City council is taking the next step in allowing emergency and transitional shelters, despite concerns about a lack of public consultation from some councillors.
Council has passed a motion by Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper, which directs city staff to amend a bylaw to allow shelters to be built in any part of Ottawa without a rezoning application. Leiper said he hopes the move will lead to more equitable housing in the city.
“We’ve made a commitment at council not to have ‘people-zoning,’” Leiper said. “People zoning is an attempt to regulate through zoning who gets to live in a neighbourhood.
The motion first cleared planning committee on Feb. 5.
The move would accelerate a process already underway. The city’s new Comprehensive Zoning By-law will allow shelters in all zones, but that change was not likely to be happen until late 2025 at the earliest.
But while councillors agreed that the housing crisis must be prioritized, Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill said he had a problem with lack of public consultation and potential confusion around the definition of shelter in the bylaw.
“If we’re going to commit to implementing a successful new zoning bylaw that should apply to every aspect of the new bylaw, especially now that we’re three-quarters of the way through that process,” said Hill during the council meeting on Feb. 12.
“If there was downside legal risk to skipping public consultation 18 months ago, then with only a few months remaining in the process, we should hold course, especially when the rationale behind this motion confuses the very definition of the structures we’re speaking to.”
Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo shared Hill’s concerns.
“It seems to be a belief held by some that their presumption of what the public feedback will be gives them license to bypass that public feedback.”
Shelters have been controversial, particularly outside the city core.
The sprung structure on Hearst Way in Kanata, already subject to community concern, was exempted by Leiper’s motion. Any shelter built at this location would still require a rezoning application. In a newsletter post on Jan. 15, Leiper explained that this is because residents in the area were already promised a hearing.
Using the sprung structure example, Lo argued all rezoning cases should be given the same opportunity for consultation.
“When half the controversy is about poor process, or a lack or process or skipping process, it muddles and takes away substance from the overall policy discussion,” Lo said.
But Leiper argued the current zoning bylaw doesn’t match the official plan. He said the lack of public trust stems from inconsistencies between the city’s official plan and zoning. He said his proposal seeks to remedy these inconsistencies.
“Our decision-making at planning committee isn’t a referendum on whether people want a shelter or not, because our official plan has already dictated to city council what our decision has to be, said Leiper”
Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster said there are 3,000 people experiencing homelessness in the city and referred to the exposure death of a homeless man in her ward in January.
“I want to ask my colleagues around the table today: who is not understanding the concept of a housing and homeless emergency?”
Troster said she wants to prioritize efficiency in dealing with homelessness.
“I think that in the face of an emergency we need to manage the expectations of what residents have a right to be consulted on,” she said.
The motion passed 18-3. City council will consider the staff bylaw amendment proposal, likely in the spring.
