Nightmares on Bayfield Street: Charlottetown resident begs for housing relocation, citing violent incidents outside home
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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A metropolis resident desires the Charlottetown Space Housing Authority to relocate her household to a distinct housing unit as a consequence of security considerations.
Since 2016, Amanda Mensah Bonsu has lived on Bayfield Avenue in a government-subsidized household housing facility managed by the housing authority.
Dwelling on the primary ground, her household has seen disturbing incidents, together with violence, taking place outdoors their house at evening, Bonsu mentioned.
Significantly troubling for her, she mentioned, are the actions happening proper outdoors her son’s bed room, starting from smoking, screaming and fights to individuals shining flashlights into his window in the course of the evening.
“He awakened shaking, crying unbelievably…. It isn’t one thing any baby ought to must expertise. The issues he is seen – no baby ought to must see. None. I really feel like I am failing my son,” she informed SaltWire in a latest interview.
The tipping level for the household was an incident on Oct. 29 when the home subsequent door was set on hearth. Charlottetown police arrested a 45-year-old man, who was later charged with arson.
Bonsu mentioned her son, feeling the warmth from the fireplace simply outdoors his bed room, remains to be disturbed by the entire expertise.
“This fireplace was the final straw for me. This got here manner too near residence.”
Desires to maneuver
Even earlier than the fireplace, Bonsu had been repeatedly reaching out to the Charlottetown Space Housing Authority, urging a transfer to a distinct unit.
She mentioned her request wasn’t merely about being sad together with her residing scenario however stemmed from her household not feeling secure of their present residence.
“It is a matter of security – my baby’s security. Charlottetown (Space Housing Authority) is failing my son. He’s traumatized,” she mentioned. “I’ve begged, I wrote emails and I am informed the identical generic message that there isn’t any availability in housing.”
“Folks (who) used to sleep right here by no means locked their doorways. You recognize, 15, 20 years in the past, this was a really secure place. Not anymore.” – Amanda Mensah Bonsu
The Division of Housing, Land and Communities mentioned in an electronic mail {that a} spokesperson for the housing authority was unavailable for an interview and couldn’t touch upon particular particulars of particular person circumstances.
“Our Household Housing Authorities take considerations of tenants critically and works with them to find out options. If a request is made to maneuver to a different unit, and one isn’t at present accessible, a person could be assessed to be positioned on the switch listing. When a unit then comes up, they might be moved,” the assertion reads.
Tenants even have the choice to hunt their very own non-public rental market unit and be assessed for a cell rental voucher, which subsidizes hire prices, making certain they pay the identical as they’d in a household housing unit, the assertion added.
Bonsu mentioned in a Fb message that it’s difficult for her to seek out one other house now, given P.E.I.’s tight rental market and the housing disaster.
Security measures
Following the fireplace on Oct. 29, the division took measures to handle Bonsu’s security considerations by putting in an eight-foot fence on the property, enhancing lighting and including a safety digital camera.
She mentioned for the reason that fence’s set up, her household has felt a lot safer, and so they’ve been capable of get pleasure from higher sleep, though these security enhancements got here “two and a half years too late.”
Regardless of these security measures, Bonsu nonetheless hopes to relocate to a different housing unit as a result of her household has been on edge for the reason that hearth.
The housing authority has not too long ago contacted her to judge her scenario, and she or he hopes to have the ability to switch to a different unit quickly, she mentioned.
However within the wake of the unsettling incidents outdoors her house, particularly the fireplace, Bonsu could not assist however mirror on the modified panorama of town the place she grew up.
“Folks (who) used to sleep right here by no means locked their doorways. You recognize, 15, 20 years in the past, this was a really secure place. Not anymore.”
Thinh Nguyen is a reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. He could be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on X @thinhnguyen4291.
