310 Division Street: Modernizing shelter services to address community need

Many communities in Ontario and across Canada have also been experiencing an increase in chronic homelessness. It is a complex issue and is due to many factors including:

• Inadequate social assistance rates
• Housing affordability crisis
• Rental vacancies crisis
• Increasingly complex needs of individuals – mental health, physical health, substance use disorders
• COVID-19 pandemic impacts on employment, access to health care and mental health care, and housing affordability
• Systemic oppression impacting those identifying as African, Black, Indigenous and racialized

Resolving this crisis requires continued support from all levels of government — municipal, Provincial and Federal — as well as a coordinated community-focused approach that addresses the root causes of homelessness.

Northumberland County is making strategic investments in housing and homelessness supports to address local need, and continues to work closely with our government and community partners to work on this very complex issue.

Throughout Northumberland, there is growing demand for housing and homelessness services. At a glance, as of December 2023:

• At any given time, there are 75-80 people on Northumberland’s By-Name list — a list of people currently experiencing homelessness, who provide consent to receive supports, and are engaged with the support system.
• Northumberland residents face one of the lowest rental vacancy rates in Ontario at just 1%
• Community members are dealing with higher rental cost compared to neighbouring communities.
• The County provided close to 1,100 shelter and housing benefits to homeless or at-risk residents in 2023.
• The waitlist for subsidized housing has surged to more than 1,000 households, with 391 names added in the last year alone.

Transition House is Northumberland’s only emergency shelter for adults experiencing homelessness. With escalating demand for services, staff have increasingly been grappling with the limitations of the current century-home facility.

• The current facility located at 10 Chapel Street in Cobourg has just 4 rooms equipped with bunk beds, which can accommodate a maximum of 22 individuals.
• Staff can further accommodate up to 15 individuals through arrangements with local motels, as an overflow measure.

The purchase of 310 Division Street will enable Transition House to consolidate operations to a single site, ensuring consistent wrap-around services for all clients.

The 310 Division Street facility is centrally located, allowing people to actively engage in the community. It is close to transit, health care services and pharmacies, employment and counselling services, social services, food options for groceries, and other general supports that are available to any member of the community.

In addition to the potential for future transitional housing on the site, the planned shelter spaces will meet the demands within Northumberland’s homelessness system. Services such as street outreach and coordinated shelter access are in place. Appropriate spaces that allow for indoor services and sleep space are important to maintaining safety and wellness for service users and community members.

Have any studies been conducted to assess potential impacts on property values in the area?

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

Earlier this year, Northumberland County and Transition House Shelter conducted extensive community consultation to collect feedback from neighbours, community members, local businesses, community partners and people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity to inform plans for 310 Division Street. A key theme identified as part of this process, and presented as a recommendation to County Council, was community interest in the creation of a Community Liaison Committee (CLC) to facilitate communication between community members and shelter management.

To advance this recommendation, the County engaged OrgCode – leaders in homelessness system transformations – to advise on best and common practices for the establishment of shelter CLCs. OrgCode has assisted in devising a framework for the 310 Division CLC designed to align with community expectations and foster effective collaboration between shelter staff and residents.

The CLC will meet once per month for at least the first year of operations at 310 Division Street, to share information and ideas, and collectively problem-solve concerns.

We are currently recruiting members for the Committee, with the goal to launch between end-September and end-October, 2024.

A petition is a formal written request presented by members of the public to Northumberland County Council with respect to a particular issue relevant to a County service and within the authority of Council.

Northumberland County is committed to citizen engagement and supports petitions as a tool for members of the public to participate in municipal government and provide input to Council, enhancing Council’s decision-making process. The Council Procedural By-law 39-2023 outlines petition requirements in order to ensure the legitimacy of information being provided to County Council for decision making.

