As we come to the end of the year, it’s time to reflect on some of the events that have happened over the past year in our community surrounding housing and homelessness.
The year began with a setback when Aurora town council voted 4-3 against a rezoning application for a new men’s housing program on Yonge Street. This decision followed a previous meeting in 2023, during which council requested additional information before making a final call. While the outcome was disappointing for many in the sector, council did commit to collaborating with the Regional Municipality of York to explore alternative sites. At a recent meeting, they confirmed this work is ongoing and that no final decisions have been made.
One positive development from this process was the formation of Aurora Cares, Housing For All, a community group of more than 400 members dedicated to supporting people experiencing homelessness and poverty. The group continues to advocate for council to reconsider the original Yonge Street location and to prioritize finding alternative solutions without delay.
In June, the York Region approved additional dollars to add the much-needed 139 beds to our emergency housing system. Groups like Blue Door, 360°kids, Salvation Army, and Inn from the Cold supported them in opening new programs and adding to others, as the program Blue Door runs for families in Vaughan at a local hotel.
This fall was a busy period for the sector, marked by significant developments in the province’s approach to addressing encampments. In response to growing pressure from Ontario mayors seeking support to manage the rising number of encampments, the premier urged them to request his use of the notwithstanding clause. This would give municipalities the power to override court challenges and dismantle encampments. Twelve mayors backed this approach.
More recently, the premier announced a dual strategy that includes funding for new housing to support people living in encampments, alongside fines and penalties for those who use them. While the housing funding is welcome, the data will show criminalizing homelessness never helps to end it. In fact, it can prolong a person’s homelessness as they are unable to pay fines, which may prevent them from accessing housing.
November proved to be a huge month this year in housing. York Region passed its budget, which included ambitious and exciting goals around dollars to support and build affordable housing projects over the next 10 years across the region.
It was an exciting time for Blue Door as well, as my organization held a groundbreaking event for our new development at 835 Gorham St., where we demolished a single house to begin work on 14 affordable stacked townhomes on the site to be completed in the next 18 to 24 months.
In November, we marked National Housing Day on the 22nd, highlighting the importance of safe, affordable housing for all. Shortly after, a Point-in-Time Count was conducted in the region, gathering essential data on the number of individuals experiencing homelessness and other critical insights. This valuable information will guide our efforts to better plan and support our most vulnerable community members in the future.
Lastly, the United Way Greater Toronto announced its foray into community real estate, where it will provide support to non-profits to develop new housing and community hubs. With new funding through a variety of supportive programs, the United Way is empowering the sector to step up our efforts to develop new affordable housing throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
As 2024 draws to a close, the challenge of ensuring everyone’s right to housing has never been greater. An increasing number of individuals and families are relying on food banks for their groceries, while housing prices and rental costs continue to rise. With the overall cost of living becoming less affordable, more people are finding themselves precariously housed or experiencing homelessness.
Despite the challenges before us, I remain optimistic. Blue Door has big plans for the next few years — plans that, if realized, could result in the creation of hundreds of new deeply affordable homes for those most in need. We’ve begun the work on our Housing for All Land Trust, a project that looks to acquire land to develop housing, as well as housing units, that can be supplied to organizations working with vulnerable populations for deeply affordable housing with support. So far, many municipalities have embraced the land trust, and we are working with their staff to see how they can take part as we look to officially launch it in the spring of 2025.
I see other amazing organizations like LOFT, Inn from the Cold, 360°Kids, the Canadian Mental Health Association York Region & South Simcoe, Community Living Central York, Yellow Brick House, Sandgate and so many more that are being creative and bold as they take big steps to help their clients move forward in their housing journeys.
None of this is possible without the incredible support of our community. While the government plays a big part in ending our current housing crisis, so does our community, and we have seen them step up in a huge way. Whether it was making deputations on housing issues at council meetings, providing donations of cash or food, or volunteering their time at programs like Blue Door’s Mosaic Interfaith Out of the Cold, they have warmed hearts and changed lives throughout the region.
The work is not done, but with your support and generosity, we will get there. To learn more about all the incredible work Blue Door is doing, please visit bluedoor.ca. Together, let’s make sure 2025 is a year when everyone has a safe place to call home.
Michael Braithwaite is the CEO of Blue Door, host of the housing and homelessness podcast On the Way Home, board chair of the youth homelessness-focused organization A Way Home Canada, and a tireless advocate for people experiencing homelessness.
