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A years-long fight over the location the city chose for a modular supportive housing building has come to an end after the Ontario Land Tribunal ruled in favour of the city’s desired location, but bitter feelings remain among those opposed to the site.
Toronto’s rapid housing program has seen major success in the speed with which it can combat the housing crisis. The prefab units have allowed previous locations to go from breaking ground to moving in residents within a year. Once there, the supportive units run by various not-for-profit organizations offer wraparound services for the unhoused population.
But the location at 175 Cummer Ave., which was selected by the city in 2021, has dragged on for years. Local opposition to the project has included issues such as who will live there, the green space it will replace and, most contentiously, the proximity to two seniors housing complexes at the edge of the property.
On Tuesday, the Ontario Land Tribunal ruled in favour of the city’s chosen location.
Housing advocate Mark Richardson with HousingNowTO called the attempts to delay the process a farcical waste of time and money.
“This site was announced on exactly the same day as another modular housing site in East York,” Richardson said. “That site was completed and people moved in over a year ago.”
In contrast, Richardson said another winter will have come and gone at the Cummer Avenue location without any progress, leaving potential residents without a home.
“There are 60 people that are going to be out on the street, in a shelter, or in the ravines around here who could be inside in secure, stable housing that didn’t happen because this appeal process dragged on as long as it did,” he said.
Willowdale Coun. Lily Cheng, who ran successfully for city council speaking out against the modular housing location, told Global News she’s disappointed by the OLT’s decision.
Cheng said while some in her ward were opposed to the location for NIMBY reasons, she continues to be concerned about the housing project’s proximity to Cummer Lodge Long-Term Care Home and Willowdale Manor, a supportive housing centre for seniors.
“This space has been meaningful for the residents living here and they are now going to lose it,” Cheng said.
The lawyer representing three groups of appellants opposed to the project also voiced disappointment on behalf of his clients on the OLT ruling. Eric Gillespie said the process the tribunal took was flawed in the way it interpreted the city’s planning rules.
“This is a fairly large-scale apartment development,” Gillespie said. “Toronto’s official plan protects against that type of development by having some special rules. Unfortunately, those were all set aside by this particular decision.”
As disappointed as some will be, the vice-chair of Toronto’s planning and housing committee, Coun. Brad Bradford said the OLT got the decision right. Bradford also experienced heavy backlash to a modular housing project in his ward and said the biggest obstacle to getting similar projects over the finish line continues to be misinformation.
“Frankly, the city needs to do a better job of getting out in front of that to make sure people understand what this is and what this isn’t,” Bradford said.
With the OLT ruling still fresh, the city couldn’t provide a timeline for when ground will be broken on the new site. Based on previous locations, the amount of pre-planning, and the modular housing units sitting in storage for years, Richardson said he hoped it would be complete later this year.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.