By Cecilia Nasmith/Northumberland 89.7 FM/Today’s Northumberland
The struggles the Province of Ontario has had with homeless encampments were reflected in correspondence before Northumberland County council’s Social Services Committee at its March meeting.
The committee actually voted to ask county council to have a further discussion in full session about the possibility of a new approach – the Township of McGarry’s call for changes in Ontario’s Building Code to accommodate “pre-approved affordable housing plans (that) can streamline the construction process, reduce costs and facilitate quicker access to housing for those in need.”
It calls for the government to engage with stakeholders in the development of such plans in formulating standardized designs that meet safety, quality and affordability criteria in a variety of models (such as tiny homes, modular units and converted shipping containers).
“That should really help everybody, doing the same thing across the province,” committee chair John Logel remarked.
Committee members voted support of the City of Peterborough’s call for the province to amend Bill 242 to set out a clear workable definition of shelter space in relation to a municipality’s ability to regulate or prohibit encampments in parks and open spaces.
This is a reaction to the so-called Waterloo Decision that requires “an unworkable and unclear standard that goes beyond the number of shelter spaces” in determining if an encampment can be shut down.
“Given the nature of concerns around shelters, this is obviously not a Peterborough problem or a Northumberland problem. It’s an across-Canada concern,” Warden Brian Ostrander stated.
“I would very much like the province to provide some rules around what is and what is not acceptable.
