By Sheona Burns
Since more people with mental illness have moved into a Centretown public housing building, several of the building’s residents insist they will move out within the next couple of months.
The Ottawa-Carleton Housing Authority approved the controversial plan at the end of October, despite the disapproval of some of the building’s tenants. Since then, 10 homeless people with histories of mental illness have moved in the subsidized housing building at 415 MacLaren St.
Seniors were intended to be sole occupants of the 22-storey high rise, but a lack of demand for housing prompted the board to rent the apartments to a wide range of people, including the mentally ill.
David Mattice, leader of the buildings tenant committee, says he feels uncomfortable living with mentally ill people.
“I know what mental illness can do,” says Mattice, 62, who has lived there for three years. “Many of these homeless people could be schizophrenic. They inflict damage on themselves. I don’t want to be around that.”
Mattice and six other tenants hope to move out of the apartment by April. Even though there have been no reported problems, Mattice says he and several others resent being forced to live in a building where they feel unsafe.
“There are professional workers that choose to deal with these people everyday. That’s a choice they make. We’re being forced to live with it and I don’t want to do that.”
Although the housing board hired a mental health worker to live in the building 35 hours a week, Mattice says none of his concerns have been met.
“It doesn’t make me feel any better. We have to be here all of the time.”
But not everyone shares those views. Jane Lawn, 62, was initially concerned about the new tenants, but says she hasn’t had any problems since they moved in.
“It’s peaceful and quiet and no one has bothered me. I’m not moving anywhere just yet.”
For those seniors who want to leave, the region has offered housing at 385 Somerset St., across the road from 415 MacLaren St.
Somerset regional Coun. Diane Holmes says the housing authorities board will pay the moving costs for seniors who have lived in the building for longer than four years.