Lisa Helps addressed issues raised by nearby residents and businesses around the new transitional housing care facility at 844 Johnson Street, in an interview on CBC radio.
The building has been opened for just over a week and the last residents moved in a couple of days ago.
Asked about complaints of threatening and disturbing behaviour, large vocal crowds, public drinking and drug use, increased trash and broken glass around the facility, the mayor responded, “I think that all of the issues that we are hearing, and we are hearing some, are growing pains and moving in pains.”
According to Helps people are hanging out outside the building, because there is no furniture in the inner courtyard yet and the common spaces inside are still not available. She said she would like to thank the neighbours for their patience.
Helps said there has been an issue with fire alarms being set off, as the building has been wired with “extremely sensitive fire alarms.” If somebody lights a cigarette in their room, it triggers an alarm in the entire building. Each time the fire department is required to respond.
On one occasion the fire department arrived at the building five times in 24 hours.
The mayor explained that the solution is to rewire the building, and the Portland Hotel Society has come to an arrangement with the fire department, whereby they don’t respond by arriving every time, until the new less sensitive system is installed.
Helps repeated that people were rushed to move in because of the court injunction and, “it would have been useful to have more time.”
