Digging deep to find utopia

While I was wandering around Regent Park tonight, I came across a new construction project at River and Shuter streets. “Six Executive Townhouses Left!” it proclaimed proudly, a smiling realtor’s face next to the declaration. Under the statement was the price.

From $389,900.

That is the price of a townhouse in an area where the average income is over $23,000 according to census data from the City of Toronto. That is the price of a townhouse in an area which is known for being Canada’s oldest public housing community. That is the cost of a townhouse in a complex the city hopes will draw in people of higher incomes, which they hope will, in turn, change the dynamics of the neighbourhood and help make it a safer, cleaner area of the city to live.

The City of Toronto has begun an ambitious plan to create over 5100 residential units in the area. Over half of these units will be rented at market prices, while less than half of the units will be geared to accommodate the poorer residents in the neighbourhood. What I don’t understand is how moving richer people in to a poorer neighbourhood solves problems like high unemployment, low income, high drug use and other social problems.

I’m not saying the problems that have developed in Regent Park can’t be fixed. It can – just not with rich people.

As you’ve read on this blog, there are several perceptions about Regent Park. It’s poor, it’s dirty, hookers can be found there, homeless people are easily found there – the list goes on and on. However, as each of us has gone into Regent Park and wandered its history-laden streets, many of us have come to realize that it’s not such a terrible place after all. It’s that thought, right there, which leads me to believe that there is a better future for Regent Park.

The future of Regent Park lies with both the residents who are there now, and the city itself. It lies within the ability of the residents to show the city that it’s not the terrible place we’ve all been led to believe it is. And it is up to the city to find a real solution that digs into Regent Park, digs into the problems that lie at the heart of the drugs and violence, and pull them out. The city needs to get really, truly dirty if they want to turn Regent Park around, and work with the community to create a better Regent Park.