HOUSINGAGAIN-L Housing Again Bulletin No. 20

[Catherine Nasmith <cnasmith@sympatico.ca>]

HOUSING AGAIN - Bulletin Number  20
October 4, 2000

A twice monthly electronic bulletin published on what people are doing
to put housing back on the public agenda in Ontario, across Canada and
around the world. Our web site is http://www.housingagain.web.net
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In this bulletin
1. Downloading social housing
2. Beatrice house
3. Visit our web site
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1. Downloading social housing

The biggest news in housing is the black hole of information around the
soon to be tabled "Social Housing Business Transfer" legislation. That's
the Downloading Bill, the passing down of virtually all social housing
stock and its responsibilities to the municipalities.

Passage of this legislation will be the end of a persistent two year
Harris effort against almost uniform opposition. Social housing stake,
holders, municipalities and even business organizations - as shown in
last spring's strongly stated Toronto Board of Trade paper - oppose this
policy. Ann Mulvale, president of the Association of Municipalities of
Ontario and Mayor of Oakville proclaimed defiantly that the new word of
the millennium should be "uploading."

The legislation directly affects 284,000 households, about 750,000 people.


There have been intense government consultations with some groups over
the last three months; and with other main housing providers, such as
the Co-operative Housing Federation, only as a result of hundreds of
letters in the summer requesting discussion and public input. This in
itself is unusual, although perhaps `consultation' is not an entirely
accurate description since  the government refused to divulge the
legislation's contents.

According to Michael Shapcott of the Co-operative Housing Federation,
"The actual draft legislation has already been in front of the
legislative sub-committees. The government people all sat (at our
meetings) with huge black binders containing the legislation that we
think has hundreds of pages with perhaps thousands of elements of very
complex issues. So the consultations are extremely difficult since we
don't know what the critical details are. This is a key problem.
Problems will occur that the government doesn't even intend, just
because of the rush."

Both the CHF and ONPHA. have lawyers on 24 hour alert ready to vet the
legislation the moment it appears.

Before this regime took power, governments regularly showed draft
legislation to stakeholders; but the Harris philosophy insists "it is
against parliamentary protocol to reveal it before the legislature sees it."

The only element of the bill disclosed so far is the historic
cancellation of thirty-five year legal contracts binding the operation
of social housing. "They will replace these contracts with 'operating
agreements'" says Shapcott. "These agreements will be determined by
legislation and cabinet regulation. This is unprecedented in British
parliamentary tradition. We've consulted with the best lawyers in the
country and there is no legal recourse.

"Because of those contracts, social housing providers in the past knew
their rights and responsibilities and so do the tenants. Now that can
change from one day to the next."

Hilary Dawson, executive assistant to Liberal housing critic David
Caplan sees other problems too. "We're looking for what is not in the
legislation, stuff which enables the government to make regulations
which are cabinet decisions - decisions which are never publicly
debated. For instance, Ontario Housing Corporation  project maintenance
is already privatized. Will the well-running co-ops have to privatize too?

" We are also looking for news of any capital reserve top-ups,"
continues Dawson. "The province has not kept 'due diligence' in
maintaining Ontario Housing Corporation stock. Clement says it is in
good condition but people in his ministry say they don't even know."

People living in many OHC projects certainly know they are dilapidated
and sometimes unfit for habitation.

Shapcott also sees capital reserves as crucial. "The housing providers
know what they're doing and what it costs to do it. So, annually we've
built up capital reserves to replace the roof five years down the line,
for example.

Starting with the Rae government, amounts going into capital reserves
were cut. This is a short term economy. The Harris government partly
topped up the reserves but not until the co-ops were in the midst of a
lawsuit against the government."

A study for the Region of Peel housing division released this summer
estimates a $1 billion operating shortfall overall in the province for
social housing.

Stake holders fear death by a thousand cuts to the social housing stock.
Minister Clement's August speech to the Association of Municipalities of
Ontario (AMO) was designed to soothe ruffled feathers.  In the same
vein, Clement has avoided ideological battle with the co-op movement
unlike his predecessor Al Leach. Still, Clement is determined to stick
to his January 1, 2001 deadline to transfer OHC to the municipalities
and the rest of the social housing responsibilities in the next eighteen
months. Before then, the government will have 'simplified' things by
setting 'benchmarks', suchas proclaiming the cost of elevator
maintenance, for example, ignoring, or disregarding different conditions
across the province and in each building.
Critics see this as just another way of slowly squeezing the lifeblood
out of affordable housing.

In a phone conversation, Clement's press secretary repeatedly used the
"say for pay" slogan, insisting that this will give the municipalities
control over the housing, but the province will still have the say about
how things work in order to insure voters that the municipalities are
'accountable'-to the province. The minister says the number of existing
units will be maintained, but who knows what will appear in cabinet
regulations that allow the financially strapped municipalities from
wriggling out of that promise, by who knows what means?

