Since 2003 when the Pleasant Hill Revitalization Committee was consulted and gave many recommendations to the City of Saskatoon, many have yet to come to fruition.
A letter from the Pleasant Hill Community Association says the situation is even more critical now, thanks to poverty, gangs and drugs and if this was happening in any other neighbourhood in Saskatoon, the residents wouldn’t be expected to tolerate and live in these kinds of conditions. The letter asks why the residents of Pleasant Hill are expected to normalize it.
Association president, Jennifer Altenberg, says there are also boarded up houses where people are removing the boards and living in them after they have been condemned.
She adds that in 2003 the City said it had the jurisdiction to access information to hold landlords accountable and if properties are condemned for a length of time, they could be taken down to give space to other investors for safe housing.
At the Planning, Development and Community Services Committee meeting this morning (Mon), Mayor Charlie Clark responded that the issues in Pleasant Hill are complex and the City will need to work with community partners to come up with answers, because it won’t work if it’s just an internal ‘city thing’.
He would like to see community representatives along with the City, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, police, fire and Community Standards working together.
Administration will report back before the end of the year with suggestions for a more comprehensive approach to the issue.