Homelessness in York Region is no surprise, nor its Crime Spike

As the local newspapers focus headlines throughout the winter through feel-good pieces aimed at propping up our social network assist vehicles - instead of dissecting what we could be doing better - it seems in keeping with York Region politicians.

It's no secret that Y.R. has had not only a shortage of government assisted housing units for those in need for many years, as highlighted in the 21010 York Region Social Audit Behind The Masks which was presented to Council in deposition, and which they supported in principle and then used / sent to the Ontario government towards helping them formulate a plan to coordinate funding and services for this area but it has also had one of the lowest owned units-to rental units ratios in the entire country, as well availability rates - also country-wide close to worst. So it's no secret. See the Social Audit Video.

In the download of $ and services to the municipalities from the Ontario government, the Region took away certain safe-guard initiatives designed (that are / were part of The ACT) to help individuals in need avoid becoming homeless and those just out of prison or institutions. It was called the Start Up Fund used to help residents avoid eviction or 1st and last to obtain a place to live and could be applied for no more than once every three years. It's no longer available through the municipalities take over, and its replacement deemed unattainable by former user types, so those same people now are more likely to go homeless. At the time when the download of services was still in proposal mode, I specifically mentioned this safety net program to Y.R. Councillor John Taylor who assured me all would be kept. It wasn't. Notice a crime spike of late? It's no coincidence.

Not going to say I told you so. But I did.


Instead, the Region seems to think putting everything into shelters has been the answer - spending more than 10 years focusing all available funding - over $10,000,000 - towards building one women's shelter, Belinda's Place as well as some assisted temporary housing for the same single women only category.Geez, Magna's C.E.O. makes $26 million a year. Donate some.  

Problem is / was, most of Y.R.'s homeless are men, a fact I have long crowed, but now have tangible proof of, from the just released stats collected by United Way Toronto / York Region..


This week's YRMG headlines scream out Shelter use up 50%...crisis levels..blah,blah,blah but are they not aware the one and only full time men's shelter Leeder Place - is full 100% of the time? That's not a story? Only in winter I guess when its sexy to write about it and INNs from The Cold gets their overflow. Thank goodness for them at least.

Cold Warning in effect

Yesterday, I came across a struggling guy, one who fights addiction issues but one who also works and works hard. I know, because I worked several jobs on which he was hired to assist, and in seeing his willingness to do a great job, I've since assisted him into something more regular, including the last one he's held for 6 months now. But they just don't have the hours for him come January and there he was, last night, out in the bitter cold begging for money.

Knowing I have a video taping upcoming this month for which I've budgeted in a P.A. I gave him $20 advance and told him I'd be in touch about the exact date. "But no more tonight eh? Go home." I said. He thanked me and did just that. He and his girlfriend struggle to keep a roof over their head. They could also benefit from nonexistent rehab programs to assist towards living a "normal" life.

YOURK news covered MPP's start-up

Ironically I 've been trying to find an operator group for a housing or rehab complex of 18 self- contained, up-to-code units, yet no incentives enough seem to exist to entice operators to run anything. So why can't YR controlled funds go here?

Earlier that day, over the phone from Markham, a man seeking help asked me,

" What are they doing with the $16 million dollars the federal government gave to assist with these issues?"


Good question.
On turning 65 and going from ODSp to pensioner -

Markham Community Centre

"It's not right. They knew the date was coming. No one told me I had to apply or that I'd be cut off income. No one told me anything."

Forest, right here, long time homeless camp

So where IS all this new money going in assisting those in need and those who want to live outside the dangerous and undignified shelter system? I don't know, but it's not getting to those most in need, and this to me seems an abuse of process.

Hey, I gave you resources!

The recent York Region Media articles have headlined cherry-picked themes taken from a report by United Way Toronto/Y.R., like the obvious such as aboriginals having a higher than average ratio - as it is in the rest of the country - and they've headlined children, family and youth poverty, but they've actually left out the most staggering headline stat of all that a full 100% of the homeless they found with no attachments to any shelter of any kind in York Region were male. 100%. They further found that 70% of all shelter dwellers were male.

Now I'm not going to come out and say that our social safety-net system seems sexist but...well actually I am, and it is. We have no shelters for males to escape abuse even though stats show spousal abuse is about 50-50, yet we have a number of shelters for women in this regard, in addition to the family shelter and single women's shelter and transitional temporary housing. There is no temporary housing for any single men. Men are last on lists for Y.R. housing too since abuse victims and families - often single moms - also rate ahead of them, regardless of the fact there are extremely few single assisted housing units to begin with in York Region, so vulnerable men often have little chance to get housed, and these men will statistically die much younger than the average person - often by two decades.

So that is what WE are supporting with our current system. We're sentencing men to an early death.

The social audit was clear back in 2010 that the lack of housing was already critical and that men were not only lacking in programs and housing but in how they were being treated and that has still had no change.

