Vol. 11, No. 17 Wednesday, April 29, 1981 28 Pages And no one can help.... Community Care claims many seniors living in unsafe homes By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff There may be an alarming number of senior citizens and disabled people living in unsafe and sub-standard conditions in the Town of Whitby. But it appears that no local government agency has the authority to deal with the problem. While many private and local government agencies have acknowledged that the problem has existed for some time, it has only received public attention in the last few weeks. In a report to Whitby Town Council, planning director V- Bob Short said that "the strict enforcement of the town's property standards and zoning bylaws would not alleviate hte problem as these people would not be able to find alternative shelter at a reasonable cost." Short's report was prepared at the request of Whitby Community Care and Durham Region's social services department. According to Marie Brooks, director of Com- munity Care, "there are quite a number of people living in these conditions in the town." While she says the problem does not have geographic limits it appears to be more acute in the downtown area, and no one knows how many people are living in sub-standard housing or how many such facilities exist. Community Care is a volunteer organization that visits and helps senior citizens and disabled people in their own home. Brooks said that volun- teers have been "shocked" at the conditions of some of the homes visited. Brooks, a candidate in the Centre Ward during last November's municipal elec- tions, described the majority of people living in sub-standard housing as senior citizens, people on disability pensions or other forms of fixed incomes. She admits that if the full force of the law was brought against many of the owners of such residences they could not afford to repair them. This would mean that the homes would be con- demned and torn down and the people living there would be displaced. One solution to the problem would be the con- struction of more low rental housing in Whitby, Brooks said. In a letter to Durham Region's social services department, Margaret Hart, chairman of Community Care echoed Brooks' con- cerns. "Informal consultation regarding municipal health, safety and property stan- dards assures us that some houses could legally be con- demned," she said. "If con- demned, it is assumed they would be closed, since their owners would not invest adequate repair rebuilding without assurances of greatly increased rental revenue. "Also, tenants are fearful of losing the places they have if they raise complain- ts."1 "Either way, public out- cry and action would have a direct effect on people at the bottom of the heap." Brooks does not hold out much hope for a quick solution to the problem. "I think it's going to get worse before it gets better unless somebody dues something about it," she said. Short said that there are a number of provincial programs that the town can take advantage of to provide assisted housing for senior citizens and families. "These range from municipal and private non- profit to assisted rental and CONT'D ON1PG. 3 King Arthur in Whitby? They call this a knight? This odd looking horse and rider were part of the Lion's Club annual parade, held this past Saturday in Whitby, representing a Lion's con- tingent from Agincourt, Ontario. Cool weather hampered a large turn out to the event which contained clowns, floats and several marching bands. For more pictures see page 10.