Addressing The Homeless
The unfortunate legacy of affordable housing
Public perception regarding the success of large "social housing" developments is inevitably biased by experiences from a generation ago. Large apartment buildings or townhouse projects in Toronto1 , New York City, Detroit and other large centres were built decades ago with one objective in mind: get marginalized people into homes.
The failure of these attempts of 40, 50 or even 60 years ago can be directly attributed to flawed planning. Several factors were simply not addressed in the planning process:
- Poor "fit" within the host community:
Designing any accommodation without consideration of appropriate size and design adds nothing positive to any neighbourhood. The Mustard Seed has devoted hundreds of hours to ensure lasting benefit all Calgarians can take pride in.
- Lack of tenant supports:
Recovery from life on the streets or in the shelter system requires a clear plan, coupled with human support and programs that help achieve positive progress. The Mustard Seed's "Housing Plus" philosophy provides not just a roof over an individual's head - Housing Plus provides a caring hand-up to make lasting lifetime differences.
- Inadequate management and maintenance:
Any housing introduced into a neighbourhood without rigorous maintenance and management runs the risk of becoming a detriment. The Mustard Seed has designed its initiative with close attention to how it will be run, now and decades into the future.
- No adaptability planning:
Any community will change and evolve over time. Just as the Beltline has changed many times since its founding more than 100 years ago, so it will continue to change as economic conditions and demographics change. The Mustard Seed has built in the flexibility to make this building serve tomorrow's needs as well as today's.
The Mustard Seed's planning team has researched what works, and what doesn't, in constant consultation with our neighbours in the Beltline and with experts across the continent. Our goal: to make this affordable housing initiative, and the supportive Housing Plus philosphy, a showcase in North America.
^1 Toronto "projects" such as St. James Town and low-income housing in the St. Lawrence district are prime examples of well-intentioned developments that deteriorated due to inadequate planning and supports. Perhaps the most familiar Toronto example is Regent Park, built between 1947-1959. This area is now being redeveloped to house 4,500+ apartments and townhomes based on modern planning principles.
