Housing

A difficult topis as many homeowners, seniors or not, are having trouble with municipal taxes (and expenses in general). By freezing taxes for one segment, we increase the overall debt on another. This needs more discussion. In the meantime you can refer to the Provincial Land Tax deferral program. Use this link for my website, click on button #3. There is also a Municipal Tax review link for instances when your property use has shifted to a lower tax tier or if the assessment can be lowered due to needed repairs, etc. Please refer to button 9.

peterforward7.ca

I would support other ways in assisting our residents.

Helping seniors stay in their homes matters to me, and keeping taxes low is one of my main promises. I have to be straight with you, though — council sets the tax rate every year, so no bylaw can lock in a freeze for five years, and I won't promise something I can't deliver. What I will do is fight to keep taxes as low as possible for everyone, and support tax relief for low-income seniors, so nobody gets taxed out of their home.

Seems like a reasonable request, many seniors have a fixed income and have to manage rapidly rising costs. Factors such as fuel prices and de-icing salt will have an immediate impact on the cost of services this winter.

While I too would like a freeze on tax increments, more data is needed to make any meaningful commitment. In principle I do agree with the idea at least for this budget year until I have a clearer picture of the actual expenditure and cost reduction measures. My focus is on the services being of value for the cost and establishing a better return for our tax dollars.

Exploring additional ways to support our seniors is a high priority. Accessible services, transportation and anything that can uplift the dignity and independence of our marginalized residents will get my full attention.

I think that such a by-law would be wonderful but I'm not sure how realistic it is given the cost of goods and services, and the expectations people have around maintaining (and even adding to) existing service levels. With Development Charges not flowing in currently, taxation and user fees are supporting our Town. And, there are people amongst us that are not currently feeling the pain of inflation, recession, tariffs or fixed-incomes. Rather than a blanket approach to freezing taxes, I think it would be a much better idea to discuss an option to apply for an exemption from increases, or move certain services to a "pay per use" model whereby only those receiving the services are actually charged. This of course would also be costly for the municipality to organize and enforce and could create other imbalances or confusion. But it's a great question and one I think we could look at in the next term of council. Thank you for asking.

I had previously answered a similar question above, but in response I want to assure you I am aware of the issues. I am hearing about this regularly from residents, and I see some of these issues myself.

We need to separate homelessness from criminal behaviour, because they aren't the same thing. But theft, property damage, open drug use and discarded needles cannot simply become something residents are expected to accept.

I would like to see greater police presence in areas where problems are recurring, better education about using the OPP non-emergency reporting line, and a clear process for quickly reporting and safely removing discarded needles.

At the same time, we need to work more closely with the County and agencies like S.H.I.F.T. to address the reasons people are living on our streets in the first place — housing, addiction, mental health and poverty.

We can have compassion for people who are struggling while still expecting our parks, neighbourhoods and properties to be safe.

This is an important and increasing problem for many communities. A similar question was posted. My response to that one is here:

"This is an important issue, but there are a number of issues in there. Homelessness isn't always connected to drugs and vice versa. The homeless issue is becoming worse as the cost of living increases, made worse when jobs are shed due to restructuring, trade issues, etc. The cost of construction, even before the slowdown, increased beyond the reach of many would-be buyers, and even renters as costlier builds require higher rents to compensate for the building costs.

It may be time to reconsider different forms of home ownership, different modes of construction which will allow for homes to be built more quickly and for less cost, without sacrificing quality or safety. Those will be more accessible for buyers or renters.

Drug use, I have no expertise in, as this issue often involves other emotional or development concerns, and I believe we have to seek advice from professionals on this problem.

But there is a problem here; an individual can't be forced to accept addiction treatment, nor can our medical system continue to absorb the increasing costs of hospitalization for those who continue to use hospital services due to their drug use.

Further, the casual acceptance of drug use is likely a factor in the increasing numbers of individuals finding themselves addicted. How do we prevent this? There will be many, many opinions, but it starts at home for most. In some cases, difficult domestic situations make situations even worse for those who are marginalized. Many issues to address."

