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South-side Ward 10 Coun. Michael Walters is fighting back against opponents of a proposed affordable housing development who claim it would be a public safety concern with a neighbouring elementary school.

Walters, who represents the neighbourhood of Keheewin, said he has no problem with opposition to the long-worked-on surplus school proposal, but the slew of emails coming into his office linking potential low-income tenants to safety issues in the community is alarming.

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“There’s an hysteria campaign that I think we need to stand up against,” Walters said Thursday morning. “I think it’s important for us to push back on any hysteria around poor people hurting children. The volume of emails I’ve received making that claim is startling from a community I’ve otherwise known to be extremely reasonable.”

The site in question, designated as a possible school site but never used as such, backs onto Keheewin Park and is about 20 metres from Keheewin School, a public elementary school. Walters said significant community consultation has been underway since the affordable housing direction was decided in 2015. A committee was formed including school council and community members, as well as police and traffic analysts to form a proposal that would best meet everyone’s needs.