Article content
With a massive infusion of federal money on the way to build more affordable and supportive housing in Ottawa, city councillors want to make sure the city considers the social effects of those projects on the surrounding community.
Councillors voted 17-7 in favour of a motion that requires the city’s director of housing services to “consider the cumulative effect and community impact” of supportive housing projects before allocating funds for them.
Article content
Ninety per cent of the $176.3 million the city is to receive from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund will be used to build more non-profit housing, with 26 projects and properties already identified by the city as priorities. Ottawa declared a “housing emergency” in 2020.
One of those 26 projects is a Shepherds of Good Hope residence on Merivale Road in Carlington, on the same block as three other Shepherds’ facilities. Those are already causing headaches for neighbours, said River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington, who brought forward the motion.
“Some of my residents are pushing back,” Brockington told reporters after Wednesday’s council meeting. “It’s really to get the Shepherds’ attention, to say ‘You need to invest in wraparound services for those residents who are coming out of the shelter system and collectively work with us on the issues that exist in the community.”
Brockington said there have been increased calls for police and emergency services to the area since the Shepherds’ opened up a third building on Merivale near Kirkwood Avenue last summer.
Article content
“These are people coming directly from the shelter system into residences in the community. You better have resources on-site to help them,” he said.
Brockington said the city has already acknowledged that it needs to spread supportive housing units out across the city so that they aren’t concentrated in the downtown, but he rejected that the motion was driven by NIMBYism. NIMBY stands for “Not in my backyard.”
“You don’t see me advocating to shut them down,” Brockington said. “You see me advocating for our new residents who come into the community that have high acuity, high needs, to have the support that they need.”
Somerset Ward Coun. Ariel Troster was one of seven councillors to vote against the motion.
“Supportive housing is the solution, not the problem,” Troster said, although she agreed on the need for social supports.
Clara Freire, director of community and social services, said the Brockington motion will be incorporated into city decisions on how the accelerator fund will be used after individual projects have been considered and designed.
“At that level, we will put in place an additional lens of community impact and make that part of our discussion with the proponents to ensure they have the property community engagement before advancing on a project,” Freire said.
“It’s an initial step, but not a roadblock.”
Recommended from Editorial
Share this article in your social network