Further to your question, I do believe in harm reduction, in appropriate environments (a Hospital or a Clinic environment attached to a Hospital), but not in stand-alone locations near schools or residential areas. I do also feel that when someone has been convicted of a drug related crime, the option of treatment should not be a choice. Part of the restitution/rehabilitation would be or the individual to accept treatment with the hope that they can get their life in order and be free of the chains of addiction. I expect my opinion will anger some.

I believe I've answered this already.

Yes. We need to do more, and I think we need to be much more proactive.

I share these concerns personally. My grandchildren have encountered discarded needles in our parks. My mother has told me she doesn’t feel as safe downtown anymore. We shouldn’t be finding drug paraphernalia in public places or seeing people injecting drugs on our sidewalks. Residents should not be expected to simply accept that as normal.

I believe in compassion and helping people. Homelessness is not always addiction, and people struggling with homelessness, addiction or mental health need real help. But compassion does not mean ignoring public safety.

I also want to start asking tougher questions. How many people are actually homeless in New Tecumseth? How many are being housed? How many are repeatedly using emergency services? How many complaints are we receiving about needles, theft and property damage? How quickly are discarded needles being removed? What programs are we funding, what are they costing, and most importantly, are they working?

We already have the Town, County, OPP and numerous agencies involved. The Nottawasaga OPP Detachment Board also gives our municipalities a forum to raise local policing priorities and review information from the Detachment Commander.  I want those organizations sharing meaningful local statistics, setting measurable goals and reporting the results back to the public.

And when something isn’t working, we need to be willing to change it rather than continuing with the same approach.

People who need help deserve a path off the street. Residents deserve safe parks, safe streets and a downtown they feel comfortable using. I don’t want to measure success by how many programs we have. I want to measure it by whether the situation in our community is actually getting better.

• Create a very simple needle-response standard. One phone number or reporting method, location logged, rapid pickup, and monthly public reporting of where discarded needles are being found. If particular parks or downtown locations repeatedly show up, deploy cleanup/outreach resources there instead of waiting for residents to keep reporting the same problem.

• Connect people with serious addictions directly to treatment. Simcoe now has a HART Hub system combining addiction treatment, mental-health care, primary care, housing and case management, and an additional 13-bed supportive-housing program is planned.  A practical question for New Tecumseth is: How many of our residents are actually getting into it, and how quickly? A service in Barrie isn’t much of a solution if somebody living on an Alliston sidewalk never gets through the door.

• Separate the populations instead of treating “the homeless” as one problem. Someone who lost an apartment because rent became unaffordable needs a very different intervention from someone with severe addiction or complex mental-health needs. Simcoe’s rapid-rehousing program is specifically designed for lower-risk, situational homelessness, while HART is aimed at people with more complex addiction/mental-health needs.

I agree this issue is increasing and it must be dealt with. I'll be talking with SHIFT to get a better understanding of what resources are available, and we do need a bigger police presence.

Thank you for raising these major concerns. Discarded needles and drug paraphernalia are an urgent problem which we must address. The disposal bins placed around the town are a step in the right direction. As a parent also I agree that we have to protect our children from these harms. Yes I will do something about it.

My understanding is that these are separate issues which often overlap. We can't paint it all with one brush and expect a genuine resolution.

Property damage and theft are unacceptable. Robbing people of thier livelihood and dignity is equally reprehensible.

The drug problem is abhorrent. From a business perspective it makes no sense either. When your customers are unable to pay then in a traditional transaction you cut off the supply. Instead it seems like the supply is plentiful and much more cost effective than food grown locally. So we need to understand that we are dealing with a situation where things are not as straightforward as they seem. Only some of the effects are evident.

Superficial activity can mask the situation for a while. As the people of NewTecumseth and Simcoe County, we'll need to take concrete steps to address the causes as much as we can. The response can't be to go around demolishing encampments without alternate accommodation.

Unhoused people need Dignified Shelter.

Therapy and Mental Health support for many is not available.

Drug dealers ought to be identified and face justice.

Addicts need a sustainable treatment plan and recovery support.

As a developed society we can do better. Let's set aside judgment and work together to find ways to improve all our lives. Trouble doesn't stay put, so the lessons we learn can strengthen our community to be more resilient and responsive to the needs of tomorrow also. Life happens. How can we help them?

