“Uplands Walk is a symbol of community that is inclusive,” said McKay. He listed economic benefits of social housing: “When people are in Uplands Walk, they will spend less time in the emergency department of our hospital.”

Nanaimo has added 33 new units of supported housing to put a roof over the heads of adults at risk of being homeless. Politicians and other dignitaries gathered for the ribbon-cutting for Uplands Walk.

Many faces have changed since the project was first unveiled to a storm of controversy ahead of the 2011 civic election. Then residents in the north Nanaimo neighbourhood feared discarded needles and open drug dealing from the housing facility.   Read the rest of this story at Nanaimo Daily News…

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