Poverty Awareness in York Region

Outside the Ottawa Convention Centre

I was in Ottawa during the recent 2014 ONPHA Conference attended by housing providers from across Ontario, and where prominent, long time York Region Housing employees were among the honoured and retiring, including Doug Manson who had headed up Y.R.'s residential housing operations, and Sylvia Patterson from Georgina, a long time Y.R. fixture in social housing and services. I had the privilege of working with him personally, assisting with input, and subsequently sitting on, a housing reference group with him.
Ironically, they also gave myself and others a 5 year recognition award for participating in this advisory capacity, A classy move, likely at the behest of Doug Manson, made before he left.

Manson had visited England during his tenure and returned with a strong belief in having more grassroots input and ' ground up" programs and
implemented some of that philosophy, successfully pushing for the creation of a tenant reference board, and subsequently encouraging the formation of housing community tenant groups.

A pioneer in some ways, here especially, and long time supporter of our community development based road hockey program,  it's too bad to see him go.



His photo, and those of others, who were being honoured and retiring, flashed over the big screens, in between the mesmerizing onstage entertainment at the conference ending dinner, a spectacle that really has to be seen to be appreciated including aboriginal drummers and dancers followed by traditional throat singing, a form of which I had never witnessed. CityHousing Hamilton was also singled out for its tenant engagement programs work receiving the 2014 Award for Excellence as well as others such as the WoodGreen's Celebrity Single Mom's program.

One interesting idea that was discussed with me by an attending Hamilton area Paralegal who has worked for both Ontario's largest private affordable housing provider and for Canada's largest social housing providers, who suggested dealing with persons with mental health issues, and in her specific example, hoarders, is a growing problem that needs be attended to, and that they need be dealt with in a fair and dignified manner. Ironically, as I write this, a reportedly elderly hoarder, was killed in a fire over the weekend, highlighting the fact that hoarding can also be a deadly. But what to we do about tenants with specific issues tied to (mental) illness, like hoarders?

According to my paralegal friend - although she wouldn't talk specific cases - you tailor make something. In her past experiences, she has had to evict everyone from gang members to hoarders to those with addictions, and is well versed in both procedure and how to get results. However, too often she pointed out, evictions that can be avoided, aren't.There are affective rent (arrears) collection schedules that can be set up and maintained she claims, and, in the case of hoarders, she has come up with a unique approach, based on her successful experiences in dealing with them.

Her idea travels even further than coordinating collections, going so far as suggesting having mixed housing models - some subsidized, some not, with hoarders being among them in the same building. These hoarders would have to agree to gradually remove their stuff in order to keep / receive their subsidized housing and be encouraged to 'rejoin" main stream society through supports.

"Firstly", she noted, " hoarders' "stuff" means a lot to them, and that is a problem, but not an overwhelming one." If that stuff is important to them, she reasons, it is too much to ask them to just throw it out - but if it were going to someone in need, then they might more easily part with an item. So a charity of their choice could be chosen, or, should they opt for it, a hoarders items website could be set up, or a suitable one used to sell items, with an option to keep all the money or split it with a favorite charity or non-profit.This would act as reassurance that their belongings were going somewhere meaningful and not just discarded.Removal of items would be monitored regularly and their program would also include connecting them to ongoing treatment or support to move forward and decrease the risk of relapse - just like an addiction.

These make great points. Currently our system of supports, in and out of housing, too often are generalized with a "one glove fits all" type of set up which does not work in special cases, cases which invariably end up in tribunals and courts, costing more time and money for everyone involved, let alone adding to the homeless problem.

I would even take it a step further and have buildings with Counselors or Personal Support Workers located in an office in the building for easy communication and access, who could also then easily co-ordinate home visits to follow up with the residents and ensure they are being supported in their goals. Specialized " housecleaning' and general house / apartment maintenance instruction could be incorporated as well, and, in some cases, perhaps ongoing support in that area, need be by a third party source, say for housekeeping for example which may already be available if the person has a certain disability, but sometimes needs a worker to uncover access for them to do so.

When in Rome!

When visiting a unique housing set up in St 
 Catherines some years back, called Bethlehem House and Support Services, they were very proud of their model of soliciting private donations from community members and businesses, proudly displaying their names on their entryway wall after opening an affordable housing apartment complex that mixed seniors with young families on either side, and kept an in-house social worker on site who also did home visits and advised on some basics too, like house-cleaning and personal grooming for some. What they found was that young people helped the seniors and the seniors helped in advising the younger ones! Surprise! Who knew you didn't have to reinvent the wheel!?