I had previously answered a similar question twice. My answers are above. Thank you for the important question and please reach out for any further clarification.

This is an important issue, but there are a number of issues in there. Homelessness isn't always connected to drugs and vice versa. The homeless issue is becoming worse as the cost of living increases, made worse when jobs are shed due to restructuring, trade issues, etc. The cost of construction, even before the slowdown, increased beyond the reach of many would-be buyers, and even renters as costlier builds require higher rents to compensate for the building costs.

It may be time to reconsider different forms of home ownership, different modes of construction which will allow for homes to be built more quickly and for less cost, without sacrificing quality or safety. Those will be more accessible for buyers or renters.

Drug use, I have no expertise in, as this issue often involves other emotional or development concerns, and I believe we have to seek advice from professionals on this problem.

But there is a problem here; an individual can't be forced to accept addiction treatment, nor can our medical system continue to absorb the increasing costs of hospitalization for those who continue to use hospital services due to their drug use.

Further, the casual acceptance of drug use is likely a factor in the increasing numbers of individuals finding themselves addicted. How do we prevent this? There will be many, many opinions, but it starts at home for most. In some cases, difficult domestic situations make situations even worse for those who are marginalized. Many issues to address.

Once we figure out why our number is increasing we can perhaps curtail that and work with the county to come up with a plan. Part of this plan would be looking at other communities that have had success and seeing if we can apply that to our situation. I'm part of a committee that meets every two months. This is front of mind. By listening to the experts, comparing our situation with other communities, and being willilng to take action, we will hopefully come up with a solution for all.

This is an issue I am still learning about, so I don’t want to pretend I have all the answers or promise a program before I understand exactly what is already being done and who is responsible for what.

What I can tell you is where I stand.

First, I don’t believe homelessness and drug addiction are the same issue. People can find themselves homeless for many reasons: the cost of housing, loss of income, family circumstances, mental health, disability or simply having nowhere affordable to go. Addiction is part of the picture for some people, but certainly not everyone.

For someone who is homeless, I want us focused on getting them into appropriate, permanent housing and helping them regain stability.

Where addiction is involved, I believe we need a much clearer path to treatment and recovery. I understand the public-health reasoning behind providing clean drug-use equipment, but I struggle with a system that can provide someone with the equipment to continue using drugs when we still can’t provide them with a clear and timely path into treatment when they’re ready for it.

I also don’t believe allowing homelessness, open drug use and the problems that can come with it to become entrenched in our downtown is compassionate to anyone. It isn’t fair to the person struggling, and it isn’t fair to residents, businesses and employees who deserve to feel safe in their community.

As a Town councillor, I wouldn’t control most of these services. My role would be advocacy. I would be asking the County, Province, health services and the agencies involved some very direct questions.

Where are the treatment beds? Where is our supportive and transitional housing? What happened to the rapid-rehousing program announced for Alliston? How many people are we actually moving from homelessness into permanent housing? And if what we’re doing isn’t getting people off the street, what needs to change?

I have compassion for people who are struggling. But I also believe we can expect better results.

Helping someone shouldn’t mean accepting that living on the street is the best future we can offer them. And caring about those individuals and caring about the safety of our downtown can absolutely happen at the same time.

This problem also seems to be getting worse. I'll address the drug side with our police force and look into what resources are available for the homeless situation.

This is an urgent concern. I am working on being better informed so I do not have a plan at the moment.

As a Morrison Ave. resident myself, this one is very close to home for me, literally. I have conversations with residents about what is happening in the Park (and throughout the area north to Young Street) on an almost daily basis.

I want to be very clear that needles, drug paraphernalia and human waste in a public park where children play and walk to school are unacceptable. We can have compassion for people struggling with homelessness, mental health and addiction while also expecting our public spaces to be safe for everyone, so I've already taken some action. Most recently, I arranged to have the lower limbs of the trees in the park trimmed to improve visibility and remove areas that were being used to hide or stash items.

I would like to see increased police presence and patrols in the area, better education for residents about when and how to report activity through the OPP non-emergency line, and conversations with the neighbourhood about establishing a Neighbourhood Watch or similar community-safety initiative – a committee I will be suggesting to our new Mayor for formation.

