06-25-2018, 10:38 AM
(06-25-2018, 09:28 AM)Markster Wrote: Interesting article that touches on a renovation at 270 Spadina Rd E, "Woodside Terraces":
https://www.therecord.com/news-story/869...-approval/
Quote:Workers stripped the building down to bare concrete before installing floor-to-ceiling windows and new electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling systems. The 53 multiple-bedroom apartments were divided into 103 suites with quartz countertops, plank floors, contemporary bathrooms and kitchens.
...
Workers had to remove mould from many units. There was extensive water damage in others.
This is what people mean when they complain about gentrification. And it really is a shining example the double-edged sword.
Those 53 units were clearly in disrepair, and not a healthy place to live in, but the 103 units that replaced them are now too small for families, and likely cost almost the same in rent.
The article connects this to the Charles-Madison Drewlo development, which has agreed to have affordable housing as a component (managed by Kitchener Housing), which will help offset the displacement. But this is something that we will see time and time again. As downtown continues to heat up as a location, we're going to see more and more displacement. Some people are relatively content living in a cheap slum, but their options are going to become more and more limited with each renovation project.
I doubt that inclusionary zoning-esque deals like the city's with Drewlo will be able to cover the gap. If only the government would get back into the business of building housing.
I actually don't know much at all about government built housing, but I wouldn't really think it's the best, or even a good option.
The government is might be too tempted to build it on the cheap, using cheap inaccessible land, with low quality construction leading to the issues noted in the Spadina building.
Also, creating a concentration of affordable housing isn't as good a policy as spreading it out, it's better for the area, and for the individuals.
I have no real idea how this is done though, so those fears may be naive.