I live near a tiny apartment community that was supposed to solve our town’s problems – but instead my family feels insecure
A mother who lives near a tiny shared apartment has shared how she feels unsafe at night.
The woman, who has a son, expressed concern over alleged anti-social behavior.
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She told the local CBS affiliate WCAX She hears people screaming and gathering near the so-called “Pod” community in Burlington, Virginia.
The worried mother said: “It’s very scary to go and face these problems.”
She lives in a condominium that supports seniors and people with disabilities.
The parent believes that the problems are not caused by the people living in the group community but by their mutual friends.
The residential village consists of 25 one-person cottages, while five can accommodate up to two people each VT excavator.
There are also shared, bathroom and kitchen facilities.
The Shelter Village program costs around $1.6 million and aims to support people struggling with homelessness.
City officials hoped they could have opened the shelter village in July last year, but the program has faced delays.
Officials had to delay the opening of the village two more times before residents began moving into the housing developments in February.
Samantha Dunn, Associate Director for Community Works, described the need for the project as “extreme”.
She said, “And so every day that the shelter wasn’t open was endless for me.”
In March, Brian Bowles narrated WCAX: “Without that, I don’t know where I would be at this point, you know? It was hard living on the streets.”
Landlords of surrounding apartments have called for stricter enforcement to curb antisocial behavior outdoors.
The people responsible for managing the capsules also take measures to counter such behavior.
Michael Monte, director of the Champlain Housing Trust, told WCAX, “We knew that there could actually be problems with the people who are around the pods, and not necessarily inside the pods.” And that turns out to be true ,
“We just want to enforce this and give the people who live in the pods the opportunity to enjoy their space peacefully.”