At the same time, enforcement alone won't solve addiction or homelessness. We need our outreach, mental-health, addiction and housing agencies involved so people using the park can be connected with appropriate services.

I wish I had the solution to this issue. I wish anyone had the answer to this issue.

I don't believe there is one single solution to homelessness. The best approach is to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place and, when that isn't possible help them get into stable housing as quickly as possible.

The County of Simcoe is responsible for social services and homelessness programs, but the Town still has an important role. We make decisions about housing and planning, we can advocate for services and funding, and we can make sure the agencies working directly with vulnerable residents have a voice when municipal decisions affect them.

As a member of Council, I have supported the Town's collaboration with the County and our local service providers.

As Chair of the New Tecumseth Public Library Board, I also recognize the increasingly important role our libraries play as accessible community spaces where people can connect with information and services. I would like to see stronger coordination between the Town, County, Library and local agencies so people aren't left trying to navigate a complicated system on their own.

Going forward, I would also like New Tecumseth to have a more regular conversation with the organizations doing this work locally. They know where the gaps are because they see them every day.

This is a painful subject.

Having grown up in a Third World country, this is an issue that is difficult to reconcile for an evolved society. We need to do better.

The reality however is that so many people are struggling to make ends meet and could easily land in the same predicament. The changes to eviction laws and the increased cost of living have the potential to make the situation much worse.

In a previous lifetime living in a housing co-operative provided a great deal of support for my family and enabled us to afford a high quality of life and dignity. My personal experience inspires me to leverage our collective potential and find pathways to success and hope for so many who struggle throughout Simcoe County.

Working on the causes has to be part of the plan. But with the cold upon us we also have to provide immediate assistance without any prejudice.

The best way to reduce homelessness is affordable housing, plus transportation so people can get to and from work. I'm advocating for affordable housing.

I have supported SHIFT through volunteering, advocacy and delivering support through council. I believe we have the means to care and help our most vulnerable while also keeping our downtowns safe for everyone including those without a place to sleep.

Homelessness is a growing issue across rhe country and the solution lies in the collaboration and pooling of resources from all levels of government. With the province defunding many of the services through DC reduction, our town needs to make an strong effort to lobby the province for funding.

I sit on the affordable housing committee at the County where I have advocated we need more transitional housing. I plan to continue those efforts as Mayor.

Homelessness is made up of so many things. Many of us attribute it to one thing. However, the genetic makeup of how a person gets to that stage can differ greatly from others. So painting with one brush will not solve it. When we try to do that it ends up making even more problems. A step in the right direction is affordable housing. Another is through support and accessibility to services. I was keenly interested in the Peterborough approach of a Sea Can settlement. I'd love to look at it closer and see if it has applications here in New Tecumseth. I'm currently a member of a couple different organizations/committees that are looking at root causes and possible solutions. We should be willing to learn from other municipalities that further ahead then us.

I believe the best way to reduce homelessness is to work on both sides of the problem , helping people who are already experiencing homelessness, while doing everything reasonably possible to prevent people from losing their housing in the first place.

There isn’t one cause of homelessness, and there isn’t going to be one solution. The cost and availability of housing are certainly part of it, but people can also find themselves without housing because of job loss, family breakdown, mental health or addiction challenges, disability, domestic violence or simply an unexpected financial crisis.

That means our response has to be equally broad.

We need more attainable and affordable housing options, including different types and sizes of housing. We need to support programs that help people remain housed when they experience a temporary crisis. And for those already experiencing homelessness, emergency shelter is important, but ultimately the goal has to be moving people toward safe, stable, permanent housing with the appropriate supports.

New Tecumseth is fortunate to have organizations such as S.H.I.F.T. and CONTACT Community Services doing this work locally, and I believe the municipality should continue working cooperatively with these organizations and the County of Simcoe.

The County has primary responsibility for social housing and homelessness services, but I don’t believe that means our local Council has no role. Municipal decisions about planning, housing supply, development, available land and partnerships can all contribute to solutions. Council can also advocate strongly to the County and provincial and federal governments when resources are needed.

As for what I’m personally doing right now, I want to be transparent: I am not currently involved directly with a specific homelessness program, so I wouldn’t want to suggest otherwise.

