Edmonton business association opposes plan to turn Beverly Motel into transitional housing

An old motel in Edmonton's Beverly neighbourhood, once known as a problem property, could become transitional housing on 118th Avenue — if it can overcome the pushback.

Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA) received a permit to convert the former Beverly Motel into a transitional housing project with 17 units. Now, it faces an appeal from the Beverly Business Association and must go to Edmonton's Subdivision and Development Appeal Board later this month.

In a letter to the SDAB, the business association said the project will make the street less safe, less walkable and less attractive to the public and investors. 

"We strongly feel that a supportive housing project for persons escaping addiction will directly and significantly damage the important work that our association is undertaking to revitalize 118th Avenue," the letter says.

Converting the building into housing also bars the business association from collecting a levy from the property, the letter said.

"It stems more from fear than facts," Blake Jackman, NCSA's director of housing, told CBC News.

Jackman described the appeal as unfortunate. The area has a lot of Indigenous people experiencing homelessness, he said, and the NCSA has been in talks with the business association about the project since its early stages.

"It's between people remaining unhoused in their community and their alleys, in their parks, in their streets, or living safely in a supportive, recovery-oriented and professionally-managed environment until they can secure permanent housing," he said.

The former motel has been newly renovated and the NCSA plans to run an abstinence-based program that allows people to stay for up to six months. The project received funding from the federal and provincial governments.

The NCSA, which operates other transitional and supportive housing in Edmonton, has a track record of being good community members, Jackman said.

"I know some neighbourhoods do feel like they're taking on more of the burden than other neighbourhoods are — and I'm not saying that's untrue," he said.

"But we do believe that the Beverly community is in need of services to support them, with the encampments they have."

In a statement to CBC News, Beverly Business Association executive director Alex Bosker said the organization would like to see the project go elsewhere.

"Our board feels our business district is not the appropriate location for such a project, and that it would be more suitable to open their program outside of a specially levied business area," Bosker said.

Beverly resident Chani Sunley said the former motel was "an eyesore" when she first moved into the area. But from she has heard, the housing project would greatly improve the motel site.

Homeless people are living in the neighbourhood, and Sunley would rather see them living under a roof, with access to support, she said.

"Right now, it's so hard, because where do people go? You just shuffle them along," she said. "We know that's what's happening."

The Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, an independent municipal tribunal, will consider the business association's appeal at a hearing on July 24.