 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
• ONPHA Member • Board Member • Local Network Liaison • Service Manager • Media • Advocate • Tenant • Student |
|
|
| Calendar | Join ONPHA | Contact | Links | Home |
|
|
 How to Handle NIMBY
Responding to Toronto's Affordable Housing Program RFP? New Homecoming Coalition web site offers valuable NIMBY resources HomeComing Community Choice Coalition promotes the rights of people with mental illness to live where they choose. The coalition was formed in 2003 because "Not-In-My-Back Yard" discrimination was violating the rights of people with mental illness. Find out more by visiting www.homecomingcoalition.ca MMAH Announces Legislation to Include OMB Reform On December 12, 2005, MMAH introduced Bill 51 to amend the Planning Act. Of significance to ONPHA members who have started or are contemplating new housing development will be reforms to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) where all too often many housing providers (especially supportive housing providers) must defend their plans at unnecessary great expense because of costly discriminatory NIMBY challenges from local citizen groups. The legislation looks to returning the OMB to its original role as an appeal body on local planning matters, to give greater weight to the decisions of municipal councils during the appeal process, and limiting appeals to information and materials that were provided to the council when it made its decision. ONPHA along with the Homecoming Coalition will be reviewing the bill to ensure that discriminatory NIMBY is prevented and not facilitated by these reforms. More about the government's plans can be found here. ONPHA NIMBY Report In October, 2005, ONPHA commissioned "The Case for a Systematic Solution to Discriminatory NIMBY Opposition in Ontario" NIMBY Tool Kit
Too often, attempts to develop supportive housing for people living with mental illness fail because neighbours oppose them—a "Not–in–my–backyard" syndrome based on fear, ignorance and prejudice. Neighbours use the community consultation opportunities provided under the Planning Act to voice their fears and prejudices. (For a discussion, please see page 17 of our June 2004 Quick Connections
It has now added new insights on the human rights issues involved, as well as more responses to the predictable objections to supportive housing. You are welcome to download the tool kit, to make copies and to quote from it provided that credit is given to HomeComing Community Choice Coalition. While the focus of the tool kit is on supportive housing for people with mental illness in Toronto, many of the principles will be equally applicable to other forms of affordable housing development. HomeComing Coalition Presented with Queen's Jubilee Medal On May 4, 2004 members of the Steering Committee of HomeComing Community Coalition were presented with the The Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal by the Hon. James Karl Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. This Award, from the Toronto Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, was presented in recognition of HomeComing’s ground-breaking work in battling stigma and creating welcoming communities.
More about HomeComing Community Choice Coalition
U.S. Anti-NIMBY Resource American National Low Income Housing Coalition publishes NIMBY Report, with news of NIMBY syndrome and efforts to overcome it. Addressing Community Opposition to Affordable Housing Development: A Fair Housing Toolkit (2004), published by the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, gives developers hands on tools to deal with public hearings, building community support, using the media, working with officials, and if need be moving to legal action. The Tennessee Fair Housing Council publishes A Place to Call Home: Addressing Opposition to Homes for People with Mental Illness in Tennessee Neighborhoods (2001), a guide to dealing with NIMBY issues. |
|
that looks at discriminatory "NIMBY" and its costs and the steps the Ontario government could take to prevent it. 
Peggy Birnberg (Houselink), Brigitte Witkowski (Social Housing Coaltion), Lana Frado (Sound Times), Joanne Campbell (CAMH), and Paul Dowling (HomeComing Project Manager) were honoured. Congratulations HomeComing!
|
|
|
|