Belmont House in Toronto's Yorkville area has received approval for an 11-storey addition to add over 200 long-term care beds. This is seen as a crucial step in addressing Ontario's significant shortage of long-term care facilities, especially considering the aging population. Advocates highlight the need for alternatives to reduce the waitlist for care beds, while locals express concerns over construction impacts, loss of green space, and architectural harmony with historic homes. Neighbors pushed for the addition to be relocated to minimize disruption, reflecting the tension between housing needs and community preservation.
"It's a win across the board," said Mark Richardson, technical lead at HousingNowTO. "We need 9,000 long-term care beds just within the city of Toronto alone. This is an option to reuse a space."
At last week's council meeting, many neighbouring residents raised concerns that the new build would slow traffic during construction, remove green space and bring unwanted shade onto other houses on the street.
This building is big, ugly and has no business being built so close to residential homes," Scott Cameron, a homeowner on Belmont Street, told council at the Jan. 14 meeting.
Ontario's population is aging fast... a 2024 report found the number of people aged 75 and up in the province is expected to rise by 350,000 by 2029.
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