Two prominent voices for those living with developmental disabilities in St. Albert have called on council to amend the city's land-use bylaw.
Two prominent voices for those living with developmental disabilities in St. Albert have called on council to amend the city's land-use bylaw.
Lo-Se-Ca Foundation director Carmen Horpestad and MLA Marie Renaud, who headed the organization before being elected to the legislature, called on council to end the discrimination they say is written into the city's land-use bylaw.
Horpestad explained that at a recent hearing of the city's Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, residents opposed to a group home on Howard Crescent suggested that living next to a group home was like having a death in the family. They were worried about property values dropping, and were worried for the safety of their children.
“It's hard to believe that in this day and age … we still find ourselves in this position,” she said.
Renaud said while she was “overjoyed” when the city implemented its Social Master Plan, approved in spring 2013, but she doesn't see the city living up to the key words of “diversity, inclusion and equity.”
“Three powerful words that require equally powerful action to inject them with real-time meaning and value,” she said.
She explained the St. Albert residents in question weren't looking to have any sort of special facility in the neighbourhood, but just wanted to share a house like anyone else in order to lower their expenses.
“What they were, and are, is a group of people who wanted to rent the same home,” Renaud said.
Hortestad pointed to high housing prices in St. Albert, with the average price of $587,000 being about $150,000 more than in Edmonton. For those on fixed income like recipients of Alberta's Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program, she argued, there's immense benefit in sharing housing expenses.
And as prices rise, those in such a situation are better off sharing with more than the three roommates as allowed in the bylaw.
The city's bylaw currently allows for a “facility” – wording Hortestad said is in and of itself discriminatory because “these are private residents” – of up to three residents as a permitted use for a typical residential property, and of up to six residents as a discretionary use.
As a discretionary use, affected neighbours can appeal the city's decision to allow it, which is what happened in the case of the property on Howland Crescent.
“What gives anyone the right to choose where anyone else gets to live?” she asked.
Hortestad explained that while the appeal was denied and the residents will be allowed to live together as they initially planned, it's important for the city to consider what might happen with other similar appeals.
“We're looking to the future,” she said.
She provided council with a list of several specific changes she would like to see to the bylaw to help promote community inclusion, including changing the definition to allow more individuals to live together as a permitted use, to make all group homes a permitted use, changing the distancing requirements for group homes and changing the clause allowing neighbours to appeal a group home.
Council did not make a decision on amendments to the land-use bylaw at that meeting, but the matter could come up in the future.
