Community Update: September 18, 2024

September 18, 2024 edition of Councillor Alejandra Bravo's Community Newsletter

Neighbour --

With limited green space in Davenport, I understand how important Dufferin Grove is to our community. Toronto’s parks are public spaces where challenges in our society can play out – and Dufferin Grove is no exception. This includes conflicts over noise, among park users over amenities, and of course, the crisis of homelessness gripping Canada.

I want to start by providing an update on our work:

Working with the Encampment Office, I have escalated Dufferin Grove as a critical site for services and resources. Right now, there are 450 encampments in parks across the City – and Dufferin Grove, along with Allan Gardens and Bellevue Square, is currently one of the Encampment Office’s Priority Sites. The following services are being provided in Dufferin Grove:

Daily visits from the Streets to Homes Outreach teams 7 days a week
Daily evening patrols from Mobile Corporate Security staff to respond tosafety, medical emergencies, and fire issues
Weekday visits from staff and leadership from the City’s Encampment Office (Monday to Friday)
Weekday clean-up from Parks Forestry and Recreation staff (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)
2 portable washrooms have been placed onsite
Regular and ongoing visits by Toronto Fire Services to provide education and monitor fire safety

Outreach staff continue to work with people residing in Dufferin Grove on shelter and housing plans. Since the beginning of August, over 30 encampments have been reduced from Dufferin Grove as people have been connected to services and supports and moved on. At the same time, over 2,140 kilograms of materials have been removed from the park through cleanups and collection of abandoned debris. While the City is working hard to reduce the number of encampments, more unhoused people than ever are seeking shelter.

The reality in our city is that both shelter space and affordable housing are incredibly difficult to access. Each night, more than 230 people are turned away from shelters because there are no beds available, even though Toronto provides more shelter beds by far than any other city in Canada. More than 89,000 households are on the waitlist for affordable housing, with average wait times stretching from 8 to 13 years.

Encampments are the sad result of funding and policy choices. Thirty years ago, the federal government abandoned its responsibility to fund social and affordable housing. Ontario offloaded this responsibility to municipalities without the necessary funds – the only province in Canada to do so. Years of funding cuts and austerity, frozen social assistance rates, and escalating rents and cost of living have resulted in the fact that many people in our city and community cannot find an affordable place to live – and are more unwell because of it.

The City’s approach to encampments is directly informed by the Toronto Ombudsman’s report on the violent encampment clearings that were conducted in 2021. The Ombudsman laid out clear recommendations to direct the City’s response to encampments and focus on alternatives to enforcement actions. You can learn more about the City’s approach here. This approach is being implemented city-wide, and all parks are equally subject to this protocol.

This approach is echoed by the recommendations from the Federal Housing Advocate in her Review of Homeless Encampments, an office that advises the federal government, and all Members of Parliament should be aware of this. The Federal Advocate wrote to Toronto City Council and the Mayor to support the City of Toronto’s approach, which emphasizes supports and connections to housing as real solutions to encampments, and confirms that forced evictions or clearings of encampments on public land (including parks) can be a violation of individuals’ Charter Rights and the right to adequate housing under international law.

Community Meeting on Dufferin Grove Park

Part of the challenge is balancing access for everyone to Dufferin Grove. I’m glad that community events, including Friday night suppers, the weekly Farmers’ Market, and other programming, have continued at the park. Managing this challenge is an ongoing priority for myself and my team, and with this in mind, I would like to invite any interested residents to join our upcoming opportunity to share your thoughts and to work together towards solutions. The meeting is scheduled for next Thursday, September 26 at 7:00 pm.

This meeting will be held virtually to increase access. Please sign up here for log-in details and meeting link: Community Meeting - Dufferin Grove (google.com).

Some community members have reached out to my office to ask how they can help increase access to safe indoor shelter and housing for people in need. Right now, a program called the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit is the fastest way for people experiencing homelessness to access housing, but no new benefits have flowed to people since April 1, due to delays and disagreements between the Province and Federal Government. An op-ed piece in the Toronto Sun by front-line worker Diana Chan McNally explains the impact of these delays: as a result, at least 1,500 people in our city who could have transitioned from shelters and outdoor encampments into affordable housing in recent months have been left behind. Municipal advocacy organization Progress Toronto has a petition calling on the Province and the Federal Government to release the funds for the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit, which you can find here.

Back in July, I moved a motion at City Council calling on the Government of Ontario to end the delays and release funding for these housing benefits immediately. The motion was adopted unanimously, and I will continue to do everything I can to advocate to our government partners to meet the level of need for permanent affordable and supportive housing in our city and community.

Sincerely,

Alejandra Bravo
City Councillor • Ward 9 • Davenport
Chair, Economic & Community Development Committee

In this edition

Leash Your Dog
Renovictions By-Law
Community Consultation on Tree Canopy
Safe TO Violence Prevention Symposium
Overnight Road Closure- Bloor St Between Dufferin and Russet
ECDC Recommends New Youth Poet Laureate
Confronting Anti-Black Racism Town Hall
Gardiner Expressway Closure
Community Environment Days
In the Ward
Upcoming Community Events
Other Updates

Leash Your Dog

We dogs! We just want them to have responsible owners.

