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VIDEO: Messages from inside supportive housing

At the Hearthstone supportive housing project on Commerce Avenue in Kelowna, they know people are watching closely. The operators have been proactive about cleaning up litter around the building and they've been quick to deal with problems when they've arisen. They also readily agreed to speak with KelownaNow for their perspective on what their facility means for its residents and the impact on the surrounding community since it opened.

Dani Moretto, who operates Hearthstone on behalf of the John Howard Society said the first task when Hearthstone opened was to talk to neighbours about what was going on. "They would see more traffic because obviously there's 50 more people living here than there were previously," said Moretto.

<who>Photo credit: NowMedia </who>

Hearthstone has staff monitoring the front door and video monitors to keep track of what's going on. And when residents have failed to live up to expectations, they've moved them out. "When things don't work out," said Moretto, "we work as much as possible to keep people housed. So if it's not here, we're going to look for other options within Kelowna and always try to ensure that nobody winds up back on the street."

<who>Photo credit: NowMedia </who>

For residents like Samantha Foot, Hearthstone has meant a huge shift in her life. "I didn't want to believe it until I actually walked in the door," recalled Foot. She went from sleeping on the street and taking a spot in an emergency shelter to having her own home at Hearthstone. "To feel like a regular human being. Not looked down upon as a homeless person," said Foot. "It was important to me to build myself back up that way. "Now she's back in the workforce having secured a job as a grocery store cashier. "Sam is one of our success stories," said Moretto. We are so proud of her, and everything she's overcome to get where she is today."

"That's what supportive housing is," added Moretto, "that's our goal, to get people to a place where they don't need us anymore."

<who>Photo credit: NowMedia </who>

Neighbouring businesses to Hearthstone have said Hearthstone has been a good neighbour. There have been few if any problems for the commercial businesses directly across the street, but at the Super 8 Motel at the corner of Commerce and Highway 97 it's a different story.

Peter Gherke said it hasn't been good for his business, "It's had a huge financial impact," said Gherke. He told KelownaNow he's had to upgrade security and spend thousands on a fence on the perimeter of the property. And he said there's been a negative effect on the revenue side as well.

"We've had plenty of guests that have seen one of those guys tweaking out on the lawn and decided to check out early."

"If it was a Hearthstone resident," said Moretto, "we would deal with it right away."

<who>Photo credit: NowMedia </who>

She and the John Howard Society are doing their best to deal with problems, and they've been reaching to communities where future projects will be built, including McIntosh in Rutland. They met with area residents there on Monday. "After quite a lengthy dialogue," said Moretto, "they felt much better knowing who was going to be running the building and how it's going to be run and they felt a lot safer.



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