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LETTER: Aurora Cares says yes to shelters 'in my backyard'

'We believe Aurora should accept its fair share of appropriate development and help solve issues that impact our entire community,' says member of new residents group
2023-02-08-aurora-shelter
A rendering of York Region's emergency shelter and transitional housing proposal in Aurora.

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Re: Aurora council rejects controversial shelter project by 4-3 vote , Feb. 14, 2024.

Aurora Cares is a group of residents who came together after observing a lack of representation for the entire community regarding the proposed and denied emergency and transitional housing development at 14452 Yonge St. in Aurora.

We believe Aurora should accept its fair share of appropriate development and help solve issues that impact our entire community. We are not NIMBYs, we are YIMBYs – Yes in My Backyard. We seek to give those without a voice, a voice.

We are deeply disappointed the application to approve a proposed zoning bylaw amendment application to facilitate a 55-unit (68 bed) men’s emergency and transitional housing facility was denied by Aurora town council.

We are disappointed that the lower and upper tiers of municipal government demonstrated a failure to advance crucial public infrastructure in our community, at a significant cost of well over $1 million.

We understand the Regional Municipality of York, through Housing York Inc., has been pursuing 14452 Yonge as a new emergency and transitional housing building in Aurora to replace an existing facility, Porter Place, in East Gwillimbury since at least May 2021. This was not new information and was well
known by the mayor and members of council.

We encourage a different approach that is focused on building housing for all. Aurora Cares is committed to working with all levels of government, regardless of political affiliation to advance such projects.

Adam Mobbs
on behalf of Aurora Cares