I hope you are enjoying this glorious weather and getting some time to enjoy summer events in downtown Ottawa.
I know I am looking forward to Chamberfest and to Buskerfest on Sparks Street in a couple weeks, after having a blast at Bluesfest, Jazzfest and the Arlington Art Market recently. And of course, there is the wonderful Elgin Street Farmer’s Market on Sunday mornings at Boushey Square, organized by the Centretown Community Association.
Here at City Hall, we are on a bit of a legislative break, which gives me some more time to engage with casework and community outreach. But our last council meeting before the break touched on two important issues relating to housing and homelessness that I wanted to share with you.
The first is some good news for affordable housing. Last year, I submitted an inquiry to staff, asking what it would cost the city to exempt non-profit housing providers from property taxes. While Ottawa Community Housing has an automatic exemption, other organizations like CCOC Housing and the Nepean Housing Corporation do not. This adds thousands of dollars to the costs borne by affordable housing providers that could otherwise be used to maintain their properties or lower rents for tenants.
To my delight, city staff presented a proposal at Finance and Corporate Services committee to provide a property tax exemption to non-profit housing providers that have an existing relationship with the city. The proposal passed committee and council unanimously! This will put millions of dollars back into the sector that is building and preserving deeply affordable housing in our city.
The second issue that you may have heard about in the media is the city’s Integrated Transition to Housing strategy. Of note is the city’s purchase of “sprung structures” to eventually turn into welcoming centres for refugees and asylum seekers in suburban neighbourhoods. Right now, there are hundreds of newcomers sleeping in bunk beds in re-purposed community centres in Heron Gate and Vanier. Both of these are low-income communities with a high proportion of racialized residents – which means some of our city’s most vulnerable people have been left without access to gym facilities for years. This is unacceptable.
What we are seeing right now in our city’s shelter system is unlike any other time in our history. The global migration crisis and wars in several major regions mean that more and more people are coming to our city to seek safety and rebuild their lives. Demands for shelter are higher than ever and right now nearly 80% of people in the system are newcomers.
Working as part of the Emergency Shelter Crisis Taskforce, I worked with city staff to help prevent the development of large semi-permanent tent encampments by ensuring that we had enough indoor sleeping spaces for anyone who needed one. But we need a better solution that no longer forces communities to choose between accessing recreation and providing shelter.
That is why I spoke at council in favour of the sprung structures and the rest of the Transition to Housing strategy. Downtown communities are already doing more than our fair share to help vulnerable neighbours. We host safe consumption sites, low-barrier day centres, shelters and rooming houses. We will also open host a new transitional housing facility and welcome centre in a converted office building on Queen Street in the fall. Simply put: we need more space for people and we need other communities, particularly in the suburbs, to do their part.
You can watch some of my comments at council on the urgency for every community in the city to welcome services, housing and support for people in need. Homelessness is a city-wide problem, and we need everyone to take part in advancing solutions.
Warmly,
Ariel
Ariel with Centretown resident Koko Agborsangaya, who won the Bruce Timmermans Cycling Award, for co-founding Black Girls Do Bike NCR.
Public meeting on new zoning bylaw’s impact on Somerset Ward
Join us for a ward-specific virtual information session on Wednesday, July 31 from 6:30 to 8 pm on Zoom to discuss Ottawa’s new Zoning By-law. This session will cover key topics relevant to Wards 14 and 22. It’s your chance to learn about the basics of zoning, key concepts of the proposed by-law, and engage in further discussions where you will have the opportunity to ask questions and share your thoughts!
To attend, please register here.
Open Office Hours: Ottawa Music Coalition and Ottawa Arts Council
Come and talk to us about how the City and the arts and music sectors can collaborate. Joining us are folks from OMIC and the Ottawa Arts Council to offer their perspectives. We will be at the Equator Coffee in the National Arts Centre (1 Elgin St) from 1pm-3pm on August 2nd, so stop by any time!
Let us know to expect you by RSVP-ing here.
ANCHOR (alternative crisis response) launches August 15
The long anticipated alternative crisis response pilot launches on August 15th in Centretown. Known as the Alternative Neighbourhood Crisis Response (ANCHOR), it will provide 24/7 help through 211. Crisis workers who are well versed in mental health, addiction and trauma will be dispatched to help any neighbours who may be struggling with an overdose, mental health or personal crisis. My office will be collaborating with the ANCHOR team, to get the word out about this important new initiative and make sure that residents and business owners know when and how to call for help. More from us on this soon!
Tackling problematic properties in Somerset Ward
By-law and Regulatory Services (BLRS) is leading a new joint taskforce aimed at addressing problematic properties.
The taskforce is operating as a pilot project in both Rideau-Vanier and Somerset Wards, with a goal of bringing about change at properties with a long history of complaints related to by-law issues, crime and disorder.
BLRS will be working closely with its partners, including the Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Fire Services, and Community and Social Services, among other city departments in order to take a more holistic approach when dealing with properties that have been affecting ongoing problematic properties.
Five properties in Somerset Ward have been identified to be the first to be addressed as part of this pilot project. They are all located in Centretown.
The properties include addresses in the following locations:
By-law Enforcement Officers will inspect these properties on a regular basis and will be issuing Notices of Violations and Property Standards Orders as warranted. They will meet with their police and municipal counterparts to determine courses of action for matters that do not fall under the purview of BLRS, including crime and housing matters.
Members of the public are asked to continue reporting issues at problematic properties so that they can be properly investigated and addressed.
Preston Street Rapid Bridge Lift on Highway 417: July 25 to 29
The project will close the following sections of the highway, starting at 7 pm on Thursday, July 25 and slated to reopen at 6 am on Monday, July 29:
Lane reductions and ramp closures are scheduled to start at 7 pm on Thursday, with the full closure of Highway 417 scheduled to be in place by 8 pm.
The following access ramps will also close:
In addition, Booth Street northbound, from Carling Avenue to Raymond Street, will be closed from 7:30 pm on Thursday, July 25 to 6 am on Monday, July 29 to facilitate the Highway 417 Westbound detour.
Preston Street businesses are still open, though. So come on down to Little Italy Ottawa if you can to support them!
Finally, the NCC closure of the Queen Elizabeth Driveway will be adjusted slightly to relieve some pressure on the network. Instead of being closed from Somerset to Fifth this weekend, it will be closed from Somerset to Catherine.
Intro to skilled trades with Ottawa Community Benefits Network
The Ottawa Community Benefits Network, in partnership with the Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec Building Trades Council, is pleased to provide tenants in community housing with an introduction to the skilled trades and the opportunity to gain industry recognized certifications in the construction sector.
The OCBN will be hosting information sessions in person and virtually.
Information on this program and to express interest can be found at www.ottawacommunitybenefits.ca/workforce
Please contact [email protected] for more information.
As we embark on a long weekend, I know that so many of us are looking forward to gathering for Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends.
I spend most of my time thinking and writing about the big issues impacting our city: ending homelessness, combatting addiction, improving public transit, tackling bad-faith evictions, and building better cycling infrastructure.
We all want a city that works. A bus that comes on time. Smooth roads and ample protected bike lanes. Parks with amenities that are both fun and available when you need them.