Protecting the public from dangerous dogs continues to be a top priority for our office. It is important to keep your dog on a leash in public unless you are at a dogs off-leash park. No excuses, Davenport. The City has launched a new campaign and public education on how to be a responsible dog owner: http://toronto.ca/LeashYourDog

Have your say: Toronto's renovictions by-law

There is a growing trend of renovictions in Toronto, where a landlord illegitimately evicts a tenant by alleging that tenants need to leave the unit for the landlord to undertake renovations or repairs. The City of Toronto is developing a new bylaw to prevent bad faith evictions and help maintain affordable homes for Toronto’s residents.

We want to hear from tenants, landlords, the organizations that support them and the public before finalizing the renovictions bylaw. This will help us protect tenants and make sure landlords understand how to follow the new rules. The City will report back with a proposed bylaw by October 30.

From September 4 to 13, the City is hosting six in-person and one online session. An online survey is also available for public input from now until September 30.

Learn more

Community Consultation Meeting: Growing Space for Trees

The City of Toronto has one of the strongest suites of tree protection by-laws in North America. Tree Protection has been comprehensively addressed in Official Plan policies and Zoning By-law amendments related to garden suites, laneway suites, and multiplex housing. While enabling and supporting density and the expansion of affordable housing, the City continues to be proactive in protecting and expanding its tree canopy, recognizing that both are essential in responding to some of the city’s most pressing current and anticipated future needs.

In-person Community Consultation (Etobicoke)

Date: September 24, 2024

Time: 6 – 8 pm

Location: Etobicoke Civic Centre, Etobicoke Council Chambers

399 The West Mall

Toronto, Ontario.

City-wide Virtual Consultation 1

Date: September 25, 2024

Time: 6 – 8 pm

Registration is required through the following webpage: City Planning Consultations – City of Toronto

City-wide Virtual Consultation 2

Date: September 27, 2024

Time: 12 – 2 pm

The purpose of the consultation is to learn more about actions the City of Toronto is taking to protect trees, as well as proposals for additional Official Plan and the City-wide Zoning By-law 569-2013 updates to better protect and enhance Toronto’s tree canopy during infill housing development. Registration is required through.

Learn more

SafeTO Violence Prevention Symposium

The City of Toronto is holding a three-day violence prevention symposium at Centennial College with community organizations, policymakers, academics and others. This pivotal gathering on innovative strategies, data insights and collaborative solutions for safer communities is open to the public. Residents can register to attend in person (limited tickets available) or join the free event virtually to learn about current violence prevention work in Toronto. Register and find more information on the City’s SafeTO webpage.

Learn about the innovative violence reduction work happening in Toronto at the SafeTO Violence Prevention Symposium, Sept 18-20 at Centennial College. Provide your input & register now for the free event. In-person or virtual attendance available: toronto.ca/SafeTO.

Overnight road closure on Bloor St.

Starting on Friday, September 20th at 11pm until Saturday at 5am, Bloor St. W. will be closed from Dufferin to Russett for an overnight crane hoist to install new HVAC at 1140 Bloor St. W. Pedestrian, cycling, and vehicle detours will be in place.

ECDC recommends new youth poet laureate

As Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee, I am thrilled to have recommended Shahaddah Jack as the City of Toronto’s inaugural Youth Poet Laureate, pending approval by City Council at its October meeting. This groundbreaking role will position Jack as a literary ambassador for Toronto’s youth, empowering young voices through poetry and spoken word.

The Youth Poet Laureate Program was launched in November 2023 at the recommendation of the Toronto Youth Cabinet (TYC) to mark its 25th anniversary. The Program aims to uplift young writers and foster greater involvement of youth in literary arts, encouraging them to share their stories and perspectives.

Jack, a 20-year-old bilingual spoken word poet, performer and human rights activist from Tkaronto, is making waves with her impactful work. Known for addressing human rights, the Black experience and the complexities of adolescence in her work, she has performed at over 100 events. More information about the Youth Poet Laureate program is available online.

Confronting Anti-Black Racism Town Hall

Hear from leaders and join discussions about working to end anti-Black racism and discrimination in housing and employment, increasing community representation in leadership roles and creating more provisions for culturally appropriate healthcare. Find more information on the City’s Developing a Renewed 10-Year Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism webpage.

Gardiner Express Way Closure

This weekend from 11 p.m. on Friday, September 20 to 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 22, the Gardiner Expressway will be closed for regular fall maintenance. City road crews, engineers and contractors will conduct road resurfacing, crack sealing, guardrail replacement, lighting and signage repair, repainting of lane markings and more. Sections of the Gardiner will reopen in phases as work is completed. More information is available on the City’s Gardiner Expressway Maintenance webpage and a map of all road closures can be found on the City’s Road Restrictions webpage