A surprise for locals turned out to be business as usual for the government.
The News-Optimist published a story last week regarding some Valley View Towers tenants behaving in various undesirable ways.
According to a letter sent to the News-Optimist, seniors allege drunkenness, fighting, partying, indoor smoking on the part of some relatively new residents, along with unauthorized visitors using the laundry facilities.
Battlefords locals generally understand Valley View Towers to be a residence for seniors.
In a 2013 News-Optimist article, Valley View Towers were represented to North Battleford city council by the North Battleford Housing Authority as “senior housing units,” as they are, at least as of Tuesday this week, on the Battlefords Housing Authority’s website.
In a previous News-Optimist article on the late Jack Clements, mayor of North Battleford from 1973 to 1979, Clements “saw the most satisfying accomplishment of his time in office as [the] completion of the first senior citizens’ high rise, Valley View Towers.”
But according to a statement from the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, an organization that overlooks the Battlefords Housing Authority, “Valley View Towers has always been social housing.”
“[Valley View Towers] was originally developed to serve low-income seniors and persons with disabilities who met the income and asset requirements set out in our social housing policy,” the statement read.
“Some buildings were specifically designed with the mobility needs of seniors in mind, and were targeted to low-income seniors. This does not mean they were not social housing.”
The statement also notes the Government of Saskatchewan made changes to social housing policy in the fall of 2017 to ensure social housing units “were better serving their communities.”
“Many social housing properties originally targeted to the needs of low-income seniors such as Valley View Towers were experiencing chronic, high vacancy rates.”
According to the statement, all tenants are required to abide by the conditions of their lease agreements.
“While eviction is a last resort, tenants who are unwilling to abide by their lease agreements will have their leases terminated.”
According to the letter sent to the News-Optimist on behalf of some Valley View Towers seniors, “you can't put all these young rowdies in with a building full of seniors without causing problems.”
