With the lease at Loyola House set to expire in a few months and the possibility of an appeal regarding city council’s rezoning approval for 65 Delhi St. still looming, county officials are working on a backup plan to continue housing people experiencing homelessness this fall and beyond.
“Options are kind of limited,” said Eddie Alton, County of Wellington’s social services administrator. “We’re talking with people and other agencies all the time to try to see what we can do.
“We were hoping that if everything went smooth (with 65 Delhi St.), we would have had it up and running toward the end of the year, first part of next year.”
That may still be the case, but it’s also possible the pilot project currently offered out of Loyola House at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre will find itself without a permanent home when the lease runs out at the end of November, which Alton said adds “a little bit of pressure” to the situation.
“We’ve talked to them about an extension, but they do want to get back to their basic services and they need their space back,” he said. “We appreciate that they’ve allowed us to use it so far for the purposes we have.”
Roger Yaworski, the centre’s executive director, confirmed they intend to reclaim the space after November, with renovations to follow and plans to offer retreat opportunities there beginning in April.
A pilot project offering temporary supportive housing at Loyola House was launched last year, shifting people experiencing homelessness from local hotels, with the understanding it would be a short-term solution.
Moving those services to 65 Delhi St. was seen as a way of giving that pilot project a permanent home, Alton previously explained, noting the space is smaller than what’s available at Loyola House.
Plans to purchase the historic building from the City of Guelph were announced in May, contingent upon rezoning approval and other conditions. City council unanimously approved rezoning for the property on July 12, though Alton pointed out the period for potential appeal runs through Aug. 11.
The Ontario Land Tribunal confirms that no appeal has been filed as of Wednesday afternoon.
A spokesperson for the neighbourhood group told GuelphToday that they are weighing their options.
Ahead of council’s rezoning approval, Mayor Cam Guthrie received a letter from a lawyer representing Delhi Eramosa Neighbourhood Advocates (DENA), a group formed in response to the county’s plan, containing a “threat” of appeal, as Guthrie put it during the council meeting.
During the July 12 meeting, city council unanimously approved new zoning for the property allowing it to be used as a 28-bedroom supportive housing project, along with common spaces, shared kitchens and washrooms, as well as office space for support services.
Prior to the meeting, the proposal featured 36 bedrooms as well as potential uses as an emergency shelter and child care facility. Changes to the plan were made in response to concerns from neighbours, officials explained.
DENA members and others called for the project to drop down to 16 bedrooms, which they believe would be better suited for people staying there as well as for the neighbourhood.
The project itself is in a “holding pattern” for now, Alton explained conversations with neighbours are continuing in an effort to better understand their concerns and address them “to the best of our ability” if the project moves forward.
“We’re just listening to the concerns at this time, waiting to see if we get an appeal or not,” he said. “We’re not pushing anything further ahead on plans, drawings, etc. because an appeal could take up to a year, year-and-a-half and so there would be no rush to do that.”
