When protesters of Richmond’s first, proposed temporary housing facility for homeless people roped land values into one of their main causes for concern, worlds collided for Angela and Chris Dinnell of Dinnell Real Estate Group.
But for the Dinnells, they say only one world matters.
The housing, they say, is a “no brainer.”
Angela’s drug-addicted brother is presently battling for his life while living on and off the streets in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, one of Canada’s poorest neighbourhoods that has been publicly ridiculed in Richmond this past year, both at election time and during this recent round of protests against a 40-unit housing facility to be operated by BC Housing via manager RainCity Housing.
“Having a family member living in the streets, who is at the bottom of the barrel, is the worse heartbreak of my life,” said Angela.
“It’s hard. Every time I go down there and I get back in my car and drive back to my normal life... I’ve never slept one night on the street, it must be awful,” she said.
Last year the Dinnells and their children handed out sandwiches in the area in hope of connecting to Angela’s brother.
“We found him that day. He just appeared off the street, like a gift from God. Ever since we’ve been trying to help get him resources and the confidence to get to the next steps to get his life back up. It’s a lot of work.”
Her brother was once fired from his job and turned to drug use.
“That led down a fast-moving cycle to not having anything and then transitioning to Vancouver,” explained Angela.
But he has recently been helped by an outreach group, not unlike RainCity Housing.
“I thought he was going to die but now I believe he is going to get better,” said Angela.
This is the lesson she hopes all Richmond residents understand.
“For us to bring anything remotely close to that here, for these people — because people want to get off the street, but they don’t know how. . . So to turn a blind eye is ridiculous.”
The Dinnells are both long-time, 38-year-old Richmond residents — Chris having graduated from Burnett secondary, Angela Richmond secondary — who believe the shelter is needed for Richmond’s growing homeless population.
“So I’ve seen the only three towers in Richmond, being Minoru, as a kid, to now seeing probably over 100.
“I think it’s a great location,” said Chris, noting the many nearby amenities that can help support the homes.
For instance, there is the Anne Vogel Clinic, Richmond Food Bank and Richmond Hospital all within a 150-metre radius. As well, the Canada Line and numerous bus lines are close by.
And neither realtor believes the housing will affect land values.
“I don’t personally think the property values will decline. I think there’s a stigma around homeless,” said Chris.
“The homeless are up and around this area anyway, so why not bring them inside?” he noted.
Word from homeless advocates, such as the Richmond Poverty Response Committee, reporting that some realtors had helped galvanize a petition against the housing gave the profession an unwarranted black eye, said Chris. “I’ve spoken to a few realtors about [the housing] and I do feel support for it.” he said.
