The tenants of two adjacent buildings in Esquimalt, Sussex Lodge and Nelson Lodge, are currently navigating the process of being evicted by a developer who plans to tear down their buildings.
The two buildings currently occupying the space have affordable rent and some tenants have been there for decades.
Intracorp Homes, the developer hoping to build on these properties, would tear down these two buildings and construct a new project there which would not have the same degree of affordability.
The developer’s permit, obtained from the Township of Esquimalt, is for a 12-storey residential and mixed use building with 10 below market and 99 market units, plus a cafe.
This project has been in the works since it was received by the Township in October 2022.
In an effort to keep their homes, the tenants have worked to form a tenants’ union over the past few months.
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Tenants of Sussex and Nelson Lodges hope to avoid displacement by Intracorp and plan to show up to the developer’s presentation this week.
The presentation will take place on Tuesday, October 29th, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., in the Esquimalt Recreation Centre.
At this presentation, Intracorp will be promoting the development that would see more numerous residents displaced, but the tenants will also get the opportunity to share their side of the story.
According to the Sussex and Nelson Lodge residents, they will be highlighting the cruelty and senselessness of bulldozing affordable housing in the midst of a housing crisis.
“This development Intracorp is proposing will uproot 64 families from the community, put some of them at risk of homelessness, and destroy perfectly good affordable housing, all for the sake of profit,” said Nathan Bird, a member of the Victoria Tenants Union.
“But none of that is part of Intracorp’s pitch to the community. The people who stand to lose their homes deserve to be heard, too.”
Their beliefs are that the existing buildings on the site are in good repair, and should not be demolished, their apartments constitute high-quality affordable housing and the current tenants themselves are a valuable and irreplaceable part of the community, and that they deserve to be able to stay in their homes.
The tenants of these buildings say they will be handing out flyers in an effort to convince attendees to write disapproving letters to the Township of Esquimalt.
