TheBulletin.ca Journal of Downtown Toronto
Community consultations about rooming houses are scheduled for Downtown neighbourhoods in June.
The city is holding a series of public consultation meetings on proposed regulations for multi-tenant houses – commonly referred to as rooming houses.
Two different sets of meetings will be held. The first set of meetings will be held in five “pilot” areas where multi-tenant houses currently are not permitted, while the second set will take place in areas of the city where multi-tenant houses are permitted.
Public consultation meetings taking place in areas where multi-tenant homes are permitted include the following dates and locations:
• Wednesday, June 14, Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre, Multipurpose Room, 870 Queen St. E., 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 20, Lillian H. Smith Library, Auditorium, 239 College St., 6 to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, June 22, Toronto Public Library, Parkdale Branch, 1303 Queen St. W., 6 to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 27, Wellesley Community Centre, Room A, 495 Sherbourne St., 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• how multi-tenant houses should be zoned
• the maximum number of rooms allowed in a multi-tenant home, and
• what requirements multi-tenant operators should have in place (such as site plan, waste management plan and parking plan).
Council endorsed a three-year pilot project last fall to introduce a temporary zoning bylaw to allow multi-tenant houses in five areas of the city where they currently are not permitted.
The area boundaries for the pilot project are:
• Highway 401, Morrish Road, Military Trail (Wards 43, 44)
• Finch Avenue West, Martin Grove Road, Humber College Boulevard (Ward 1)
• Finch Avenue West, Assiniboine Road, Black Creek Drive, Keele Street (Ward 8)
• Finch Avenue East, Leslie Street, Highway 404, Fairview Mall Drive (Ward 33)
• Steeles Avenue, Highway 404, Highway 401, Markham Road (Wards 39, 40, 41)
Public consultation meetings will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in pilot areas where multi-tenant homes are not permitted. Dates and locations:
• Tuesday, June 6, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, Room HW305, 1265 Military Trail
• Wednesday, June 7, James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School, Cafeteria, 1440 Finch Ave. W.
• Monday, June 12, Oriole Community Centre, Multipurpose Room B, 2975 Don Mills Rd.
• Tuesday, June 13, Stephen Leacock Community Recreation Centre, 2520 Birchmount Rd.
• Thursday, June 15, Elmbank Community Centre, Gym, 10 Rampart Rd.
• Wednesday, June 21, L’Amoreaux Community Recreation Centre, Main Floor, 2000 McNicoll Ave.
Residents unable to attend a meeting are invited to fill out an online survey to provide their views on the proposed regulations.
Staff of Municipal Licensing & Standards and City Planning expect to report on findings from the consultations this fall.
More information and the survey are available at www.toronto.ca/mlshaveyoursay.
It isn’t a problem with rooming houses, not even a problem with residents. The problem is with TCHC. Every time you look at a ravaged rooming house or misbehaving resident and wonder why, look up, it’s the TCHC brass, falling down on the job. Then they spend, spend, spend, on PR campaigns like this to burnish their leadership credentials, oblivious to the farce they themselves are conducting. (Giving them the benefit of the doubt.).
I know, you think I’m exaggerating. The only people who know I’m not, are hostage to the people who claim I am. Residents and neighbors of TCHC know who to blame. Until TCHC assures them it’s somebody else;s fault. which they do, and do, and do… It’s the same crackhead tunnel vision you see in actual crackheads.The blameworthy are never to blame. It’s an honor to wriggle out of it.
I think I’ll try to go. I’m curious to know how much they spent hoaxing a consultation.
Definitely should be spread out through the city, rather than concentrated in the downtown areas like the Garden District & Cabbagetown.