Public Services Committee Voted No to Towne Square Shitters
Transit Station Toilets - all 2 of them.
We will continue to pay for 24/7 security for the transit station toilets.
The need for public toilets overnight only serves to underscore the desperate need for housing.
Monday’s Public Services Committee meeting mulled over the future of proposed toilet facilities at Towne Square. The consensus was that the transit station was getting lots of use so they did not need to add more public toilets Downtown.
The. “Final Survey” on the downtown washroom project issued to businesses and residents in the city centre last month.
Background
When the idea of Towne Square (Formerly Tin Can Alley) was conceived, public toilets were in the original plans. Costs quickly exceeded the original $2 million budget and the decision was made to cut the toilets (but they kept the $400,000 canopy). The hookups are already there, the power, the water and the sewer. The final cost of Towne Square came to about $3 million.
To address the lack of 24 hour public toilets, the decision was made to open the transit parkade toilets (all two of them) 24 hours a day by hiring an extra security guard. The estimate was $48,000 for the rest of 2023, then it would be $100,000 / year. This was meant to be a temporary solution while staff explored other options. Event organizers had to bring in port-a-potties, not a pretty sight (or a pleasant odour) on those hot summer days. Even when port-a-potties were in place, our Council Members refused to use them. One Council Member even said at a Public Services Committee meeting
“I'm not sure if we want to necessarily direct the people to come to say City Hall regularly to use the washroom or something like that.”
The compassion in her voice for her fellow humans was absolutely heartwarming. <sarcasm>
It was later discussed at the July 4 2023 City Council meeting
Timestamps
1:50:00 discussion starts
1:53:30 Sharps asks about solutions in the parks (Riverside Veterans Memorial Park and BATUS Park)
1:59:30 City Manager Ann Mitchell talks about it not being a permanent solution
Current Situation
What they did not realize was that you cannot have people working alone after a certain hour so they needed to add TWO new positions to cover the extra time needed.
The cost per year is now $265,000 to keep two toilets open 24/7.
$726 / day, $363 per toilet per day
That works out to $15/ hr/ toilet.
The City spent over $20,000 to clean Tin Can Alley this summer when people were using it as a toilet despite the fact that the transit station was open 24/7. We were told there was a reduction in vandalism etc but not provided with any numbers.
Future Plans
Page 3 of the Dec 9 2024 Public Services Committee Agenda Packet states that usage of the transit toilets has increased.
Page 4 states that the MHPS says “Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) has indicated building a new washroom downtown location, at Towne Square or elsewhere, will likely lead to creating a hub for undesirable activity.” Their brilliant conclusion is to raise more awareness of public toilet locations.
They completely ignored the issue of WHY people are using Downtown as a public toilet. They ignored the fact that increased toilet usage at night means there are a lot of unhoused people. Instead, City of Medicine Hat Administration has been advocating for a Task Force to deal with “Social Disorder” and our police service wants to hire more officers.
I don’t know about you but I like to shit at home. The only time I ever used the Great Outdoors as a toilet was when I had no other choice. You can bet that when I have my very own toilet that I am not outdoors in the middle of the night.
New Housing Project proposed 2 years ago still not approved
A new Affordable Housing project was proposed in Dec 2022. The City donated a plot of land on 5 Avenue SE surrounded by the City transit garage, the post office and the Detox Centre and a cliff.
https://majorprojects.alberta.ca/details/5th-Avenue-Affordable-Housing-Building-B/11389
https://www.medicinehat.ca/en/news/1482-5-avenue-se-proposed-development.aspx
The location is in the flood fringe.
I stopped by there yesterday - no work has started yet. The City has not responded to a request for an update on the fact that the development permit is still “pending decision”. Public comments closed May 27 2024.
We’ve been waiting for this development for 2 years now. It only has 21 units and will not solve our housing crisis right now, by the time it is built we will still be far behind the ability to fill the need.
Location of proposed affordable housing.
Community Garden that will need to be moved.
We need more affordable housing
Shelters are merely a temporary solution intended to keep people safe but there are a number of barriers that stop people from using a shelter. I am merely repeating what I have heard from people who tell me why they do not use the available shelters.
1 All Medicine Hat shelters are dry. You cannot be under the influence when at a shelter. This puts those who are using substances at risk. Other cities will have one or more “wet” shelters with the appropriate precautions in place.
2 Shelters do not allow pets. The SPCA does help with this but unless people are given a definite date as to when they’ll have a home, they’re unwilling to relinquish their best friend just to have a bed.
3 Shelters do not provide much storage for possessions. Unhoused people carry all of their belongings with them. When you have very little, you are unwilling to risk losing what you do have.
4 People have reported being assaulted in shelters. They feel safer away from others. Unless people can access a place where they can lock a door to stay safe, they will choose to not use the shelters.
Did You Know? We’re the only city our size in Alberta with no 24 hr shelter. Shelter clients must move back and forth between them twice a day in all weather conditions, a 1.6km (1 Mile) trip each way. Very few of the shelter clients have transportation, a number of them have mobility challenges.
Solutions abound, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel
I was out on Vancouver Island recently. It was my 90 year old mother who told me about this project, she lives in a nearby town. She had nothing but praise for the project. My mom is a very active senior, (she puts me to shame). She speaks with a lot of people and is very aware of local social issues.
Here’s an example of a safe housing solution made with seacans (I happen to know of 8 that are not now being used). These are sleeping units with wrap around supports.
Duncan - The Village, 610 Trunk Road | Let's Talk Housing BC
The Village as a model for housing and mental health and addictions support – The Discourse.
Time to Talk - the Village Project
Duncan sleeping cabins giving Lucas a chance to address addictions and end his homelessness
There is less “social Disorder” when people have their own place to call home
We need less of a “Task Force” and more of a “Housing First” solution. To expect people with substance use issues to quit before they can be housed is cruel and unrealistic. Most of us have the luxury of using substances - legal or otherwise - in the privacy of our own homes. Only those who do not have a place to call home are the ones that are required to quit using substances before they can get help. The problem with this is that even if they wanted to go to detox right this minute, there are not enough beds, never mind rehab.
