1635 Dundas Street: Meeting immediate and long-term needs of Durham citizens without a home

Property values can be influenced by many factors. There are no specific studies that confirm property values will decrease because of a new shelter.

Area residents are not notified in advance of a pending real estate transactions made by the Regional Municipality of Durham. The reality is that negotiations involve confidential financial details. They need to remain that way.

As the Service System Manager, the Region is expanding services available across Durham to support people with housing and homelessness supports. Homelessness is a crisis across the region and the country.

The Region made the announcement on the day it took possession of the property. This was done to make this decision public. The notification can be reviewed here.

We encourage the community to stay up to date by visiting the project website at yourvoice.durham.ca/HelpAddressHomelessness.

As outlined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), the Region will ensure 1635 Dundas meets accessibility requirements; supporting the vision of a fully accessible Ontario.

The warming shelter located by the Whitby library was opened for overnight 12-hour winter warming only. It was used to keep people inside and alive during the harsh winter weather. It closed in the spring as it is not an appropriate space for an emergency shelter to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The previous warming shelter did not have full bathrooms or kitchen space. The 1635 Dundas location has rooms, bathroom facilities and kitchen space, which will allow people to be indoors 24/7.

DRPS keeps this Region safe through enforcement and community-based crime prevention. Community members are asked to call 911 to report emergencies or crimes in progress. For non-emergencies, community members can use the online reporting tool at drps.ca.

The project has been approved by Regional Council. Council voted to purchase the 1635 Dundas property and then to open the facility 24 hours a day as an emergency low barrier shelter for approximately 45 individuals. No additional zoning approval is required, and the Ontario Human Rights Code does not allow people to choose who lives in their neighborhood. This facility will support the people who are currently having to live outdoors in Whitby, in ravines and in the area surrounding 1635 Dundas.

The shelter spaces will support the need for overnight indoor space that existed last year. In addition, this site will allow people to stay inside during the day and work toward their goals instead of moving around outside in the cold.

Shelters have registration and intake processes in place as well as policies to address health and safety, infection prevention and processes to manage daily operations.

Durham Region does not have the intention of creating one of the largest emergency shelters in Canada at this site.

Currently, the urgency is to get 45 spaces operational at the shelter to bring people indoors before winter 2023. For a shelter to be considered operational, support services and policies must be in place. This initial phase will be shared rooms only, as only a portion of the building will be made operational at that time.

Municipalities in Ontario follow the same process for purchasing property. The total purchase price for the facility was $13.7 million – this is public information and can be found in the property transfer deed of land at the Land Registry Office. The Region retained a third-party licensed appraiser to assess the property before purchase and the property was purchased at fair market value in accordance with the Region’s process for property acquisition. The decision to purchase the facility was approved by Regional Council. The purchase process and decisions were made separate from any plans and discussions surrounding the use of the facility.

All municipalities in Ontario follow the same process for purchasing property. The total purchase price was $13.7 million. The Region retained a third-party licensed appraiser to assess the property before purchase and the property was purchased at fair market value in accordance with the Region’s process for property acquisition.

The Region is always looking for the most efficient and cost-effective way to provide services that the community needs. Purchasing an existing facility is more cost effective than building a new facility to support the community.

Currently, a new long-term care home is projected to cost about $160 million to build. While the long-term care home has more extensive requirements, the size is similar to the size of the 1635 Dundas building. The purchase of 1635 Dundas provides a great opportunity to address community needs at a significantly lower cost than a new build.