By Dominic Abassi

‘Very unproductive:’ Nanaimo’s mayor fires back against premier’s criticism

Aug 24, 2018 | 4:40 PM

Nanaimo’s mayor says it’s time to stop playing the blame game and focus on solutions after B.C.’s premier and housing minister took pot-shots at the City on the national stage this week over a failed attempt to build supportive housing.

Speaking to national media following a meeting with the Prime Minister and his cabinet in Nanaimo, Premier John Horgan called out the City when asked about affordable housing and Discontent City.

“Unfortunately we weren’t able to get cooperation from the City of Nanaimo on taking us up on our offer of putting in place modular housing…We’re doing that in other cities around B.C.,” Horgan said.

Earlier in the week, in a Globe and Mail story referencing the B.C. government’s next round of housing funding, Housing Minister Selena Robinson said she was hopeful cities that didn’t get on board with the first round of funding would come on board, specifically pointing out Nanaimo needed to “work with us.”

Mayor Bill McKay said he takes exception to the comments by the minister and premier, saying the assertion Nanaimo wasn’t willing to cooperate “couldn’t be further from the truth.”

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“I find it very unproductive. This Council, with all its quirks, is prepared to move ahead with housing. Please, BC Housing, just tell us what you want to build and we’ll respond.”

In January of this year, the province and City made a joint announcement of $7 million in funding for a modular housing project in Chase River. On Feb. 19, Council rejected the proposed location after facing a barrage of concerns over the type of clientele who would live there. On March 6, McKay sent a letter to Robinson promising to find a new location in time to meet the province’s deadline. Two days later, Robinson’s ministry told NanaimoNewsNOW, before the mayor, it would be reallocating the funding elsewhere.

With memories over the previous attempt to build housing in Nanaimo apparently still very raw, more government money is now on the table. Earlier this month the province announced another commitment to housing, pledging $1.2 billion for 2,500 supportive housing apartments in the next 10 years.

Whether the City and the province can get on the same page remains to be seen.

McKay said to date there have been fruitless discussions.

“I have to say I’m disappointed in that. It’s time to move on. Let’s roll up our sleeves and do what’s right for the people in our community. Let’s get some housing going here instead of having to constantly defend ourselves. Let’s deal with the issue.”

As recently as July, BC Housing maintained in comments to NanaimoNewsNOW that the City has not been able to provide an alternative site for a housing project.

“We have continued to stay in contact with the city to let them know that we remain committed to working together to address homelessness in their community, and to address the housing needs of individuals at the (Discontent City) homeless camp,” BC Housing said on July 13.

However, McKay believed it was in fact the province who needed to come forward with a proposal first.

“Tell us what you’re putting on the table and we’ll respond to it. We’ll find an appropriate piece of property for it but tell us what you’re prepared to build, how much funding you’re prepared to put forward and what client groups you want to help,” McKay said.

McKay questioned why the government was so married to the idea of building projects for the hardest to home, pointing to others in the community desperately in need of housing, like single mothers and those facing reno-victions.

“Why don’t they sit down with communities and have conversations with the people that know their community the best?,” Mckay said.

The Premier’s office and BC Housing did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

dom@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @domabassi