What will the building look like? What features will it include?

The proposed Tannery Court Saint John was designed by Avide Developments.  As part of the process, meetings were held with officials from the City of Saint John planning division who recommended changes (which we implemented) to ensure that the design reflects the architecture and heritage of the area, while also meeting the needs of its residents.

There will be one laundry room (4 washers, 4 dryers), a recreation room and an outdoor patio area.

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What will the actual units be like?

The units are “bachelor like,” approximately 500 square feet, with a bedroom, three piece bath with shower, living room/dining area, galley kitchen and storage area. The decision was made to offer showers as opposed to baths because of the habits of a younger demographic (very little use of baths), ease of access (it is difficult for those with mobility issues to get into tubs).

For a single person, this space is relatively generous, especially compared to where most residents have previously resided. As far as space and amenities go, they are similar to many small condominiums offered in today’s market. They are easy to maintain and maneuver in, and provide security and the opportunity to develop a sense of pride.

Concerning parking, our experience with similar buildings in Moncton and Fredericton indicates that, for this demographic group, the amount of parking provided is more than ample. In fact, we have every expectation of being able to offer parking spots to members of the community to use.

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Who will live in Tannery Court Saint John?

We draw our residents from citizens referred to us from community waiting lists administered by the New Brunswick Department of Social Development. All potential residents are interviewed, we perform credit checks and screen for references and criminal records. Unless we are confident following this process that they will integrate well and not be a concern for other residents and the community at large, we will not offer them an apartment.

Persons who conduct themselves in a way that is not positive for the rest of the community or the neighbourhood will leave.

We are proposing an ad hoc committee including member(s) of the local community, who would be involved in issues relating to Tannery Court, including resident issues.

The potential residents of Tannery Court must meet the provincial criteria of being under 60 years old and earning less than $22,000 per year, which includes many people with health and physical limitations which makes it difficult for them to earn an adequate income. They will pay 30% of their income towards rent, and the rest of the cost will be covered by the Province of New Brunswick.

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What type of supervision/security will be offered?

There is comprehensive security program in place at all Tannery Court locations. All Tannery Courts have a full-time live-in resident manager who is responsible for security, maintenance and resident requests. In addition, the building has a property manager who works with the residents to provide leadership in life skills and integration into the community. We install and monitor camera systems around the building and in common spaces, this provides security for the Residents.

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Why can’t this complex be a “mixed” model?

The directors of Tannery Court Co-operative have many years experience in social housing, including mixed housing. For certain demographics and communities, mixed housing can work. Our experience, however, is that for this specific group, non-elderly singles, a targeted approach works better.

In fact, the nature of their situations means that they often have been marginalized and feel not welcome as participants in the community. With common experiences and situations, our experience has been that bringing this peer group together in a safe, nurturing community, such as Tannery Court, builds community integration, self-confidence and quality of life.

The income level of residents of Tannery Court can range from $5,000 to $22,000.

Tannery Court and its residents are part of the mix in the community-at-large. Just as targeted housing for seniors can provide housing solutions that best meet their needs and provide a community, Tannery Court does the same for non-elderly singles.

Tannery Court Saint John is being created in response to a request from the Provincial government to help address the urgent need for housing for non-elderly singles. We appreciate that there is also a need for housing for families in South Saint John, and we would welcome the opportunity to help the province meet this need in the future.

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Will bringing all these people together create a “ghetto”?

We firmly believe that just because people have health or employment issues this does not mean they can’t still be active contributors to the community. It is our firm belief that by helping the residents come together and working with them to improve their quality of life, we can help them have useful and important impacts on the community. 

We know from our experience that living in a Tannery Court is a positive, life-affirming change for our residents. We also know that South Saint John has a long tradition as a welcoming community, so we see no reason to expect that these residents will not be welcomed into this active community. It is only if they are excluded and marginalized by the community around them that they could be perceived as apart or lesser than the rest of the citizens they live with.

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How are you different than other Developers?

Tannery Court Co-op is a non-profit organization created to govern, manage and develop housing for people in need. All board members are volunteers, and there are no profits taken. If, for some unforeseeable reason the board of Tannery Court was unable to continue its governance role, the governance of Tannery Court would be turned over to another non-profit organization that has compatible objectives.

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Will you be continuing your involvement after Tannery Court is built?

We are committed to remaining in Saint John and making Tannery Court a success. We have more than 35 years experience managing social housing across the Maritimes (39 developments with 1,500 units). We are well respected for our long-term commitment to the communities we serve.

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Why didn't you consult the Community before going to Planning?

Following our proposal to the city to build a Tannery Court in this location, area residents and ourselves were invited to a meeting of the Planning Advisory Commission (PAC) on October 21. Twelve local residents and property owners attended, most of whom made written enquiries into the nature of the project. A full presentation on the Tannery Court proposal was given, and we answered questions and addressed the concerns raised by those in attendance. Following this, the PAC granted the variances that were requested, which allowed Tannery Court to move forward.

In early November additional concerns were brought forward in the community. We are looking forward to participating in a public meeting to discuss Tannery Court with all stakeholders. We have expressed this goal to the City of Saint John. We have also met with several individuals and groups privately.

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Why the South End?

South Saint John, like several neighbourhoods of the city, has an urgent need for this type of housing.  This particular property was identified as fitting all requirements for a Tannery Court, including community need and proper zoning. We expect a substantial number of residents to be already living in the immediate area.
This development will be an opportunity for the community. It will add new, high quality housing stock to the neighbourhood. Drawing on our experience with previous Tannery Courts and other social projects, we expect it will act as a catalyst for other new development in the area. The area units that are vacated by people moving to Tannery Court will provide an incentive and opportunity for local stakeholders to upgrade the local housing stock and implement the City of Saint John’s vision for the future.