The outlook is "bleak" - $41,000 of bureaucratic fees required for permission to have an OOTC program. Please!!

To make a Zoning Bylaw Amendment the cost starts at $19,538 for the town and $820 for the Region. If a Local Official Plan Amendment is required the fee is $15,319 for the town and $6150 for the Region.

We spoke to the Planner, Development Review at the Milton Town Hall about how to get approval for an OOTC facility. The short summary of the meeting is that the prospect is quite bleak. At present there is no reference to such a facility in the Town Plan or the Zoning bylaws and therefore it is not permitted.

All of these are public applications, a specific site is required. The public is allowed to intervene. The applicant must address all the concerns of the public to the town’s satisfaction. In the case of OOTC, the public, residents and businesses, will express concerns about a collection of undesirable people causing a disturbance or an unsavoury presence which could have an adverse business affect. The applicant would be required to assure Town that every conceivable negative effect caused by the facility, including the congregation of the OOTC guests in the neighbourhood, can be immediately and satisfactorily mitigated.

However there is a glimmer of hope. With the redevelopment of St. Paul’s, there will probably be official plan and zoning bylaw amendments. St. Paul’s could include an OOTC facility within the application.

Maybe we could apply to the Region for funding to pay for the above Town and Regional fees or maybe we could raise money from the homeless!!!! This is so bureaucratic and ridiculous.

Zoning by laws

We approached the Town of Milton planning and development office. They in turn have consulted with fellow Zoning Officers and they all agree that the use of a premise on Main Street or church is not permitted under our zoning by-law. That means a rezoning would have to be done to allow the homeless shelter as a permitted use within the Town of Milton. The Town Planning Staff advise that the use of the two proposed premises is also not permitted in our Official Plan which means a local Official Plan Amendment would also be required in addition to the rezoning. The Planning staff also indicated that they would not support this use of a Main Street location and were more favorable to the church site. However, in order for them to give you any indication on whether staff would support an official plan amendment and rezoning they will require more information about the proposal. We would be
required to submit something in writing to the Planning Department for their consideration outlining the proposal in detail. They will need to know specific information including, operating hours, number of people, how you intend on screening the individuals, how you will handle situations if any were to arise, etc. Rezoning and official plan amendments normally take a number of months for processing and there are public meetings involved in the process. There are also substantial application fees for these applications that you may wish to discuss with planning. To proceed we would have to submit a written proposal for zoning and official plan amendments. Town of Milton Planning & Development This is immensely disappointing and frustrating as more and more obstacles arise to help people in our community.

Canadian Champion interview

I was interviewed yesterday by a reporter for the Milton Canadian Champion. They have offered their part to help promote the issue and any Out of the Cold shelter that becomes established in the town. A relative of the reporter also runs an OOTC program in Toronto. I hope the next Discussion Forum can involve representation from the Town Council, Region, Salvation Army and the paper.

Homeless Hub Team

Finally, after much anticipation, Phase II of the Homeless Hub is
complete! Please visit us at www.homelesshub.ca

In addition to the new look: We have added to our library which now contains over 25,000 homelessness resources; we've improved our search feature; we've enhanced our Topics and Subtopics section; we've added an Education section with curriculum units and resources for teachers and students; we've added networking tools that allow you to create a personal profile; connect to your own research; add resources to your favourites; "talk back" to and rate the resources; And much more!

To begin, please "Register" and follow the easy instructions to
create your profile. Once that is complete, you will be able to use all the
features mentioned above. So, please explore the new site, interact using our many new features and offer your feedback. Please spread word of the new Homeless Hub to everyone in your networks. We appreciate your support!
York University, Toronto