The purpose of this petition is to object to the new 24/7 drop-in Centre and Shelter at 233 Carlton for the following reasons:

1.      Shelter, Support and Housing Administration (SSHA) did not consult with the community to which will shoulder the increased traffic of homeless and addicted that will come and go from this facility 24 hours/day and the people that prey on the vulnerable.

2.     The City (SSHA) approved the Lease on the basis that Councillor Wong-Tam failed to raise any objections.  Yet she maintains that she did object.  The City approved the Lease based on the false premise that the local Councillor did not object, and the approval should therefore be void.

3.      Councillor Wong-Tam failed to disclose the details of the new shelter to her constituents.

4.      The city appears to have overpaid to rent the building ($6 million to rent a property worth significantly less).  The building was so unsuitable for their needs that they are planning to spend at least $3.7 million to modify it.

4.      The city (SSHA) appears to have no plan to deal with the inevitable lawlessness that is proven to come along with these types of services.

5.      Cabbagetown is overburdened with social services, shelters and harm reduction facilities already.  It’s time or other neighbourhoods to take their fair share.

6.      233 Carlton is the nucleus of Cabbagetown and the extra traffic of vulnerable people will negatively impact the retailers and hurt a community that already struggles with a rising crime rate and associated negative reputation.

7.      Given that the plan was approved on the false premise that Councillor Wong-Tam did not object on behalf of her constituents, and given Councillor Wong-Tam's failure to disclose the plan to her constituents, and in consideration of the factors set out above, we request that Councillor Wong-Tam immediately bring a Motion to Amend before Council to suspend the delegated approval of this site change, and to suspend any further action in regards to the relocation of the Drop-in program, in the absence of community engagement, per the City's standard procedure.