With issues like homelessness, mental health, hunger and the opioid crisis growing – some say at alarming rates – concerned residents have come together to form a new action group to address urgent social services concerns.
A recent report (see below) by Durham Region showed that people on the Homeless By-name List have grown from 811 in August to more than 1000. Moreover, with the withdrawal of the rent guarantee scheme, some 200+ individuals – 144 children and 88 adults – may face home insecurity as landlords withdraw from the affordable housing scheme. These numbers do not include those who are not on the By-Name list managed by the region.
On Tuesday October 21, The Regional Municipality of Durham described a homeless encampment in Ajax as a “critical situation requiring urgent action“.
Oshawa Community Access Coalition
The Oshawa Community Access Coalition (OCAC) is a group of concerned citizens and social services agencies who work together to address policies and decisions that negatively impact the region’s most vulnerable residents. The coalition includes parents, homeowners, social service agency leaders, and other advocates who want to ensure that Oshawa remains a safe and caring city,” said a OCAC statement.
“Our first concerted effort is the appeal of Oshawa’s recently enacted ‘800-metre rule‘,” said Deb Oldfield, an Oshawa resident and Durham District School Board (DDSB) Trustee who has appealed the city’s zoning change. “I’ll be attending the Ontario Land Tribunal’s (OLT) case management conference in November as the first step in our fight against this far-reaching and confusing amendment.
“By sweeping so many different kinds of community and charitable services under the vague term ‘social service establishment’, the city is casting an indiscriminate net over many types of essential programs like drop-in AA meetings and mental health counselling. This kind of ‘people zoning’ treats those who rely on community supports as something to be pushed farther away,” Oldfield said.
“It’s not how a caring city plans for its residents,” she pointed out.
800 Metre Rule
The ‘800-metre rule’ refers to an amendment to Oshawa’s Zoning By-law 60-94 requiring a minimum
800-metre distance between new and existing social service establishments operated by charities and
not-for-profits.
The city grouped those agencies with payday loan outlets, tattoo parlours and pawn shops in this amendment, said the OCAC statement.
Passed in June, the by-law was promoted as a way to disperse these uses across the city. In reality, it separates services like food banks, counselling programs, and drop-ins by 800 metres to keep certain people out of sight, says OCAC and argues the measure is poorly defined, overly broad, and will make it harder for community agencies to find space, move, or collaborate.
This appeal asks the Ontario Land Tribunal to review whether the new bylaw is conforming and consistent with provincial policy and the City of Oshawa and Region of Durham’s Official Plan.
“We are looking to other agencies and concerned citizens to join our coalition. If someone is interested
in finding out more, they can contact us on social media or by email at info@ywcadurham.org. We believe that through our collective efforts and voices we can ensure that this bylaw is repealed,” says Oldfield.
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