{"id":2380,"date":"2020-04-26T14:40:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-26T18:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluedoor.ca\/?p=2380"},"modified":"2023-08-03T16:11:44","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T20:11:44","slug":"york-region-landlords-asked-to-help-during-coronavirus-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluedoor.ca\/york-region-landlords-asked-to-help-during-coronavirus-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"York Region landlords asked to help during coronavirus crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Blue Door makes appeal for affordable housing amid COVID-19 pandemic<\/h2>\n

Apr 26, 2020\u00a0by\u00a0Kim Zarzour\u00a0<\/i>\u00a0YorkRegion.com<\/a><\/p>\n

This can be a tough time for York Region landlords looking for tenants during the COVID-19 crisis.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a tough time for people living in emergency housing, trying to physically distance themselves in a pandemic.<\/p>\n

Blue Door CEO Michael Braithwaite believes there is solution, one that is a \u201cwin-win\u201d for both sides.<\/p>\n

Blue Door and other agencies in the region are appealing to landlords with vacant rentals units to help provide affordable housing to those in need.<\/p>\n

While the region has been able to keep people without homes safe, long-term stays at emergency housing facilities are not ideal, Michael Braithwaite, CEO of Blue Door says.<\/p>\n

During a pandemic, Braithwaite says, the congregate living model, with shared washrooms, kitchens and other facilities, can make physical distancing impossible.<\/p>\n

\u201cHousing is still the best and safest option for individuals and families during this pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

In March,\u00a0the region repurposed Leeder House<\/a>\u00a0in East Gwillimbury from a shelter for families into an isolation shelter.<\/p>\n

Larger rooms that were geared toward families were retrofitted into 15 self-contained units to include space for one person with their own kitchen and bath.<\/p>\n

The 40 people, primarily families, who had been living at the Yonge Street shelter were given rooms at Newmarket\u2019s Best Western hotel as a temporary measure.<\/p>\n

So far, 12 people have stayed in the isolation units \u2014 never more than five at a time. These are usually people who presented at hospital with possible coronavirus symptoms and were tested, Braithwaite says.<\/p>\n

While awaiting results, and with nowhere else to go, they were given a unit that let them stay isolated until they received results.<\/p>\n

While in self-isolation these residents receive support for addictions like alcohol, he says.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cWhen you go off really hard drugs, your body hurts and it\u2019s awful, but when you\u2019re off alcohol it can kill you.\u201d<\/div>\n

These isolating residents also receive phones and laptops; nurses check in regularly to ensure they are physically and mentally healthy.<\/p>\n

Braithwaite says there have been no known COVID-positive test results among this vulnerable demographic, but there have been outbreaks in Toronto shelters.<\/p>\n

Of the 200 residents at the Willowdale Welcome Centre shelter, 88 have tested positive for the disease, according to recently released\u00a0data from Toronto Public Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are plans in coming weeks to open more transitional housing in York Region.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are trying to stay one step ahead,\u201d Braithwaite said.<\/p>\n

Meantime, the families living in hotel rooms need something more permanent. The region is pursuing a \u201cbrilliant idea\u201d from Calgary\u2019s Drop-In Centre that asks landlords to help move people into housing from their emergency overflow space, he said.<\/p>\n

Blue Door is reaching out to landlords in York Region who are looking for potential tenants but are facing difficulties in filling these vacancies due to general precautions during the pandemic<\/p>\n

The non-profit hopes this non-traditional approach will find safe and affordable housing for 100 people over the next two months<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to reach landlords that are able to offer single rooms with shared accommodation from $500 to $800 (all inclusive), and one-two bed apartments for families ranging from $1,000 to $1,700,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

None of these potential tenants have been diagnosed with COVID-19, he said, and Blue Door has put in place comprehensive measures to keep people safe \u2014 including providing personal protective equipment for staff and clients during house viewings.<\/p>\n

If these new tenants face any challenges, they will have support from Blue Door and their partner agencies.<\/p>\n

That could include food and art supplies for the children, cooking and lifeskills lessons if needed, and reusable face masks for when they need to go out into the community. Mental health support will be offered along with help with connecting to their doctor if required and, for seniors especially, if they\u2019re lonely, virtual conferencing and even safe-distancing conversations from the sidewalk.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there is any silver lining to this, it\u2019s that people have come to understand how our vulnerable people are so at risk right now. And how much healthier we all could be if people had a place to isolate.\u201d<\/p>\n

To connect with our team landlords can reach us by email at:\u00a0landlords@bluedoor.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Blue Door makes appeal for affordable housing amid COVID-19 pandemic Apr 26, 2020\u00a0by\u00a0Kim Zarzour\u00a0\u00a0YorkRegion.com This can be a tough time for York Region landlords looking for tenants during the COVID-19 crisis. It\u2019s also a tough time for people living in emergency housing, trying to physically distance themselves in a pandemic. Blue Door CEO Michael Braithwaite […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t