Bridgeland Place residents in Calgary concerned as vacate deadline looms

A deadline for all tenants to vacate Calgary’s Bridgeland Place is slowly approaching, and some people are worried about where they’ll go.

Residents have been told by the Calgary Housing Company (CHC) that they need to move out by Dec. 31. However, with four months to go, 35 units are still occupied.

Bridgeland Place, built in 1971, has seen major issues, including some related to flooding, heating, water supply, and operations.

In February 2019, Alberta Health Services cited concerns after it reported a major cockroach infestation in the building.

As a result of the issues, Calgary city council decided to close down the affordable housing complex in March of 2021.

READ MORE: Bridgeland Place to be decommissioned by 2023

However, people living in the apartment building worry there isn’t enough support as the deadline looms.

Lynn, whose last name is not being shared for privacy reasons, has lived in the building for four years. She receives about $738 per month in disability subsidies.

She tells CityNews her options are limited, adding she needs a place to live where accessibility and affordability are not an issue.

Lynn says she was asked to go to Baker House, another CHC-run building, but has raised concerns, some around safety.

CHC says in a statement that it is working with everyone in the building and is helping residents find a place by offering housing options and working with their subsidy levels.

However, Kate Lewis, who’s lived at Bridgeland Place for nearly three decades, says despite the offer of help, the consensus among residents is that trust with the CHC has been broken.

“They told us at the beginning, ‘Oh don’t worry, we’ll get you in where you want to go.’ But now, it’s like it’s bullying, they’re trying to push people out the door,” Lewis said.

Lewis has lived at Bridgeland Place for 27 years. She’s on Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and says she has exhausted all of her options — none of which will keep her finances at the level they’re at now.

“It’s hard to justify well — do I drive my car or do I go to the food bank?” Lewis said.

CHC says there were 168 apartments occupied when residents were first notified about the closure. So far, the organization says 133 people have been relocated within the CHC or other housing options. Of the 35 still in the building, seven are in the process of moving, the CHC adds.

“We understand the anxiety and stress our residents are experiencing with a major change like this, so we have made a great effort to help them find new housing and also to provide support to make the change as smooth as possible,” said acting CHC President  Jana Tchinkova.

The CHC has told residents it is providing mental health supports, increased on-site staff, coffee chats, and financial assistance to help with moving.

However, Lewis says as December approaches, mental health for people in the building is worsening.

“I’ll be here until December I guess, because, I don’t know. I’m not sure,” Lewis said.

“People are moving out, but they’re getting scared. I’m sorry, this guy is almost 60 years old and he was standing in the parking lot bawling his face out cause he was so stressed out.”