By Lindsey Cole
The Oshawa Express
“My family were one of the first to move into the Windfield Community - The community that was to have the reputation of the Windfield Farm legacy. The only reputation that is it known for is the problem with the student housing and ridiculous taxes,” states a letter from a resident who lives in Woodbine Place.“This was to be our dream home along with others, a community in which we can watch our kids grow up but that, I believe, (will) never be the case.” This is just one letter in a thick pile that was recently distributed at a Finance and
Administration meeting at the city.
The residents are concerned that their neighbourhoods are turning into a student ghetto. But this issue isn’t new and bylaw officers are almost at their
wits end, says Jerry Conlin, the director of Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing Services for the city. Alack of resources, confusion with the current bylaws and a general concern with the way things are done have bylaw officers bogged down with complaints from outraged residents, he says. At the meeting, members heard from Commissioner of Corporate Services Rick Stockman and Conlin regarding the issue of lodging houses around the university and college.
A verbal report was given to members that laid out some pretty solid facts regarding students living in houses in an area specifically zoned as an R1 residential area. Currently there are 400 properties that are deemed rental properties in and around the area. To date, 115 have come into apply for licences. There have also been 264 notices and orders issued regarding licences and infractions. Twenty-five files are pending legal action.“As of today, no licences have been approved,” Conlin says, adding there were 231 investigations to do with property standards.“We are being denied access to the dwellings more frequently.”
Part of the reason why the issue is becoming more difficult to deal with is because they do not know which bylaw to go by, he says. According to Stockman, the zoning bylaw has a lodging provision for two bedrooms, meaning the landlord can rent out two rooms. The licensing bylaw has set a limit of four bedrooms on most streets in Oshawa and these are not to be permitted as lodging houses. Around the college and university a lot of these homes are more than two bedrooms and are also being used as student housing, he says.
“You’ve got one bylaw that says two, and another that says four. Something has to be
addressed,” he explains. But while the main issue pertains to students essentially living where they shouldn’t, both Conlin and Stockman say it’s also a lack of resources to deal with incidents that occur.“We are short resources.
This process is very labour intensive,” Stockman says. Conlin adds there is very little police presence this year, making a bylaw officer’s job all the more difficult. There have already been 15 noise complaints, he says, and there was one case where a party broke out onto the street and they needed police backup. Luckily the bylaw officers were able to call police, he says.“There are really no (police) officers,” Conlin says. “There are some issues that need to be addressed.”
Councillor and committee member John Henry says the only way to combat the issue is
to have progressive fines for those who violate the bylaw. This means attacking them right in
the pocketbook, he says.“Bylaws only have teeth if you enforce them,” he explains, adding making the fines higher and stiffer could reduce the number of incidents.“People need to learn.” David Bray, a concerned resident, says there really isn’t any confusion with the
bylaws.“I see no conflict at all. Four (bedrooms) is for non-lodging houses. Two is for lodging. Almost none of those houses can get licences. Everyone is getting frustrated because there is a lack of clarity and follow through.
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