Big Media Dodge Huge Shelter Story

A motion to allow emergency and transitional shelters (neither of which are yet defined in detail), everywhere across Ottawa has moved a step closer to approval after passing 9-1 (Barrhaven East Councillor Wilson Lo the lone dissenter) at Planning and Housing Committee on Wednesday.

—

This post is courtesy of the city-wide community group Your Applewood Acres (And Beyond) Neighbours

—

It is now expected to be considered April 16, 2025 at Council.

We hoped the mainstream media would cover the story, share key points made by councillors and three public delegations, but so far we have seen nothing.

So, this message took a bit longer than expected (and, warning, is long).

On the three public delegations: the first two largely focused on questions about the current model used for Ottawa shelters, and the need for more clarity on what future shelters are expected to be, who they will support, and what onsite support services will be provided (and how (and just FYI: staff did not share specific details). One public speaker referenced housing examples from around the world that have been found to work best for the homeless; and another questioned why the City partners with religious-based groups for shelter services (e.g.: Ottawa Mission, Shelters of Good Hope), and suggested lessons needed to be taken from Canada’s Residential School history to come up with a better model.

On the Councillor side, most concerns were raised by Barrhaven East Councillor Wilson Lo and Kanata North Councillor Cathy Curry, and Beacon Hill-Cyrville Councillor Tim Tierney placed full responsibility for the shelter/homelessness problem on the Federal Government.

Lo’s comments were centred on why the City was speeding the bylaw change now when there is a review currently underway to update the City’s full Zoning Bylaw document to bring it in line with new provincial dictates (and Official Plan changes), a process that is predicted to take nine months to complete.

“There also seems to be a belief that presumption of what the public feedback will be is license to bypass public consultation and engagement,” he said.

Lo argued that what is happening now reflects a lack of genuine consultation with communities that will be impacted, and says this echoes what his community experienced over the “bungled” Sprung Structure issue.

“The initial location selection, procurement, lack of public consultation, all rushed, bypassed and bungled to the point where conversation strayed far from the actual item towards questions about process and public trust,” said Lo about the Sprung Structure process.

“Shelter and housing, as a whole, is and has been truly an important topic of conversation that we seem to be destined to muddle again on the basis of bad process, to bring the item forward by a mere nine months or so. This is, indeed, a half baked item.”

Curry agreed to a point, and raised other concerns about a lack of details, including no clear definition of shelters or an understanding on how any needed support services would actually be incorporated.

Said Curry: “I feel like this motion here today, staff are saying, sure, go ahead and do that, but I feel like – and I don’t like to say half baked – but I feel like what is happening here is not fully fleshed out…”

Said Curry: “I am not sure what staff imagine is the next step, but if you had delegations here from communities that had Sprung Structures originally…what would you do to address some of those concerns? Where are the definitions? Where’s the work on what would go around; what has to be co-located? What would be in an emergency shelter?”

Curry ended up supporting the motion with an understanding that staff will be responding to the need for more details.

Lo’s comments were vehemently challenged by Somerset Ward Councillor Ariel Troster, who cited numbers released yesterday by the City that showed a ‘point-in-time’ count of 3,000 homeless, almost double what was found in 2016.

She said there is a need to respond now to what is an “actual emergency” like any other emergency, including to expedite changes to an “archaic” bylaw that restricts where shelters can go “because of the kinds of people” that live in shelters.

“We would not make them come back to Council, or to go to a zoning bylaw review meeting if they suddenly needed to set up a shelter from another storm, another derecho,” said Troster. “This is the same as far as I’m concerned.”

And on the issue of consultations, Troster said that staff are “incredibly engaged with the community” and suggested that there are limits to what is needed on that front:

“The more that we allow communities to politicize a decision that I believe is one of an emergency nature, I think we are creating a false expectation of what people deserve to be consulted about. We don’t get to consult on who comes into our community. That is fundamentally discriminatory.”

And reading Orleans West-Innes Councillor Laura Dudas’ comments is highly recommended for her view from several sides of the issue based on experience in her ward:

“I’ve recently gone through this very example with a transitional housing site in my ward, where it was a convent where it was sold to the City, and there was very little if no discussion with myself and the community prior to the acquisition of this property. However, over time, having had the opportunity to talk to my community about it and work with them, we’re now looking at it as an opportunity. There is still concern, and there’s still questions, and that will come with time, those answers. But the fact is, if we only house people who need housing in the core, we’re only going to see problems in the core of our City,” said Dudas, who serves as Community Services Committee Chair.

“But if we have scattered sheltered systems and housing first as a priority in every environ of our community, including rural and suburban and urban, we will then be able to incorporate these people who desperately want to have a better life into our amazing communities, providing the services and support that they need to succeed.”

Staff Conclusion in the meeting report minutes: “Staff recommends the approval of this report as the amendment will bring the Zoning By-law into conformity with Official Plan policies that support transitional shelters in all zones.”

For You:

OC Transpo’s ‘Abundance Of Caution’

Trade Mayors, Not Beavertails

Liberals Hold Lead In Federal Vote: POLL

Housing Task Force: Community Insulted

Prof Finds City Housing Democratic Deficit

Bookmark The Bulldog, click here