By Dimitrije Martinovic – Dimitrije is a staff at FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE

220 Oak Street is a high-rise apartment building located on the eastern edge of Regent Park and is therefore not part of the greater Regent Park Revitalization. Built in 1972, it has twenty-seven floors, and is owned and operated by Toronto Community Housing. Residents of the building comprise a broad range of low-income residents from a diversity of social and ethnical backgrounds that include families, newcomers, seniors, and people with mental and physical disabilities.

Paradoxically, social housing has always presented opposing interpretations, on the one hand there are the misconceptions and stigma associated with being on social assistance (most often perpetrated in the media), while on the other hand there are the personal stories of resilience in the face of complex social and physical challenges. When asked about life at 220 Oak Street, most residents would highlight the sense of belonging to a community that is both vibrant and supportive of one another. It is only after that consideration that people then begin to reveal the other more difficult and troubling conditions of living at 220 Oak St, such as inadequate amenities and drug dealing and shootings in the area. And so, it comes with great celebration to learn that after a prolonged period of what might have seemed like neglect, that Toronto Community Housing has stepped-up with a significant design upgrade to key areas of the building.

These changes were presented to residents at a community meeting held via Zoom on November 23, 2020. In the presentation, representatives from TCH and LGA Architectural Partners (the firm hired to complete the renewal project) outlined the areas that will be overhauled.  It must be noted that the designated areas for renewal, and the changes needed therein, were arrived through years of negotiations with TCH and considerable campaigning, awareness raising by TCH residents who felt arbitrarily left out of the Regent Park revitalization due to their location on the other side of river street.

The areas slated for renewal cover what might be considered the most fundamental to the functioning of the building and use by residents, these include in the exterior design; new accessible paths and areas, new crosswalks and dropped curb areas, new accessible tenant program areas, new areas related to safety and security, new turf areas, new planted areas, new and existing trees, and paved areas within scope & paved areas outside property. The interior design covers expansions to the laundry area, activity room, a computer room and library, gym, community room, community health services, arts space, e-bike storage, multi-purpose rooms, tv room, a commercial kitchen for those residents who might have a small food enterprise, and space dedicated to residents who might be trying to launch a social enterprise, such as a café, or bike repair shop.

As Miguel Avila-Velarde, 220 Oak Street resident puts it:

"The ambitious $30 million, Renovation project of 220 Oak Street will ensure that our building is in good working / operation shape for years to come like an old vehicle it will get new tires, new batteries, a refurbished engine, to avoid future tragedies in the future.   

A good example of avoiding a tragedy. is replacing our old electrical wiring, ventilation, plumbing and communication systems. That will avoid accidents like at 650 Parliament Street in 2018 where all the electrical wiring caught fire and the residents were displaced for 2 years. 

 The renewal will ensure our building becomes energy efficient, the internal components and the outside structure to stand for years to come to the pleasure of future generations. 

The current amenities for residents are old, and outdated. New and Improved   amenities provided to the residents will contribute to the Mental Health and well-being of the community of 220 Oak Street."

It would appear that the impetus for the 220 Oak Street Renewal Project is part of new wave of infrastructure investments, which seeks to transform existing TCH sites (250 Davenport, Alexandra Park, Allenbury Gardens, Don Summerville, ​Firgrove-Grassways, Lawrence Heights, Leslie Nymark, and Regent Park), through working more closely with residents to build back sustainable communities and neigbourhoods that reflect the needs of residents. And perhaps it is a closer step toward overcoming the misconceptions surrounding the lives of lower income people: just because your income is below a living wage, does that mean you should accept sub-standard housing? Fortunately, TCH has joined the residents of 220 Oak street in saying NO!!!