The Dan Harrison Community Housing Complex was supposed to be a shining example of public housing for low-income families.
However, what should have been the crown of Toronto has deteriorated to the nadir and stands out like a scar on the landscape of the city.
Dan Harrison Community Complex
Today, after fifty years, the Dan Harrison Community Complex has sunk into a morass, and what was intended to be a shining example of urban growth is today a sorry case of crumbling walls, with the occupants battling mental health issues, addiction, isolation, and poverty without enough support.
The tenants are left to fend for themselves against anti-social elements with rising crime and drug dealers.
The degradation did not happen abruptly in recent times, but red flags have been raised for the last 30 years about its mounting social challenges—along with its growing disrepair of the housing structures.
In 1991, city staffers raised the need for major rehabilitation or rebuilding of the beleaguered complex. However, the process could not be kickstarted due to technical challenges, limited budgets, and a competitive real estate market.
As years passed by, the residents were resigned to their fate, and the dream of peaceful, safe public spaces and services remained elusive.
The Dan Harrison Community Housing Complex was originally named Sherbourne Lanes and was meant to provide homes to the city’s low-income residents, pensioners, and those on social assistance. The project opened in 1976. The Complex was later renamed after tenant association president Dan Harrison.
However, within a few years, the residents of the Complex were facing problems which included crumbling bricks and mildew. There were water leaks at many locations in the complex.
However, the problems did not end there.
In 1991, a city report warned that the residents had been dealing with a surge in complex social challenges without adequate support.
The situation continued to deteriorate in the 2010s, and there has been a huge surge in violence and calls about anti-social behavior.
A comparison of the calls about anti-social activity makes the situation amply clear. In 2015, there were 298 calls about anti-social activity, which soared to 2,376 calls in 2019.
Security has been a big concern at the Dan Harrison Community Housing Complex, and this is due to the faulty designs which lead to dead ends, low visibility corners, and multiple potential entrances which enabled trespassers and non-residents to enter the complex with impunity. These include dangerous elements like criminals and drug peddlers.
The city council is aware of the problems and is preparing a roadmap to deal with the issues. The residents may hope for some relief from their misery, but it is not going to happen soon, at least not before 2025.