The number of homeless grows and it may be years before the full effect
of this legislation - which is expected at any time -  is felt or even 
understood.

2. A future for Beatrice House

Help is on the way for thirty single homeless mothers and their children
when Beatrice House opens up its special haven next spring. This unique
Toronto facility will not only house vulnerable families safely, but
provide wide-ranging educational programmes for the mothers as well as
stimulation and remedial work for the children, mainly pre-schoolers,
many of whom have suffered from a short lifetime of trauma.

Already nine families are temporarily lodged in the Workers Safety and
Insurance Board site at the junction of Highways 401 and 400, a building
only partially used  for W.S.I.B. outpatient therapy and offices. Currently
conditions there are barrack-like with shared bathrooms and cafeteria meals.

The programme has already proved its worth with graduates who have moved
on to stable, self-supporting lives.

Brenda Northey, an entrepreneur who originated the Beatrice House idea,
was inspired by Homes for the Homeless in the U.S., funded by Harts
Co.,maker of pet food, which purchased redundant buildings and provided
mixed facilities and programmes. An executive of Honeywell was an
original supporter in Canada and together with Northey started the project.

Four years of house hunting down the road, with architect Ed Zeidler
providing pro bono services, the Toronto District School Board agreed to
rent the unused Hughes Street Public School to Beatrice House. The Board
rejected an eager high tech company which promised the moon to the
neighbourhood and higher rent to the TDSB. Fortunately there is an
established priority order of users of excess school property.

A few neighbours feared that a bunch of prostitutes were moving in. And
there were other problems as well.

"We didn't fit in any bureaucratic slot," says Beatrice House board
member and Toronto District School Board trustee Donna Kansfield. "We're
not a hostel and not pure education. There also are social stigmas to overcome."

Beatrice House must be flexible, physically and in its programming. The
school will be renovated with one floor of small suites, each with their
own sinks and bathrooms, and a common kitchenette on each floor, in
addition to a communal dining room with a kitchen staff. Classrooms will
be designed to accommodate structured classes for finishing high school
or computer training, as well as being suitable for neighbourhood  and
Toronto District School Board use, or self-defence lessons.

Emphasizing the challenges the architects face, acting Executive
Director, and former Toronto Board of Education trustee John Doherty
says, "We have to remember that this may not be forever. In ten or
fifteen years, it could revert to school use. We will be mindful in our 
renovations."

"Early childhood intervention programmes are key to the Beatrice House
programme," says Kansfield "We will integrate parenting teaching in both
nursery and daycare. Neighbourhood children and parents will be eligible
for the programme too, just like they were when the elementary school
was functioning. After-four classes and even evening activities for
older children will help to round it out.

"We have a chance to break the cycle of poverty for these kids and
provide a model of mixed services for less money. We already have
successful graduates to prove our worth."

When single women end up in suburban motels with nothing to do, a strong
stigma keeps them from seeking help at a battered women's shelter, or
getting other support services. At Beatrice House, counselling will be
on the site, known only to those who need to know. So with regular
schooling, job training, help in social skills and parenting, all
nurturing the confidence and skills to move on, families should be ready
to graduate within two years.

McMaster University will constantly monitor the academic achievements so
that Beatrice House is accountable for adequate programmes.

At the moment most of the women are teenage mothers who had no daycare
to allow them to finish high school. One mother, however, had a
university degree but suddenly was abandoned and she and her confidence
fell through the cracks. After a few months at the Workers Safety Board
she is now on her own and self-supporting.

By introducing English as a second  language courses, immigrant women,
an extremely vulnerable group, will also be allowed to apply and face
the rigourous screening process.

"We must have tenants who are compatible with our goals," Kansfield
insists. "They must be ready to be helped by what we have to offer."

And the money? The renovations are estimated to be around $2.6 million
and organizers are confident of promises from corporations.  The
tenants' housing payments from Community Services cover the running costs.

Now that the Hughes Avenue site is confirmed, acting Executive Director
John Doherty says they "project funding through foundations and
donations for specific programmes. With a confirmed location, we'll kick
off a new fundraising drive soon for the capital renovation."

And best of all, Doherty points out, " We hope to prove this can be
replicated all across Canada in virtually any community. We have already
been talking to Alan Rock in Ottawa."

3. Visit our web site

Check out the "Alerts" section of the Housing Again web site for fresh
news posted right away. The section is updated daily and contains
important and interesting information. Point your browser to
http://www.housingagain.web.net then click on "alerts". Make sure to
check regularly for new information. If you have a news release or other
news, you can post it to the site by clicking on "post".  

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