Lester T.. More than just the name in common!

It's good to hear that these housing providers are still studying ways to implement better services to lower income resident tenants through conferences such as this - think tanks if you will - conducted outside the stuffy confines of government only directives, and with a unique mix of private enterprise providers, mixed with social housing / government housing providers with the inclusive minded sharing of grassroots projects - resulting in sharing some unique, progressive, " Canadian experienced" ideas.

Let's just hope the next batch to replace those who have just left the fold, continue on looking at effective solutions to housing all our residents, and judging by the inspiring thoughts of but one paralegal amongst a sea of those who may just attempt to evict - it is surely a good sign!

"Ultimately, the landlord has an obligation to try and accommodate a person's disability"
 Ontario Paralegal

In a previous blog I'd touched on a few things, and I'd like to expand on something here today.

Before

At some point, I'd referred to "Slum Lords" when speaking of the notion of so-called "second suites", mentioned often erroneously as one "alternative solution" to alleviate the affordable housing issue, to which I'd replied nonsense as people living on low income still couldn't handle the costs...and then I'd mentioned "slumlords".
I got to see a "slumlord" in action. A slumlord, per say, does not have to be in any particular "type" of neighbourhood as they could own a home in a "respectable one" and still rent to whoever they wish, all the while allowing for disarray through non conformity of bylaws, landlord and tenant laws and by performing the most minimal amount of repairs and maintenance. Or duck paying contractors and such to the point that that the unit only attracts certain tenants. That's a slumlord. Someone who would order mold painted over instead of removed if they could.

Luckily we at least likely saved some new tenants from that. I'll explain.

I came across the owner of a house looking for someone to act as agent or property manager while doing some minor repairs, as well as meeting with and signing up prospective tenants, as they were an absent out-of-province-landlord. It seemed like a good opportunity - not lucrative but you would collect a percentage monthly thereafter once set with residents. First there was also a matter to coordinate minor maintenance such as removal of garbage, a boat, and supervise a fridge being replaced. I told  my new "partner" I'd help her with anything need be, and away we went! At first glance it reminded me of when I grew up, as the house was built in the same era with a typical style as our neighbourhood. Likely even the same builders. Sigh. The memory lane trip was short lived.

After

The first red flag was the previous property manager showing up claiming he'd never been paid, then rumours that the contractors had been stiffed surfaced, and the neighbour next door shared some doozies like the house had previously had everything from prostitution running from it, to dug dealers to...... You get the drift, our little paradise extra money job was turning into a nightmare. Still, we're of the mold that when doing a job it should be done right, and since we'd started decided to play it out a bit more. Besides, there was an opportunity to place someone here that may not otherwise be qualified to and we could make it pretty nice. My companion warned at that point we likely wouldn't see any money, but we'd decided to play it out anyway for awhile hoping beyond hope that decency would prevail.

Before

We worked like dogs every spare moment we had - she often between teaching classes - like in a courtroom, she  gave no less than the best effort and expected the same from those around her. We knew sprucing the place up was needed as well to get good tenants in addition to making the lawn sign asked of and borrowed the neighbour's mower to groom the lawn. Nice guy too, an electrical engineer, who gave me the low-down whilst showing me his granite stone chip lawn. Yawn.

A big obstacle was the ever-present stench of smoke that seemed always present in the upstairs portion of the two apartment house from previous tenants along with the disgusting bathrooms and the 1970's built cheapest style, brown fake wood cupboards which hindered the renting of it to respectable tenants. Then came the visit from the Newmarket Bylaws Officer alongside the Fire Inspector, both of which had to sign off before anyone could even live there! Oops someone forgot to tell us that part! More pressure.

As the F.I. checked electrical work that had been ordered done and tested the smoke and Co2 detectors,  the Bylaw Officer inspected and passed the interior window frames that had prior been ordered redone and for mold removal - showing me the before pics - and then also showed pics of how tobacco stained the walls were underneath the new paint. It struck me then that had the painters been allowed / told to use a special primer paint that soaks up tobacco odours, the place'd move quicker certainly. But still, the kitchen floors and bathroom were filthy also and someone still had to clean them.... gulp...and then there was the downstairs unit to ready and rent out with people coming to look already, Lisa already having feverishly and personally cleaned the floors down there to ensure success! The Inspector had pictures as well of the boat outside and of the garbage we'd already removed by then - but this was the first we'd known it had been ordered removed!  Also ordered done and still on her list were brick work that was sinking at the

After

entrance of the house, doorway trim was to be painted, and as well the yards cut and groomed.

