Meeting hears concerns from frustrated southwest Scarborough residents over city’s plans for 80-bed homeless shelter

By MATTHEW STEPHENS

Tension and disapproval loomed large amongst local residents at Monday night’s meeting regarding a zoning application for an 80-bed homeless shelter at 2535 Gerrard St. E. in southwest Scarborough.

Residents met with city staff, community and urban planners, Toronto Shelter & Support Services Manager Gord Tanner, and Scarborough Southwest Councillor Parthi Kandavel at Birchcliff Bluffs United Church on June 16 to discuss the latest updates in the shelter’s ongoing development process, which is currently in its rezoning application phase.

During the rezoning phase, city staff look at building design, site management and operation, site context, planning policies, required studies, and community concerns, as well as ensuring the application aligns with the City’s Official Plan and zoning bylaws.

Residents at the meeting were quick to dismiss city staff’s opening remarks regarding the details of the project. Instead, community members wanted to immediately vocalize their ongoing grievances regarding environmental and public safety, close proximity to a local daycare and schools, noise disruptions, loading operations, lack of access to critical services like transportation, as well as other issues pertaining to the plans for the shelter.

One local resident expressed frustration regarding the city’s lack of effective communication to inform the community about the June 16 meeting. 

“I’m sure the audience will have some feedback about the lack of notification to this meeting. There is apparently a physical area where there’s no subject written notice. One of my senior neighbours who is not on the internet received absolutely no notice, and he’s less than 90 metres from the property line,” said one resident.

Another resident called out the city for not taking accountability for shelters owned and operated by third party organizations.

“We have an email from Sue Hall to one of the other shelter locations at 628 Adelaide, and I’m just going to quote ‘While the city is funding St. Felix for this program, it is not a project that is owned directly or managed by the city. We will no longer be responding.’ So, I just want to say that’s a part of the reason why we are not trusting of your commitment to accountability when emails like this are going around,” said the resident.

At the meeting, many residents were unaware that the homeless shelter site at 2535 Gerrard will be operated by non-profit organization Warden Woods Community Centre.

A concerned resident also expressed environmental concerns due to ethanol contamination following the site’s previous operation as an auto shop years before city acquisition.  

During Councillor Kandavel’s opening remarks, he mentioned that he and York Centre Councillor James Pasternack are working to address city staff’s process in selecting viable options for shelter sites.

“One of the big pieces I’ve been working on with Councillor Pasternack in the north end is looking at how the city does business, especially on shelters. It’s perhaps one of the most sensitive decisions council and certainly city staff make. There isn’t a list of criteria that spells out how a site is selected,” said Kandavel.

“There’s still work to be done, and this is some of the systemic work that I’m doing to address the overall process and how sites are selected, how communities are engaged, and how we move forward.”

One local resident took to the microphone to call out city planners on their decision to develop a shelter at 2535 Gerrard, when other, more suitable locations have sprung up since that site’s acquisition.

“We’ve been told at the time of purchase that 2535 Gerrard best fit the bill for what shelter services were seeking, which was based solely on prices alone, nothing more. Since this past October, other sites in Scarborough Southwest have become available that are far more suitable for shelter clients; close to services, transit, and major arteries,” said the resident.

City staff said 30 per cent of Toronto’s unhoused population lives in Scarborough, and that 17 potential sites were assessed before ultimately choosing the Gerrard Street East site as the most suitable location for the shelter.

Tanner took to the podium at the beginning of the meeting to address the city’s need for more shelters, referencing Toronto Council’s Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy Plan, an initiative approved in 2023 aiming to build 20 shelters over the next 10 years.

“We have a homelessness and housing crisis in the city that is very, very serious. We’re sheltering 10,000 people per night in our shelter system; singles, adults, families, children with no place to find housing. They’re staying longer than they ever have,” said Tanner.

Despite city staff listing some concerns they’ve received during their opening presentation, stating they’ve “listened and considered how they can incorporate feedback,” many residents at Monday’s meeting still felt as though their worries had not been adequately addressed.

At the beginning of the meeting, Loretta Ramadhin, Director Infrastructure Planning & Development, addressed some of the concerns she and city staff had received since news of the site’s acquisition was made public in November of last year.

In response to concerns regarding school and daycare proximity, Ramadhin said it isn’t uncommon for shelters in the city to be established close to schools and daycares.

“Through many discussions, various concerns and questions we’re raised. We were asked about the location and its proximity to schools, daycares and residential houses. We do operate shelters across the city and communities. As this is a residential use, it is common for shelters to be located near daycares and schools,” said Ramadhin.

She said the shelter operators will be working closely with Toronto police services to “address any concerns that may arise,” and that she and city staff will work to implement security measures suggested by concerned residents, including erecting nine-foot fencing around the property, and ensuring effective camera surveillance.

Ramadhin also said city staff will be working with Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to establish improved transit services along the Gerrard Street East bus route.

At the end of the meeting, city staff told residents that additional analysis is needed in their rezoning application prior to it being submitted to Toronto Council for final approval.

In a statement from Kandavel after the meeting, he underscored resident’s concern regarding the lack of “meaningful engagement” with the community on this proposal.

“The main concern that was clearly articulated from the community was the lack of a meaningful engagement model. We had a virtual meeting which didn’t really allow for back and forth and had serious accessibility issues. If English is not your strongest language, or if you’re a senior and not tech savvy… it needs to be done in person,” said Kandavel.

He also expressed his ongoing confusion over city staff’s decision to designate the shelter at the 2535 Gerrard St. E. site.

“We’ve had a lively discussion on the questions before, including the process in which the site was selected. Though today’s meeting was on the development review of zoning, we heard very clearly that there’s serious concerns given its location, especially in contrast to the success of the five other shelters in our ward.”

Going forward, Kandavel hopes that the city will work to establish more effective communication with the community.

“The next steps are ensuring that the community gets answers to the questions being raised, that there is an effective model of engagement between the liaison committee and city staff on the operations. There’s two years left and there’s a lot of important questions.”

On July 15, the city’s Planning and Housing Committee will hold a statutory public meeting to discuss six new permanent shelter sites, which comes as part of the 10-year strategy to address homelessness in the city.

During that meeting, members of the public will have an opportunity to discuss the application. To register for the July 15 committee meeting, contact the city clerk’s office at RegistrarCCO@toronto.ca