This pandemic has affected everyone but it has greatly affected the vulnerable population. The homeless population has increased a great fold during the pandemic and as a response, the City of Toronto has taken initiative in providing modular housing for this population. One of the sites the City of Toronto proposed for modular housing is 75 Tandridge.

The proposed location of this new modular building has not been properly planned. It involves the removal of a beautiful landscape and outdoor amenities that the community depends upon. Many of the residents in Tandridge have voiced their concerns on the location of this building. It will be too cramped and dense to place a housing site here. 

The Tandridge community recently had the basketball court built. To have it removed, along with the playground and trees, will be a waste of money and resources. The City of Toronto proposed a new site for the playground and basketball which is very near the modular building. This is unsafe for the children and they have a right to these resources and space.

The residents of Tandridge community have faced many challenges such as gun and gang violence, poor building maintenance, constant fire alarms, flooding in hallways, minimal pest control, no bus routes in the area. Bringing in more underprivileged individuals will increase crime rates in the area. It will also lead to increased drug availability and littering of drug paraphernalia in the community. This puts the children and community members at risk.

The Tandridge community has been struggling for many years in order to get many of the basic amenities and programs that we desperately need. The City of Toronto is planning to provide many resources for this modular housing complex such as shared laundry, a commercial kitchen, a dining area, a communal area, and a programming space.

We ask how are these resources going to be given and maintained when the Tandridge community doesn’t even have access to these basic resources? There are families that live here; individuals with mental health issues; individuals with accessibility issues and yet they don’t even get these resources. Our community is under-privileged and bringing in more under-privileged individuals will only create more problems.

The City of Toronto did not consult with members of the Tandridge community before moving forward with the plan to place a modular housing in the community. They did not take the community safety into consideration. 

We respectfully ask the City of Toronto not to place a modular housing complex in this location. This area is a needed space by the Tandridge community. It is not a suitable area to place for housing. Building modular housing in an area that needs support and is under-privileged will only bring more problems to the community.

We strongly ask the City of Toronto not to place a building here.

Major Concerns

1. Safety of Children, youth and seniors will be at risk

2. Crime rate will go up

3. The community will become more congested

4. Drug paraphernalia litter will be prominent throughout the community's green spaces

5. Chances of thriving in an already struggling community will be reduced