Task Force Plan: Forcing Students Out

Michelle Bray, Chair of the Oshawa Town & Gown Committee and Vice President of Windfield Farms Community Association, has posted an update that outlines the plans of the Student Housing Task Force. (I have also attached a PDF of the update.) The following quotations are excerpts from the post. The commentary is my own.

“The R1 zoned neighbourhoods around UOIT should be restored to their original intent – low-density residential (not commercial or economic) single-housekeeping establishments.”

This statement means that all student rental housing will be phased out. This is discriminatory. Furthermore, it is in direct contradiction to the warnings (first letter, second letter) given by the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Right Commission stating that these actions could have human rights implications.

“The Residential Rental Units Licensing Bylaw will only grant licenses to those houses operating as traditional rentals rather than lodging houses.  If a property is found to be operating in contravention of the Zoning Bylaw, such as being a lodging house (where individual bedrooms are being rented out or used exclusively by an individual lodger with shared washroom and cooking facilities), the house will not receive a license and cannot be rented.”

This paragraph clearly states the true purpose of the current Licensing Residential Rental Units Bylaw; Systematically eliminate all student housing from the neighbourhoods surrounding UOIT.

“Resident representatives had to acknowledge that these rental properties/lodging houses cannot be denied licenses without alternative housing being provided to the tenants, in order to ensure a housing crisis isn’t created.”

This solution is overwhelmingly unsatisfactory. What they are proposing is that students only have one option for housing: “purpose-built housing.” Effectively, this singular option means that students no longer have the right to move to and take up residence wherever they choose, as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 6. Mobility Rights, Subsection (2).

Moreover, a singular source of housing eliminates competition. Basic economics show us that monopolies and restricted competition leads to higher prices.

Again, I call for a balanced plan that is a compromise between all parties. The current plan is lopsided.

Another Letter from the Ontario Human Rights Commission

This is the second letter from the Chief Commissioner of the OHRC, Barbara Hall, that has been written about the City of Oshawa’s Residential Licensing Bylaw regarding Human Rights implications.

I would like to highlight key sections of the letter.

“With respect to the landlord licensing by-law, I understand that its intent is to reinforce existing standards and encourage compliance with various safety regulations in a geographic area that has been the subject of numerous complaints. I agree that the by-law allows Oshawa to address overcrowding, housing that has been renovated illegally, and health and safety violations, and that these are worthy goals.”

I agree that the legislation described above would be beneficial for students and surrounding neighbours. However, that paragraph does not characterize the current Bylaw’s intent. Dr. Hall emphasizes this inequality.

“I also recognize that the Task Force is considering long-term plans to return various neighbourhoods to their intended planning purpose. However, if this results in zoning out certain types of shared accommodation, such as lodging houses, it could again have an adverse impact on Code-protected groups.”

Ultimately, Windfield Farms Community Association and Niagara Park Homeowners Association are pushing the City of Oshawa to enshrine into law the elimination of all rental housing for those neighbourhoods (which house about 2500 students). This is unrealistic, unacceptable, and unfair.

A more suitable solution would be to revise the current Bylaw so it is a compromise and balanced between all parties.

Making Sense of the Student Housing Crisis

Only 11 homes of 201 applications were granted rental licenses as defined by By-Law 20-2008. Even more, it is estimated that 300 landlords have blatantly ignored the By-Law and not submitted an application.

What does this mean for students?

Come next school year, students will not have a place to live.

Hold up, hold up! That is quite the outlandish statement to be making right? Well, let me explain.

• Eleven approved licensing applications means 98 % of all student rental homes are now illegal (501-11 = 490, 490/501 = 98%).
• The City of Oshawa along with Niagara Community Association and Windfield Farms Community Association will begin suing landlords for operating illegal Lodging Houses just like the court case in August 2008.
• Furthermore, they know exactly which houses and landlords to take to court from the 201 By-Law applications they did receive.
• They will win in court because of the precedence set in the previous case. Once the upcoming case is won, there won’t be houses to rent.
• Students will have absolutely no place to live.

Wait, what about residence?

Residence is completely full. They have a huge waiting list of students hoping for an open spot. It is unrealistic to think that residence can house another 2500 students (who currently live in the subdivisions surrounding the campus) by next year. Furthermore, DC/UOIT cannot build more residences because DC is $3.25 million in the hole and who knows how much debt UOIT has. Fixing the Student Housing Crisis is the only option.

What has to happen next?

YOU! Yes that’s right, YOU! The overworked student who has no time. You must happen! You must make time to protest for Student Housing alongside your Student Association President Amy England.

Here’s what she’s asking for:

• Rezoning of Dalhousie Crescent, Concordia Court, and McGill Court from R1 (single family dwelling) zoning to R7 (lodging houses) zoning because of the predominate student population that lives on those streets.
• Rezoning these areas would make the current student housing legal and stop evictions.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Join the Student Association Facebook group and come out to the upcoming rallies. The SA needs your support!
2. Write a short Facebook message to Amy England asking how you can help the SA in this protest or any ideas that you have.
3. Spread the word. Tell every student you know to join the Facebook group and tell them why this issue matters! (Hint: because they won’t have a place to live next year!)

Right now the Community Associations are winning. We must to stand together and take action. Amy England is leading but she needs support. We need to have our voices heard!

So what’s it going to be?

a) Take action NOW!

b) Be homeless next year.

Eviction Notices Delivered Yesterday By Oshawa

Student rental homes in the Windfield Farms subdivision were delivered eviction notices yesterday.

The Ontario Superior Court Justice Peter Howden declared 28 of 30 rental homes were illegal lodging houses on September 25th, 2008.

Students said that two City of Oshawa Bylaw officers delivered the notices. However, the onus is placed on the landlords to comply with the zoning bylaw. If the landlords comply, the students will be given 60 days to vacate the premises and find new housing.

An estimated 150 students are affected by the court decision.

St. Catharines Eyes Oshawa’s By-Law

“St. Catharines is pondering how a Superior Court ruling limiting lodging houses in Oshawa could affect its own student housing situation.

Members of the city’s Student Housing Liaison Committee met Wednesday and will ask city council to request staff review the Oshawa case.

The decision echoes one made by council on Monday night, as it eyes possibly implementing a similar rule to combat noise and property standard complaints.

Whether St. Catharines should wait for the Oshawa case to be appealed as expected, or forge ahead with its own lodging bylaw, was up for debate.”

St. Catharines is the home of Brock University and a satellite campus of Niagara College.

Read… (The St. Catharines Standard)

Hamilton Contemplating Housing By-Law for McMaster and Mohawk (Updated)

“Hamilton is considering a new rental bylaw that would limit the number of bedrooms in student houses and regulate noise, maintenance and parking.”

Read… (The Hamilton Spectator)

Update: This was posted by the Ainslie Wood/Westdale Community Association:

“A rally has been called for Saturday, Sept. 20, 2 PM at the Westdale Village Clock at Paisley & King to call upon the City of Hamilton to engage in a public process this fall that leads to the enactment of a West Hamilton Rental Licensing By-law modeled after the Oshawa one.”

Read… (AWWCA.ca)

Welcome to the Your Housing Blog

Welcome to the Your Housing blog. This blog’s purpose is to rally together Durham College and UOIT students to stand up to By-Law 20-2008 Licensing Residential Rental Units and the Windfield Farms Comunity Association. We as students need to have our voices heard to create realistic, long-lasting, balanced solutions to the housing concerns.