Councillor tackles abandoned buildings

WARD 31 councillor Remona Mckenzie has embarked on a mission to address abandoned buildings in her ward in order to prevent criminal activity and improve the environments for residents living near abandoned buildings.

“There are many abandoned buildings in Ward 31, and this is a huge concern. Government needs to prioritize and investigate these buildings. Many of the health and safety hazards that go along with abandoned buildings are undeniably real and rather obvious; fire, falling debris, vermin, sharp, rusty objects, criminal activity, stagnant water and drug activities would be a partial list,” said Mckenzie.

The councillor says abandoned buildings decay quickly for a number of reasons, including leaks and damage in the ceiling and floor, a lack of maintenance and external factors.

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“People that are involved in illegal activities and drugs have used these buildings to escape and hide after committing a crime. The number of drug crimes, property violation crimes and violent crimes is higher on blocks with abandoned residential buildings than on comparable blocks without abandoned buildings,” she said.

What causes a building to be abandoned?

Councillor Mckenzie says she is only focusing on buildings that are hazardous, either in health or safety for residents, and those buildings that have been classified as abandoned.

“For a building to be classified as abandoned, a building must typically be a hazard to the health and welfare of the community; the owner must relinquish his or her rights to the property, and the property must be vacant for a period of time,” she said.

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Burned house leaves family displaced

An elderly Sydenham resident and her adult sons made a narrow escape when a fire, allegedly caused by homeless people, nearly took the family’s lives at their home on Randles Road in late August of 2021.

“Homeless people who sometimes live under the house apparently started the fire. This fire was caused by one of those homeless people who lit a fire under the house to keep warm, and unfortunately, the house was set alight,” said Mckenzie.

“The municipal property on Randles Road is being occupied by homeless people and drug peddlers. They urinate and defecate all over the place. It is filthy, and the stench is unbearable. This is not the only property where we experience such. There are many more in the ward,” said the councillor.

Mckenzie says she is investigating various abandoned houses in the ward to formulate a plan of action with the municipality to make these buildings less hazardous.