Re: “Help disabled live full lives,” editorial, Nov. 4.
By providing only a small part of the story of the Nigel Valley Development, your editorial lacked the journalistic rigour we’d expect. So let’s add a few more facts and a larger perspective to clarify what’s at stake.
The project’s six partners, including Garth Homer Society, all serve specific populations, with separate buildings proposed to serve the different populations. Other partners include B.C. Housing, which owns the land, and the funders of services.
Of the 651 proposed units, 190 (29 per cent) are designated for “market rent,” with 461 (71 per cent) slated for designated populations. It’s also a high-density project, with limited public space for community interaction and recreational activities, which are critical to building strong, inclusive communities.
Additionally, the 29 per cent market housing is a goal, not guaranteed. It’s a small proportion of a project dominated by marginalized groups, and one cannot assume “market” renters will want to live there. These units might, by default, house other marginalized people.
The populations served by the six agencies are often marginalized by virtue of strong societal biases, based on their support needs and diagnoses. They include people with mental-health conditions, addictions, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, complex medical needs, behavioural support needs, dementia, acquired brain injury, single-parent families, low-income seniors and the working poor.
History — and fundamental principles of community planning — tell us that marginalization increases when such economically and socially devalued groups are crowded together in what others inevitably see as “that development.” Nigel Valley will be a social and economic ghetto.
The experience underlying this conclusion is fact. The novel interpretation of “inclusion” in your editorial is not. The notion that it will be inclusive because different groups are included is a misuse of the fundamental concept of inclusion.
Only when people who face significant barriers can access the supports they need to live in regular homes and can choose where to live, in regular neighbourhoods all over our cities, like the rest of us, will we have inclusion. Until we recognize this as a human right, we are doomed to repeat past mistakes.
Open the doors to all who have a stake in planning Nigel Valley, including advocacy groups offering solutions to make this truly inclusive, and other community partners. Inclusion B.C., Community Living Victoria and our federation members across B.C. serve and support thousands of people with developmental disabilities to live full, inclusive lives in their communities.
We can be allies. Together, we could make Nigel Valley an inclusive showcase demonstrating how all people can live together and form strong, vibrant communities. It’s a powerful offer none of us can afford to turn down.
Faith Bodnar is executive director of Inclusion B.C. Ellen Tarshis is executive director of Community Living Victoria.
