RPTV Weekly News (EP74) - RPNA Calls for Action: Addressing Housing Concerns following TCHC Update Meeting

RPTV Weekly News Show Episode 74 (March 1st to March 12th, 2024) - in this weekly news show hosted by RPTV reporter Jabin Haque, Fred Alvarado, and Kedar Ahmed, we present news that impacts on Toronto's Regent Park and the surrounding areas.

In this episode we present the following news:
0:00 intro;
01:18 TCHC, Daniels and Tridel hosts Community Update Meeting with Regent Park residents;
27:33 Regent Park Neighbourhood Association Calls for Action: Addressing Community Concerns Post-Update Meeting;
34:21 The Centre of Learning & Development presents: Designing for Regent Park & Planning for Change;
36:59 Regent Park Community Health Centre Workers Demand Fair Compensation;
41:25 Celebrating Community at Ramadan Bazaar with Happy Mom, Happy Children;
48:21 Mayor Olivia Chow Launches Recruitment and Expansion of Toronto Community Crisis Service;
53:03 Toronto man charged with 2 counts of 1st-degree murder in shooting involving family members in Regent Park;
54:41 Events and Jobs in Regent Park Community.

This week’s lead story:

RPNA Calls for Action: Addressing Housing Concerns following TCHC Update Meeting.

By Fred Alvarado - Fred is a community journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE

In this episode, Walied Khogali Ali, a prominent leader and member of the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association (RPNA) and the Social Development Plan (SDP) Co-chair, shares insights and calls for action within the community following the Regent Park Community Update Meeting held on February 29th, 2024. Khogali Ali highlights critical concerns stemming from the approval of Phases 4 & 5, emphasizing the need for balance within the neighborhood: 50% social housing and 50% market housing.

Urging collective action, Walied invites residents to engage with city officials, emphasizing the importance of preserving Regent Park's roots while striving for inclusivity and sustainability in the face of urban transformation.
Walied Khogali Ali talked to RPTV to share his thoughts about RPNA’s housing concerns following TCHC’s update meeting.

“The rezoning application for phases 4 & 5 that was approved in December 2023 had two serious issues that we should address as a community:

1. The City of Toronto approved By-law 1325-2023 that raised issues in the community; the good news is that there is a commitment to replace the 633 rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units, but what it’s problematic is that there is not a commitment for more RGI units for phases 4 and 5, so we need the community’s help to advocate with us for more social housing in Regent Park because we want to strike a balance of 50% market and 50% social housing (by TCHC). Right now we don’t have that balance, we actually have 70% market residents and 30%TCHC residents.

2. The second issue is the definition of affordable housing and this should concern all of us, Developers are taking a market-based approach instead of following the City’s own By-law known as OPA-558. What this by-law stipulates is that affordability is based on income, not based on market, meaning the rent should be no more than 30% of household income.

These two issues are very important to all of us, according to Khogali. I don’t want any of our neighbours to be displaced in 10 or 15 years if we apply a market-based definition of affordable housing. It means that a resident or family will have to earn up to $90 to $95K to afford a one-bedroom apartment and this is so out of touch and out of reach for so many of our residents. It is important that we collectively reach out to the Mayor’s office, to members of City Council, to Councillor Chris Moise to ask them to do the right thing and that they respect the City’s By-law OPA-558 and ensure that residents of Regent Park in phases 4 and 5 actually qualify for affordable housing.” Walied said.