Meantime this absent landlord who lives in Calgary who still hadn't paid us a penny was instructing from afar and trying to get my friend paralegal to arrange with contractors etc but she's too smart for that.

"I'm not putting my name on anything as part of hiring anyone for this place" she said incredulously, " Does she think I was born yesterday?" adding, " She could then just say I hired people without her authorization if unpaid workers ever sued for payment. No, I can't do that to people in good conscience. I'll fulfill the obligation I feel I have now to the couple looking to move in downstairs, but beyond that we'll see."

Removed

Meantime I cut the lawn front and back, and decided the brick work was minor enough that I could do it myself, and Lisa and I purchased more supplies and some special flooring cleaner to try and salvage the floor tiling in the upstairs kitchen and bathroom after some great advice from a bathrooms place guy who'd come in for a quote, which we hadn't a hope in hell of getting we were realizing by then from the absent landlord.

As I was working fixing the brickwork late into the evening one night, a loud and fairly unhappy individual dropped by to get her mail. Apparently, as I'm sure the entire neighbourhood including the just moving in downstairs neighbours heard, she wasn't happy, and loudly wished the place good riddance, often and loudly! She fired question after question at me which I deflected, as I began to suspect she may have some alcohol issues going on.

" What was she saying?!" a panicked mother of one of the two moving in downstairs asked me excitedly as I downplayed it by offering I didn't deal with drunks, but deep down at that point I felt this absentee landlord - despite how belligerent this woman who dropped by was - was also not on the level. And now we were caught between a rock and a hard place.

Tiles had to be soaked and scrubbed

We continued to try and extract even a token payment from the Calgary living landlord, as more and more confirming information such as a track record of not paying and code violations etc began to surface, including actions taken against her. Gulp. Almost time to cut our losses. Meantime we had continued due diligence to fulfill any conceived contractual obligations ( my firend had amended the original and returned it signed to the property owner) to show and rent the property despite discovering the extra work still needing done before it could even be occupied - part of her amendments to procedure removing her as 'care-taker" of this obligation, and directing that parties were to deal with the owner directly regarding hiring (for cleaning and construction or bathroom work) - as well as removing no pets clauses which are not allowed in Ontario.

Dream home job a Nightmare

Meantime my partner on this met with prospective tenants, workmen, and inspectors whenever she could, while I filled in when she couldn't be there and made minor repairs upon request for the new downstairs tenants who were otherwise happy. I scrubbed the upstairs bathtub, finished the brickwork, cleaned out the overflowing eaves troughs, trimmed the bushes and cut the lawn front and back, removed all garbage - including a dresser and a fridge by hand alone.

At one point the now happy mom from the downstairs couple noticed the brickwork done and asked incredulously,  

" Did you just do all that work?", " Shouldn't they be hiring someone to do that? ", " Is that her in there cleaning floors?"

It was too as my partner in this mess had soaked the floors with a special cleaning de-greaser suggested by bathrooms guy and was commencing to scrub it before removing it with rags.

All I could say was "when we do something we do it right and regardless of this woman we wanted to make it as nice as we could...and who knows...maybe she'll miraculously pay us something..." my voice trailed off as I had no conviction in that. But still, I had enjoyed the experience to a degree and it was nice fixing up a place. Just a freakin' shame...

Bathroom floors atrocious

That was about where we left it. After a number of more attempts to extract any type of payment from the lady in question, in addition to the continuing assertion that she had never paid any of her previous ( apparently growing list) of property managers, we reluctantly bid the place adieu.

Too bad really, with just a small amount of work - like proper tobacco stain removal products, new windows, a bathroom wall stall covering and kitchen cabinets, the place could be rented out to good responsible tenants proud to call it home, and very easy to manage at that point and with a little higher rent too than it could have commanded as was...and thus still "affordable" but in a nice neighbourhood.

It's just too bad some people are too stupid too realize this.

Meantime, this woman continues to victimize vulnerable people and businesses from afar without a worry. By operating her scam from outside the province it appears for now she can...but stay tuned...

stained floor and 70's cheap wood cabinets

Who knows? Maybe a greater purpose is at work as from all this has come an idea, through discussions about the need for drafting legislation to protect vulnerable seniors and others from eviction - now hopefully with the help of an M.PP..

Paccman Out