By Tyrone MacLean-Wilson

A staff at FOCUS Media Arts Centre

On March 24th, 2022, the Economic and Community Development Committee took place at City Hall with various participants, who gave deputations on subjects such as housing and the shelter system. All subjects that have direct bearing on the neighbors of Regent Park, Moss Park and St Jamestown.

The Economic and Community Development Committee's primary focus is on social cohesion and the economy, with a mandate to monitor and make recommendations on strengthening communities, neighbourhoods and the economy.

The meeting starts off with a presentation from the Economic Development and Culture - Quarterly Economic Outlook Update as presented by Adrienne Warren.

The presentation starts off by covering the city's employment record during the pandemic and how things have trended during the pandemic’s final phases.The jobless/unemployment rate is returning to normal levels that existed pre-pandemic. Job vacancy rates increased, particularly the hospitality sector, healthcare and construction.

The presentation also covered the impact of the pandemic restrictions on businesses. Notably there have been several businesses in the Regent Park, St Jamestown neighborhood that have been particularly impacted by the pandemic. The affected businesses that were studied included services such as restaurants, hair salons and gyms.

Other areas covered in the Economic Development and Culture - Quarterly Economic Outlook presentation, covered vacancy trends of office spaces and other commercial properties. Additionally a focus on the condo market and how the changes have affected the overall housing costs. The presenter noted that the resurgent condo market fuels record housing costs. Additionally citing that rising costs pressure firms and households.

According to the TCHC, Regent Park has over 5,400 market condominium units since the redevelopment and is expected to have even more as Regent Park enters its final phases of development.

During question period, City Council Shelley Carroll brought up the concerning nature of the youth employment rate that is now down by as much as 31% since the pandemic.Adrienne, responded that job losses within this demographic, is a direct result of the pandemic restrictions within job places that youth particularly work in.

The meeting then moved on to the topic of COVID 19 Shelter Transition and Relocation Plan Update presented by Tanner. The presentation covered various key topics: Shelter System Update, Phased 24-month transition work plan, Extending temporary sites, Options to maintain shelter capacity, Creation of a refugee specific sector and continued focus on increasing opportunities.

Tanner cited that there are currently 27 COVID19 active temporary shelter sites since the start of the pandemic. He mentions that these sites were put in place in response to the encampment evictions that started to take place throughout the city during the pandemic. Especially in the Downtown East core; which includes Moss Park and St Jamestown and surrounding area.

The meeting was then continued by presenter Dr. A.J. Withers (Adjunct Faculty, Critical Disability Studies, York University). A.J. spoke on behalf of the Shelter and Housing Justice Network.

AJ expresses concern over the work plan and says it’s more like a “trap” that would cause displacement of the homeless and current residents of the shelter system. AJ brought up the concerning figure that the shelter system is currently 99.3% full. 

The committee meeting included additional speakers, one of which by the name of Guru, is currently a resident of the Novotel Hotel, which is currently being used as a shelter. Guru expressed his concerns over the shelter system and how there is a lack of tools and support to prevent homeless. He cites that there are currently 1,700 people are living on the streets right now in the city of Toronto. He says that mass encampments will return back to Toronto if nothing is done to prevent homeless and further tools to support getting people out of homelessness.

Nearing the end of the meeting, Regent Park Neighbourhood Association (RPNA) member Miguel Avila-Velarde spoke to the issues of how people were forced to live in parks due to evictions during the pandemic. He thanked A.J. for bringing in numbers and figures to the current state of the homeless population. Miguel later brings up that he is living in Ward 13, the epicenter of “the crisis of mental health and addiction” and has a first-hand knowledge of the issues of poverty within the neighborhood of Regent Park. He states that if the current economic and community development committee plan goes into motion, there will be an increased need for social housing/rent geared to income units..

The meeting conclusively states that there are currently 1,700 current homeless people out in the streets of the city that are currently displaced. The great majority of speakers and attendees did not agree with the transition phase plan.Stating that plan would make the situation worse or not solve the issue at all.