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York Region has identified three regionally owned properties in Newmarket that could potentially be developed into affordable and emergency housing, while no such sites have been proposed in Aurora.
Regional staff presented 14 possible locations for housing to the housing and homelessness committee June 19. Among those locations are three acres of property at 194-200 Eagle St. in Newmarket, 1.6 acres of property at 17780 Leslie St. in Newmarket, and the 17150 Yonge St. property where the region currently has an office and court building. These are only up for consideration after a review of regionally owned land, but will go undergo further evaluation.
General manager of housing services Karen Antonio-Hadcock said that with more than 18,000 on the centralized waitlist for subsidized housing and with emergency housing beds at or near capacity, there is a need to find more sites for housing. The region is looking to find two new sites for transitional and emergency housing, alongside relocating Porter Place just north of Newmarket.
“As people stay longer in emergency housing, less capacity is available for others to get help,” she said. “We know that we need to do more.”
The list of properties comes after a council resolution last year asking for an analysis of regionally owned lands and buildings that could be used for housing. That resolution first came from Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas, who said the region should explore other lands for housing. That came after Mrakas and other council members voted against Housing York's plan to build a shelter in Aurora in a spirited debate with a packed council chamber.
Staff went through a process to examine all regionally owned lands. While the region owns 81 parcels of potentially developable land, it narrowed things down to a list of 14 for housing based on criteria like fit with the surrounding area, financial feasibility and ease of access.
The list of properties includes:
- 147-151 Morton Ave., Georgina (1.2 ac)
- 19442 2nd Concession Road, East Gwillimbury (1.0 ac)
- 19416 2nd Concession Road, East Gwillimbury (1.6 ac)
- 13740 Hwy 27 & 6045 15th Sideroad, King (3.0 ac)
- 194-200 Eagle St., Newmarket (3.0 ac)
- 17780 Leslie St., Newmarket (1.6 ac)
- 17150 Yonge St., Newmarket (2.0 ac)
- 10901 Hwy 27, Vaughan (2.1 ac)
- NW corner Bayview Avenue/19th Avenue, Richmond Hill (2.5 ac)
- 180 Cachet Woods Court, Markham (1.0 ac)
- SW corner Warden Avenue/Major Mackenzie Drive East, Markham (2.7 ac)
- 8250 Warden Ave., Markham (3.5 ac)
- 7955 Ninth Line, Markham (1.9 ac)
- NW corner Hwy 7/Ninth Line, Markham (1.5 ac)
The scope of work only focused on region-owned properties and did not include property owned by lower-tier municipalities or land the region could purchase. The list is also preliminary and does not necessarily mean any of the properties will be developed.
Commissioner of corporate services Dino Basso said that the list also does not mean these properties are without issue.
“None of them are perfect, because if they were perfect, we would be building on them already,” he said. “But they have some potential for housing.”
The lands at 200 Eagle in Newmarket currently contain the seniors' home Armitage Gardens. Meanwhile, 17780 Leslie currently has a single detached dwelling. At 17150 Yonge St., York Region has an office and court building that connects directly to its headquarters at 18250 Yonge St.
Staff presented plans for a further site-selection framework to determine which properties from the list could move forward for development, with analysis including land use context and access to services. The committee passed a resolution for council consideration to narrow down to three suitable sites for development, with a report to come back in the fourth quarter of the year.
Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt made some reference to Aurora’s prior rejection of a shelter site. With the lands being considered generally in urban areas, Lovatt suggested that there should be more consideration for rural areas, both because those lands are cheaper and to avoid a potential repeat with urban homeowners protesting a shelter. He cited the rehab facility “The Farm” in Stouffville as something that could be emulated, providing social services in a rural area.
“I don't think we want to get into the situation like we were in a couple of years ago with Aurora. I don’t think we want council chambers filled with people, on both sides of the argument, about whether or not an emergency or transitional shelter should be in a location staff feel is appropriate,” he said, adding that lands with massive spaces between them could be the “low-hanging fruit.”
He added that while there is a concern with transit access and people living at these facilities being able to get elsewhere, York Region Transit does have some on-request servicing.