What I am doing is trying to better understand the issue, the services already available in our community and where the gaps remain. If elected, I would want to hear directly from the organizations doing this work and, equally importantly, from people with lived experience of homelessness or housing insecurity before deciding what role the Town can most effectively play.

For me, success isn’t simply finding someone a bed for one night. It’s helping prevent that person from needing the bed in the first place and, when they do need it, creating a realistic path back to stable housing.

I previously answered this question, posed by another resident. Thank you for the question and hopefully you can see my answer.

The no-growth scenario is unlikely, due to Provincial mandates and the need to expand the tax base to offer relief to existing tax payers, while also allowing for growth for area business and service providers. It is a tricky balance; growing and still maintaining the character of a smaller town. The downtown will stay much the same as the buildings are historical and architectural controls can be put in place for homes and storefronts (to a degree). I have visited other communities where franchise operations are housed in buildings which blend with the area architecture (parts of North Carolina, Niagara region, etc.). This is not new. One of the best ways to maintain the character of a smaller community is to have walking trails and alternative passages to parts of town, lessening the need for vehicles.

The growth targets can become overpowering, but by placing strict architectural guidelines in place, even the builders of entry level homes can build homes which fit the cultural environment.

Character and quality of life are part of why I live here also. Part of what I consider as quality of life are the services provided.

Greater economies of scale are beneficial for everyone except those who don't want competition. The narrative the we resist growth discourages business investment.

Every small town in Southern Ontario can make the same claims, as New Tecumseth. So if we want to have a say in our growth we must get over the limiting beliefs that growth is not good.

We can generate employment and prosperity, there is no reason to wait for Queens Park to impose anything on us. Many big cities are also great places to live. Planning for transportation parks, parking, schools and so much more should not be a reaction to the provinces plans.

We can meet growth targets by utilizing unused properties and allowing second dwellings in basements where possible — gentle density that fits the town. What we should avoid is tall buildings that change the character of our community.

New Tecumseth is uniquely situated. Close to the GTA and the largest urban area in Canada, a couple hours away from unspoiled natural beauty and located near the some of the worlds leading employers. It is no surprise that people who move here want to protect it. But the feeling of keeping others out stems from a history of prioritizing growth instead of residents. As Mayor I will ensure that any development adds to our town rather than extracts from it. That includes preserving the character of our towns, historical districts and commercial spaces.

Even without development our community is changing. As property values increase at a rate unmatched by wages, our demographic also changes. More people working in the city for example. Work days starting at 6am with a commute and ending at 6pm. We need to encourage companies to come to New Tecumseth that pay a wage that matches the costs of living in New Tecumseth. Hopefully this occurs as our population grows? We also need to continue investing in our BIAs. Our small businesses are a big factor in small town charm.

I don’t think there is a simple answer to this question, and I don’t want to pretend there is.

I understand the residents who say, “I moved here because I liked the small-town feel and I don’t want it to change.” I understand that because those are many of the same things I value about New Tecumseth.

But we also have to be realistic. Growth is coming, and much of the amount of growth we are required to plan for is being determined beyond the municipal level.

So for me, the question becomes: if we cannot simply say no to growth, what do we want New Tecumseth to look and feel like as we grow?

My vision is that Alliston, Beeton and Tottenham remain distinct communities, surrounded by the rural and agricultural landscape that is such an important part of New Tecumseth’s identity. I want neighbourhoods where people can walk to parks and trails, where families have enough room to actually live, where there are different housing choices for young people, families and seniors, and where our downtowns and local businesses continue to be part of the heart of our communities.

I want growth that is planned around people not simply around the number of housing units we can fit onto a piece of land.

That means realistic parking, safe streets and sidewalks, trees and green space, recreation, accessibility and neighbourhoods that connect with the community around them.

Most importantly, housing cannot continually get ahead of infrastructure. Roads, water and wastewater, parks, recreation, schools, emergency services and traffic all have to be considered as we grow.

And we need to be very conscious of who ultimately pays for it. At a time when many residents are already struggling with affordability, I have serious concerns about growth creating additional financial pressure on existing taxpayers.