We need more male social workers according to some men from shelters
....

"They hire women right out of battered women's shelters and they don't treat us good."

Former Shelter Dweller now deceased. See his and other video testimonials here. I've written in the past of several men who have died while living on the streets in YR and after years in the shelter system and yet not a word from the local media. Shame on them, but shame on us for doing nothing while men die. That would soon include our now area Housing Minister Chris Ballard who has not invited myself nor P.A.C.C, Y.R.'s voice for poverty, to participate in any reforms, nor for consulting, since his quick promotion from regular M.P.P.. Since he knows me and I have much more knowledge and experience than most in the area on the issue, including himself, and an asset as such, you'd expect a call. If you don't recognize your assets how can you use or manage them?

" House of Hope" sits empty begging for use.

I'll give the provincials this much, they have the "cahoonahs" to discuss a fixed basic minimum income model and I have committed to participate in that, if only to try and ensure these off-the-grid and precarious work types are not left out of the mix. As I see it, this type of system may help stop those who often fall through the cracks, to better survive in cold Canada.

One homeless man says we need to form branches for areas within the Region that deal with guys like him in crisis and who cannot travel across an entire region to access emergency help. I agree.


Tom Pearson

Newmarket Town Clock Rings Time Out

Newmarket's Main St Clock debacle highlights the need to have our Planning Act revamped to close up all the loop holes that allow local councils and developers to evolve them through amendments to official plans, zoning applications and bylaws. Some have called for an overhaul of the OMB, however that buffer between developers and local governments is the last thing we need to eliminate or the road to easy changes would be much wider - not more narrow. You need an outside entity for checks and balances and the OMB is at least that if anything else. It will not stop towns from being Vanboozled.

It's not just the town clock we're talking about here, or even the four attached businesses and seniors that were displaced YEARS early to make room for....? We still don't know. But it's a plague across York Region and Toronto's too for that matter. Why is / was this allowed to even happen, buildings sitting empty and unkempt looking while its occupants are left to fend for themselves? And sure, they moved the seniors who were once occupants in the clock tower in question, but it wasn't a choice they wanted to make.

Main St. Newmarket, Ontario, Canada - Clock Tower base business boarded up

Certain conditions must be in place before proposals for change will be looked at seems the course, and so-minded landlords can set out to create that environment, ripe for their plan - even before approval or assurances they can even get the required zoning. Thus begins the long poker game wherein ultimately the developer holds the best cards, using our own laws within our planning act to manipulate their way through and force / create their vision of a plan. Why do you suppose many developers are real estate Lawyers? Why do you think so many real estate people hang around council seats? The control of our towns, cities, main streets and farms have been thrust into the hands of those who know how to work the system better and that is the problem.

Corporations are not people. They don't 'care' per say since its not a person. Should towns scale back reliance on them?

Sam Orrico, a Markham, York Region Farmer for the past 35 years has seen it all, and knows the loop holes well, recently removed from a property he's called home for the past 12 years to make way for an as yet to be determined decision on rezoning it - proposing a change from a farm w a residence / industrial zoning restriction, to become a full blown residential one - which is not part of the original official plan, with agriculture and / or industrial placements being based near highways to avoid gridlock. But our current system seemingly allows this to be changed without much fanfare despite the crown stamped official plan. Therein lies a key to amending the loop holes.

See and hear Sam in his own words prior to being removed here.

Richmond Hill near Main with Sam Orrico

Farms, same thing as with businesses w residents. 1st eliminate the farmer and or the house on the property or let it run into disrepair - similar to what happens with businesses often with residents living above and which then are boarded up until councils bend.

For farms, having no farmhouse or resident, makes it easier down the line to get re-zoning, whilst enjoying property tax perks and they can put these things on a timeline - known only to them - with the farmer (or tenant / business) often last to know relocating or moving at his or her expense, as Canada has no compensation set up for displaced farmers / workers like parts of Europe do.

How do we change this control back to the towns and cities' residents? Well we have to actually have an amendment made to the Planning Act so that local governments cannot supersede them anymore, nor developers bank on them being able to. Thus when you bought a property with a certain zoning and building type / height restrictions, that is what you get, with no more expectations of change.

West of Upper Canada Mall, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

Should landlords allow properties to run into disrepair or disrepute for the purposes of forcing a vacating of them, then a provision needs made to confiscate it, at market value, to be resold to a suitable buyer who will be a responsible owner / operator. Just like they do to farmers and property owners when they want their land for crown projects or development. Reverse that power and watch how fast they fall into line.

Until then, they can pretend they want to include you / us in decisions but at the end of the day, it's all a smokescreen as  Corporate developers will apply for the most they can get, because they have to ( a corporation by law has to get the best possible return).  

Legal courts, with an adjudicator, will be the deciders on what and how big the proposed Clock Tower housing structure is regardless of my, your or your council's opinions, if its within " the law", without the right amendments made alright - to the Planning Act.

TP out