[txlseries4]

I wish downtown east did not have more than its fair share of supportive services for our troubled, homeless and addicted people. The entire city should be carrying its share.

You might already be aware, but the city has 7 new shelter sites planned for varying groups (eg: 66 Third St is for seniors) and none of them are in downtown east. Some councillors seem to be more willing to accept that people go homeless in all parts of the city and benefit from services in all wards

Developing Shelter Sites

Homelessness is experienced in all areas of the city by individuals from all backgrounds, circumstances and ages. Read stories from people with lived experience of homelessness. The number of people becoming homeless continues to outpace the number of people moving out of homelessness and into...

www.toronto.ca

 

[Admiral Beez]

You might already be aware, but the city has 7 new shelter sites planned for varying groups

I wish the city would stop building shelters entirely. All of these locations should instead be permanent supportive housing.

Look at 2535 Gerrard St. E, for example. I used to live nearby, so know the area well. If you're in that shelter at night, what are you going to do during the day? Where do you go? It's the middle of no where, with only the very sporadic 135 bus from Warden to Main Stn for transport. OTOH, this location is ideal for permanent, supportive housing, since you have a home, not a cot, and can stay indoors all day.

 

[artyboy123]

"Charity Dixon Hall has spent the last five years renovating century-old rooming homes in Toronto's Cabbagetown neighbourhood. CBC's Dale Manucdoc got a first look at the new housing units that will soon be home to 50 residents."

 

[deerparker]

 

[DSCToronto]

View attachment 694392

It's sad when the most interesting features of a building are the posters on the hoarding!

 

[EBT]

"Charity Dixon Hall has spent the last five years renovating century-old rooming homes in Toronto's Cabbagetown neighbourhood. CBC's Dale Manucdoc got a first look at the new housing units that will soon be home to 50 residents."

The final result is beautiful, but, as noted, there is a waiting list of 19,000 for this type of housing, and this property will only house 50 people. Not even a drop in the bucket. How does it make sense to spend 5 years and an enormous amount of money in restoration costs to end up with only 50 units? For the same amount of money, the city could have probably built at least 5X as many units, if not more, in an area of town with less expensive real estate using prefabricated units. From the comments of the local councilor, I got the impression he realized that the city needs to focus on getting more bang for the buck going forward.

 

[Admiral Beez]

"Charity Dixon Hall has spent the last five years renovating century-old rooming homes in Toronto's Cabbagetown neighbourhood. CBC's Dale Manucdoc got a first look at the new housing units that will soon be home to 50 residents."

It’s amazing how that took half a decade. The city and Dixon Hall are also partner owners of the boarded up Victorians from 265 to 275 Wellesley St. Either knock them down, sell them or convert them to supportive housing.

If these walls could talk – The Bridge News

thebridgenews.ca

“2016, the Toronto Community Housing Corporation acquired the properties as part of the city’s Tenants First initiative to create affordable living spaces.”

Years of delay and millions overspent – Dixon Hall rooming house reno a ‘project management failure’ – The Bridge News

thebridgenews.ca

“In 2018, Dixon Hall was selected to operate another row of TCHC-owned rooming houses in Cabbagetown, at 265–275 Wellesley Street East. The properties have remained boarded up for years, plagued by persistent structural and maintenance challenges. Despite plans for renewal, funding has yet to materialize from City Hall.”

In the Ward: Winchester Park

www.chrismoise.ca

“Dixon Hall is working with the City, Toronto Community Housing, and the Infrastructure Institute at the University of Toronto to develop a plan for the site between 265 to 277 Wellesley Street East. These houses are complex due to their heritage designation and extensive damage. They will likely need to be rebuilt rather than repaired one by one. Preliminary cost estimates are between $1.6 million and $2 million per building. I have met with Dixon Hall and suggested them to work with the Housing Secretariat to explore all funding options.”

 

[mcbg1]

The final result is beautiful, but, as noted, there is a waiting list of 19,000 for this type of housing, and this property will only house 50 people. Not even a drop in the bucket. How does it make sense to spend 5 years and an enormous amount of money in restoration costs to end up with only 50 units? For the same amount of money, the city could have probably built at least 5X as many units, if not more, in an area of town with less expensive real estate using prefabricated units. From the comments of the local councilor, I got the impression he realized that the city needs to focus on getting more bang for the buck going forward.

it's just an excuse for a lot of people to make a lot of money in the name of helping the poor. As usual.

 

[EBT]

It’s amazing how that took half a decade. The city and Dixon Hall are also partner owners of the boarded up Victorians from 265 to 275 Wellesley St. Either knock them down, sell them or convert them to supportive housing.

If these walls could talk – The Bridge News

thebridgenews.ca

“2016, the Toronto Community Housing Corporation acquired the properties as part of the city’s Tenants First initiative to create affordable living spaces.”

Years of delay and millions overspent – Dixon Hall rooming house reno a ‘project management failure’ – The Bridge News

thebridgenews.ca

“In 2018, Dixon Hall was selected to operate another row of TCHC-owned rooming houses in Cabbagetown, at 265–275 Wellesley Street East. The properties have remained boarded up for years, plagued by persistent structural and maintenance challenges. Despite plans for renewal, funding has yet to materialize from City Hall.”

In the Ward: Winchester Park

www.chrismoise.ca

“Dixon Hall is working with the City, Toronto Community Housing, and the Infrastructure Institute at the University of Toronto to develop a plan for the site between 265 to 277 Wellesley Street East. These houses are complex due to their heritage designation and extensive damage. They will likely need to be rebuilt rather than repaired one by one. Preliminary cost estimates are between $1.6 million and $2 million per building. I have met with Dixon Hall and suggested them to work with the Housing Secretariat to explore all funding options.”

Great links in this post, especially the one on the Parliament Street project next to the liquor store.

So, the final price tag of this project is $14 million, double the original estimate that was already insane. Add to that the price of the property, which is owned by the city of Toronto. I'm not a real estate expert, but I suspect collectively those five homes were worth at least $5 million altogether before rehabs. Tool sheds in this city sell for a million now.

So, this gets us to about $20 million to house less than 50 people in a glorified rooming house. How does this make any sense? For $20 million, you can buy a 50,000 sq/ft mansion in the Bridle Path that could easily accommodate 50 or more destitute people in the lap of luxury!

This is TOTAL INSANITY, and this is not even discussed in our Canadian mainstream media. What is wrong with this city! What is wrong with this country?

From the bridge news links, we see Dixon Hall is behind this and other projects. The Dixon Hall "Director of Communications" is quoted. Why in effing hell does a purported "charity" have a "Director of Communications" who no doubt is being paid a high six-figure salary? Dixon Hall sounds like nothing but a big grifting operation.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Why in effing hell does a purported "charity" have a "Director of Communications" who no doubt is being paid a high six-figure salary?

$119k in 2024, with a 13% raise over 2023.

Faisal Ahmed Ikram Salary at Dixon Hall | Ontario Sunshine List

Salary history for Faisal Ahmed Ikram, Director, Marketing and Communications at Dixon Hall from Ontario's sunshine list

www.ontariosunshinelist.com

Dixon Hall sounds like nothing but a big grifting operation.

There's almost $8 million in payroll for their sixty top earners to cover before a single contractor moves a brick.

Dixon Hall salary info | Ontario Sunshine List

Search the list of employees from Dixon Hall that appeared on Ontario's sunshine list.

www.ontariosunshinelist.com