In the debate over where to put emergency shelters, advocates take a stand against NIMBYism

A homelessness crisis is upon Canadian cities, and in an effort to make more progress on homelessness shelters and housing, a group of activists are petitioning Regina city council to ban NIMBYism from it's meetings.

Not In My Backyard or NIMBY is a term used by some advocates to describe people who don't want things like low-income housing, homelessness shelters or safe injection sites near their homes.

That set of beliefs came strongly into play at a Regina city council meeting in June, where a proposed emergency shelter location was debated for hours. The project was met with both support from the public, but also opposition.

Dustin Plett, a Saskatchewan United Party candidate and landlord, pleaded to council, saying he owns two rental properties that are metres from the proposed shelter location, and he raised concerns around crime and drugs.

Plett complained he just purchased two more lots and was going to build another 24 units, but said that wouldn't be the case if the city went through with this proposed site.

Council was ultimately swayed and voted against the potential shelter location, leading to frustration from other councillors who were pushing for the project.

Ward 1 Coun. Cheryl Stadnichuk and Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Stevens listen to a delegation during a meeting of Regina city council on June 11, 2024. (Alexander Quon/CBC)

Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Stevens, whose ward covers the North Central neighbourhood where the shelter would have been, said "I think we collectively look like a bunch of morons."

Ward 6 Coun. Dan LeBlanc said, "if we had a book about this council's approach to homelessness, it would be called 'Thoughts and Prayers.'"

A new potential location is set to be presented to the city's executive committee in September.

CBC's Blue Sky show dove deeper into this topic last Wednesday, talking to an anti-NIMBY activist, an apartment owner, a city councillor and an expert who, after studying NIMBYism, says she isn't a fan of the term.

A petition to ban NIMBYism

Florence Stratton says she is one of 121 people who signed the petition that was delivered to Regina city hall that Wednesday. She says NIMBYism is a form of discrimination.

The petition aims to ban NIMBY-style language or commentary when discussing topics like homelessness, shelters or low-income housing. Stratton said the June council meeting included "derogatory comments made about unhoused people," and assertions that the shelter would bring more crime and vandalism to the area, and cause property values to fall — all commentary she categorizes as NIMBYism.

Stratton quoted Ontario's Human Rights Commission which states NIMBYism is a human rights issue, and "it happens when people hold negative attitudes or stereotypes about the people who live in affordable housing or use emergency shelters."

Stratton said she was compelled to start the petition because of the homelessness crisis.

"I am appalled that there's even one unhoused person in this rich city, in this rich province, in this rich country," said Stratton.

"What is the matter with us? It's suffering out there in the street and we act, we being, you know, the status quo or established society, we act as if they're a danger to us, it is in fact they who are in danger."

When asked how she would feel if the tables were turned and her own neighbourhood faced having a shelter built in it, Stratton said she would welcome it.

At the end of the day, an emergency shelter is just a "stop-gap measure" to Stratton, who said she hopes something more permanent will be done in the future, such as housing.

She said if the city can contemplate spending over $100 million on a new aquatic centre, then they should be able to do the same toward ending homelessness.

Saskatoon's battle with NIMBYism

Finding and deciding on shelter space is not an issue exclusive to Regina, as Saskatoon is grappling with similar problems.

In February, Saskatoon city council axed plans for a shelter in the city's Sutherland neighbourhood. At that meeting council passed a motion making it so any emergency shelters built in the future would need to be at least 250 metres away from any elementary schools.

Some residents and business owners expressed concerns about the potential negative impacts the shelter could have at the proposed location in Sutherland. Some referred to reports of issues coming from the Fairhaven neighbourhood, where a 106-bed shelter is located.

Ward 3 Coun. David Kirton is a strong proponent of the Fairhaven shelter, although he says 106 beds is too many because it is "not sustainable," and also says Fairhaven resident concerns are valid.

The proposed shelter in Saskatoon's Sutherland neighborhood was chosen to offer 30 beds for people with complex needs. Two neighborhood information sessions on the proposed shelter planned for this week had already been postponed twice. (Pratyush Dayal/CBC)

Kirton expressed frustration over the 250 metre rule, saying it limits the locations where the city can put a shelter and has made it difficult to find another one.

"There were people from Fairhaven neighborhood who were actually out protesting the shelter in Sutherland," said Kirton on Blue Sky.

"So we don't just have NIMBYism, we also have, 'not in anybody's backyard,' and that's a very big concern for me."

Kirton said he is hoping the city is able to find another shelter location before winter because currently all of the shelters are at capacity.

Valid concerns and NIMBY label

Concerns like crime or increased drug use in the area are common issues brought up by folks like Plett or residents and business owners who show up to council meetings in opposition to shelters being built in their area.

Those concerns are valid according to Erin Dej, an associate professor in the department of criminology at Wilfred Laurier University, where she has been researching homelessness for the past 15 years and specifically NIMBYism for the last four years.

Dej is not a big fan of the NIMBY label. That revelation came to her while doing research in various communities in Ontario.

"When they get labelled NIMBY, they get into instant defensive mode," said Dej. "So sometimes when we use that term NIMBY, it dismisses what can be valid concerns."

"What I don't think we should do is throw the baby out with the bathwater. It doesn't mean shelters can't go there, it doesn't mean we can't provide those services, it means we need to work collaboratively to find a way that we can provide housing."

Dej also spoke to fears around crime happening in neighbourhood, saying that crime is already there. If done right, she argues a shelter with the right services and resources can actually help alleviate that crime and concern.

Many of the crimes people have concerns about surrounding shelters are what Dej calls "survival crimes," like stealing bikes, propane tanks, etc.

"If we are able to prevent and end homelessness, those crimes wouldn't exist. They are happening expressly because they are homeless right now and so we need to address homelessness at large."