By James Breckenridge. There is no ‘Right location’; I would even be leery of suggesting that a ‘best location’ exists.
There are good locations and bad locations; locations that have good points and bad points, strengths and weaknesses, advantages and drawbacks.
But a ‘Right location’ for Abbotsford Community Services (ACS) proposed first stage housing does not exist, and to pursue the ‘Right location’ is to chase a mirage.
The only actual existence the ‘Right location’ has is in the context of the ‘Right location’ being a location anywhere Not In My Back Yard.
“I am not against [insert name of project under discussion] it is just this is not the ‘Right location’ for __________, sounds so much more politically correct and so much less egocentric than NIMBY.
It has been repeatedly stated that Abbotsford has a critical need for the proposed housing and that those who oppose the ACS proposal are not against this type of housing in the ‘Right location’ – said ‘Right location’ being in somebody else’s back yard.
Which is why no doubt it has not been stated where this mythical ‘Right location’ is. Given the people in the stated ‘Right location’ would find (and support) that the proposed location behind ACS was the ‘Right location’
The truth is that if you choose any location in Abbotsford for the proposed housing, I can give you ten solid reasons that the location is not the ‘Right location’.
Abbotsford has a critical need for first stage housing – assuming the city and citizens want to pursue an approach to reducing the number of homeless on the streets that has been demonstrated to be effective.
An assumption I freely admit has a high probability of being wrong given the reaction by city council and citizens to the ACS proposal.
A reaction which provides no evidence of any desire to stop chasing the homeless around Abbotsford until … what?? … the homeless fall down a rabbit hole and join Alice in Wonderland?
An outcome which, sadly, is no more insane than council’s chasing of the homeless around Abbotsford year after year after year after year … in the hope that this time something different will occur and the homeless will … disappear?.