Will New Tecumseth look exactly the same 20 years from now? No. I don’t think it is realistic for any candidate to promise that.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have a clear vision for what we want it to become.

For me, that means keeping the character and identity of our communities while building places where people of different ages and incomes can live, work, raise their families and eventually retire.

We can’t stop every change. But we can have a much stronger say in what that change looks like and make sure we’re building a community, not simply building houses.

To me, smart growth isn't simply a choice between density and sprawl. It's about putting growth where it makes sense and making sure the infrastructure and services are there to support it (and so that everyone gets to share in the benefits of growth).

New Tecumseth is going to grow, so our job on Council is to manage that growth responsibly. That means planning for roads, water and wastewater, parks, recreation, emergency services, schools and traffic alongside new development, not after it. It also means providing a range of housing. We need homes that allow people to age in place, options that are attainable for different incomes and stages of life, and opportunities for our own children to find a home in the community where they grew up.

Density can be part of that, but design matters. Higher-density neighbourhoods need adequate parking, storage and green space so they continue to function and look good as they mature. Where appropriate, rear parking accessed by laneways could help preserve streetscapes while providing space for vehicles and garbage and recycling storage.

I would also like to see new development better reflect the individual character of our three communities rather than creating subdivisions that could be anywhere. That could mean blue tones and references to the pond, natural amphitheatre and railway history in Tottenham; yellows, pollinator-friendly landscapes and nods to Beeton's agricultural and hockey heritage; and earth tones, farming, the Banting Homestead and historic downtown in Alliston.

Smart growth isn't about stopping growth or accepting it at any cost. It's about building complete, attractive communities that work for the people who live in them today and will still work (and look good) decades from now.

Smart growth means being selective in where the growth occurs and taking a reasonable, balanced approach to planning. Alliston is unique insofar as it is partly, residential, agricultural and commercial. We must balance all these interests and not just open it up to urban sprawl. We must learn for our neighbours to the south. It means securing and protecting our green spaces and building neighbourhoods whereby everyone can enjoy and we must be able to provide affordable housing for everyone i.e homeowners and tenants alike. We must do so in a manner consistent with keeping taxes and costs within reasonable limits and not overburden the taxpayer.

Thanks

Tony Phekoo

"Smart growth" essentially means NO uncontrolled sprawl, sprawl with poorly thought out transportation routes, or sprawl which does not balance the need for obtainable housing options, job-creating opportunities (manufacturing, services and professional services), recreational and tourism activities and attractions. Smart growth also balances the need for commercial services and retail frontage, but not endless strip malls which may be difficult to fill. Empty retail corridors are not beneficial. Smart growth also balances types of obtainable housing options, rather than focusing on the creation of a single option.

Smart growth for me is not just about homes. We have to consider the community and environment as a whole. A balance of some density produces economies of scale for some services but is not ideal in every environment. Having proper infrastructure to connect the growth makes for a society where people can choose the open spaces or elevated spaces according to their needs and budgets.

Lifestyle choices change and we should be able to accommodate young workers, small families, empty nesters' and those who need additional care. Each category has different values and needs to balance.

Employment, Schooling , Higher Education, Healthcare and Recreation all form part of what make us NewTecumseth.

Smart growth…

We let builders add a few more units if they include affordable ones. We use Town land we already own. We allow basement apartments and smaller homes. And we use federal and provincial grants , not your property taxes. More housing for our kids and seniors, without costing you more.

Smart growth is not as simple as adding more density or building larger subdivisions. It means responsible, well planned growth that directs new housing and businesses to areas where roads, wastewater systems, schools and emergency services can support them.

Growth is coming and we must plan accordingly. One of the main reasons I decided to run as a candidate for Ward 2, was watching a few of the current councillors voting to allow the use of Strong Mayor Powers to push though changes that otherwise would not have received the majority support. In my view, this side stepped the democratic decision making process of Council on an issue that will shape the future of our community. Somthing that I would not allow to happen again.

Smart growth looks like building communities rather than building the town one subdivision at a time with no over-arching plan for the movement of people and goods. There are some many examples out there on how not to build a city and we need to learn from their mistakes and avoid making the same errors. We need a mix of housing options to accommodate people at all stages of their lives.