A Council-approved transition plan has experienced slower than expected progress and rising costs since the troubled Tolpuddle Housing Co-op was declared a “Project in Difficulty” more than six months ago. The admission coming from city staff in a written statement sent to CTV News on Thursday. Matt Feldberg, Director, Municipal Housing and Industrial Development writes that city staff have “worked with the Co-operative’s board to improve financial oversight, provide additional funding, support property management changes and address building maintenance and safety concerns. Despite these efforts costs continue to rise and progress has been slower than anticipated.” However, Tolpuddle Co-op Board President Jo Dee Phoenix rejects Feldberg’s assertion that the city and co-op have been working together on many issues. “One of those things is accurate, the rest of the list is not,” responds Phoenix. “They have provided some financial assistance regarding insurance payments and mortgage payments and property tax payments. They provided very limited funding for (building) deficiencies.” “We really need some oversight from council as to what’s been happening here,” she urged. In early March, CTV News revealed shocking conditions inside the building, including threatening graffiti, smashed drywall, damaged fire equipment, and vacant rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units destroyed by their previous tenants. Phoenix blames the City of London’s housing waitlist for placing tenants with serious addictions and mental health conditions in a building that was never designed to provide supportive housing. The 134 unit apartment building and townhouse complex includes 109 RGI units for low-income adults, seniors, families, and the disabled. A tour of the building on Wednesday showcased some of the progress by the Co-op Board to restore hallways and some of the uninhabitable units, but security costs and vandalism continue to put unsustainable pressure on its finances. Phoenix says she sent an email to every member of city council on Sept. 16 that expressed her concerns about slow progress and a deteriorating relationship between the co-op board and city staff. “There were a couple of councillors that followed-up that they were going to look into it. A very simple one-line email. But there’s been no follow-up,” she explained. “I did receive a personal phone call from one councillor, but I’ve not received a follow-up from that phone call.” As a result of the slow progress and rising costs, city staff have issued a request for proposals (RFP) to hire, “an independent Interim Receiver or Interim Receiver and Manager to provide temporary oversight, stabilize operations, maintain services for residents, and protect the long-term sustainability of the housing co-operative.” It’s a decision the co-op board opposes, suggesting that council should instead look closely into their concerns. Phoenix added, “We just had a municipal election. Every single candidate, incumbents and new candidates, had safe and affordable housing in their platform. This is where the buck stops.” City staff will present a progress report to the Community and Protective Services (CAPS) Committee on Nov. 30. Recommendations from that committee meeting will be considered by Council on Dec. 15.
