
The lawsuit stems from complaints with the zoning process of land at 222 Corfield St. S. in Parksville, where a 52-unit supportive housing complex is currently being built and will be operated by the Island Crisis Care Society. The $6.9 million project is funded through BC Housing.
The civil suit, filed in August 2018, claims area residents weren’t properly informed about the incoming development as per City rules and they “felt intimidated (and) were deprived of the opportunity to meaningfully express their opinions” at a public hearing which stretched on for roughly two-and-a-half hours.