Tensions run high at student housing meeting

OSHAWA -- A sense of mounting frustration hung over a crowd of about 300 people at Sikorski Hall Monday night, as the City hosted a second public meeting on the hot-button student housing issue.

The first took place in October, when students, landlords and homeowners were invited to weigh in on a proposed bylaw to regulate rental housing near the Durham College/UOIT campus.

The bylaw aims to calm tensions between residents who own homes near campus, university students moving into their neighbourhoods in droves and landlords profiting from the uneasy coexistence.

After listening to dozens of speakers and sifting through 300 written submissions in the fall, City staff took a second stab at the bylaw.

And after reading it, many stakeholders say their concerns were ignored.

"From the last development services committee meeting, all the concerns of the residents were adopted, while only one concern of the students' and none of the landlords were adopted," said landlord Paul Vrana.

It's a sentiment that was echoed over and over Monday night, as students and landlords accused councillors of having "selective hearing" and only catering to the homeowners.

The proposed bylaw -- which would only apply to a specific area buffering the campus -- would require landlords to obtain a $250 annual permit before renting out a house, adhere to minimum standards for health and safety and submit detailed plans for property maintenance and parking.

It also proposes to limit the number of bedrooms to four and ban basement bedrooms.

Students say this will drive up rent and force them to other areas of the city, while landlords worry it could bankrupt them.

For their part, the homeowners were mostly pleased with the amended bylaw. Their only wish was for a cap on the number of licences issued, or a minimum distance between licensed houses.

The development services committee will hold a special meeting next Monday, Jan. 21, to debate how to move forward. Check oshawa.ca for time and location.