Update on zoning

Wendy Schau has been able to give us some insight into the council processes. It appears that the bylaw and zoning charges are unikely to be levied. I am not so happy that the idea of the redevelopment of the santuary and worship space at St Paul's is being rolled into the idea of zoning and bylaw change for the out of the cold shelter. These are separate issues and the council bylaws and zoning should not prevent a homeless shelter at any suitable space. It should be quite reasonable that a homeless shelter could be run at a venue other than a church premise.

Croydon Churches' Floating Shelter

A member of the Croydon Churches' Floating Shelter team forwarded to us their handbook. This will be of great assistance to us and others when the we go forward with the homeless out of the cold shelter. They provided me two documents; the handbook and the guests agreement of admittance. This lists out the shelter rules for guests and it must be signed. Reading the handbook it also interested me that there is a handover book to the next church for the next night. In this way there is a daily record and each night the church for that night gets an update on what happened the night before. Smart.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/17363698/HANDBOOK-Amending-Nov-08?secret_password=yyi0k2qw9g7jp2qu0s3

http://www.scribd.com/doc/17363700/CCFS-Admittance-Agreement-09-2?secret_password=phxn76v3mac7owz0nzy

The Deck

Oliver Clarke, Satellite Director of the Milton YFC/ Youth Unlimited (The Deck) on Main Street East has invited us to come to the Deck on Tues-Thurs afternoons or Friday afternoon/evening to look at the Deck. Oliver recommended other organisations like "Bridging the Gap". It is for younger adults and oliver says that some of their students just make the cut. He suggests that they will use their services more and more as homelessness becomes more of an issue for their students. Oliver himself had previously worked in a shelter in Toronto. He felt that the role with the Deck would help him prevent homelessness for young people. Many contributors see the value of youth centres in preventing future homelessness.

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.