Petition requirements include:

• Petitions may be submitted to the Clerk and will include a minimum of two (2) persons including their respective addresses and on each page a clear statement of purpose for the Petition;
• Only petitions relevant to County Services will be presented to Council;
• The County is not accountable for the accuracy or reliability of petitions that are submitted;
• Petitions must contain original signatures only, written directly on the petition;
• The petition must clearly disclose on each page that it will be considered a public document;
• All petitions that meet the above standards will be presented to Council or to a Standing Committee at the next regular meeting, or the meeting at which the subject of the petition is to be discussed; and
• All petitions, unless otherwise disposed of by Council, be referred to the appropriate staff member without any motion or debate unless otherwise ordered by Council.
• Correspondence, including petitions, form part of the public record. For this reason, petitions are required to include a telephone number or email address for each signer to allow for confirmation, as outlined in the Council Procedural By-law.

Upon receipt of a petition, the Clerk will evaluate the petition to ensure that all requirements are met. The Clerk is available to assist members of the public with developing a petition that meets the requirements outlined in the Council Procedural By-law.

Petitions that adhere to the Council Procedural By-law will be reviewed at a public meeting of Committee / Council, and the petition will be placed entirely on a public meeting agenda, including contact information of each signer.

Are the requirements outlined in the Council Procedural By-Law new requirements?

The petition requirements outlined in the Council Procedural By-law have been in place for a number of years now, to ensure petitions follow best practices for documentation and informed decision-making.

The Council Procedural By-Law was recently amended to limit electronic participation of Committee / Council Members at Standing Committee and County Council meetings, however no changes were made regarding the requirements for petitions.

Why doesn’t the County accept electronic petitions?

While staff will be bringing a report to County Council in late 2024 on opportunities to enhance the Procedural By-law pertaining to petition requirements to include provisions for electronic submissions, the by-law currently requires that “petitions must contain original signatures only, written directly on the petition”. Thus, the County does not accept digital signatures on petitions.

The Procedural By-Law was established to ensure the integrity of Council proceedings and the legitimacy of information which County Council can rely on for decision making.

Many municipalities do not accept petitions from third-party petition websites, as they may pose the following concerns regarding legitimacy, consent and privacy:

• Individuals and organizations from anywhere in the world can start petitions on a designated third-party website, and petitions are electronically signed by anyone with access to the website.
• Third-party petition websites lack identify verification, and controls to prevent against false names and contact information being submitted, duplicate signatures, and defamatory statements / comments.
• Third-party petition websites do not allow for oversight or regulation to validate signatures as independent, verifiable signatories. Due to the lack of verification and security controls, third-party platforms can create issues with the integrity of the information being presented in the petition.
• There is a risk of the number of signatories on a third-party petition site being inflated by people who are not from the local community, or people who are not affected by the matter being petitioned for.
• The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act also restricts institutions from collecting personal information indirectly. While the act permits an individual to authorize another manner of collection, this poses a problem with respect to petitions from a third-party petition site, as these sites do not typically include specific authorizations, and do not provide the notices required under the Legislation.

If residents would like to share comments or feedback regarding a consultation, through an online format, we encourage residents to use the tools provided through our Join In Northumberland platform or reach out to staff via email to provide their feedback.

Why do we need a disclosure on each page to indicate the petition will be considered a public document?

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) applies to local government, and municipalities are required to ensure compliance with MFIPPA and the protection of personal privacy. Petitions include personal information, including an individual’s name, address, telephone number, and the personal opinions or views of the individual. It is a critical requirement that petitions contain a disclosure on each page of the petition to indicate that it will be considered a public document, as signatories to a petition waive all expectation of privacy.

With the location of the current Transition House Shelter at 10 Chapel Street, Cobourg no longer meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness in Northumberland, the vacancy of 310 Division Street created an opportunity to modernize shelter services.

Residents are not notified in advance of pending real estate transactions made by the municipality. These negotiations must remain confidential to protect the municipality's real estate bargaining position, to ensure the greatest value for taxpayer investment.