Sean Allen
BRANT NEWS

A resident of a domiciliary hostel in Brantford says he hopes the city gets serious about underfunded beds so others in the community don’t suffer the same fate as his housemates.

Catlin Douglas appeared before city council last week to deliver a message on behalf of the 17 residents of Sunrise Villa, a home for adults with development disabilities on George Street.

“Our home is closing down and we are losing our home,” Douglas said. “The owners who bought the place were unable to continue operating at a loss and the home is up for sale. All of us, as of March 31, are being asked to leave.”

Douglas said he needed to tell council it is not fair that residents are being kicked out.

“We would really like to just stay where we are,” he said. “We wish we could wake up one morning and hear that we don’t have to leave because there is enough money for the beds in this house and the owners don’t have to operate at a loss.”

Coun. Larry Kings told Douglas that council was taking steps to address a serious shortfall in provincial funding for domiciliary hostels and expressed frustration that there is little the city can do for Sunrise Villa.

“It’s unfortunate,” Kings said. “I recognize your position and I wish there was something we could do more quickly, but we need more funding. I want you to be aware that we haven’t forgotten about you, but we have to go through this maze of bureaucracy first.”

Douglas said he hopes council can make headway with its request so other group homes don’t suffer the same fate.

While Douglas said he would be able to find suitable accommodation, he worries about the 16 other residents of Sunrise Villa, all of them older than him and some with more serious challenges.

Sunrise Villa was formerly operated as George Street Manor. The former owners appeared before council during 2011 budget deliberations requesting the same per-diem rate for beds that the city currently gives to Rosewood House. Rosewood House houses tenants with mental health challenges, but has the distinction of being a registered not-for-profit with a board of directors and regular programming for clients.

Rosewood receives nearly $500,000 annually from the city to take care of its 15 residents.

“They are not that different than our home,” Douglas said. “I don’t think it’s fair and I don’t think it’s right.”

In early 2011, the request was sent to the social services department for further investigation because George Street Manor was not a registered not-for-profit.

Shortly after the request, Fab Five Properties Inc. purchased the home and invested more than $85,000 in capital repairs.

During a social services committee meeting in June, owner Jim Petrella said the home had only one of its five bathrooms in working order, a bed bug infestation and water damage in the roof. He reiterated the request for a per-diem stipend.

He was told that city staff was conducting further investigation into the city’s relationship with hostel bed operators.

Sunrise Villa made another pitch for funding during 2012 budget deliberations in November, asking for $198,000 in annual funding. It was one of four organizations to make similar requests and all four were rejected.

Brantford’s general manager of social services, Dan Temprile, said the city needs to lobby for an improved relationship with the province. He said, until an agreement is worked out, Brantford would be compromising its position by paying more municipal dollars.

Temprile has plans to meet with provincial officials and show them the city’s troubled balance sheets related to hostel beds.

“We will happily approach the province with the budget, but it isn’t going to happen overnight,” Temprile said. “We are working with the owners of Sunrise Villa to see what we can do for them.”

A social housing staff member is attempting to arrange new accommodation for Sunrise Villa residents before Mar. 31.