Tenants at 122 Massey get new hope after eviction notices
'The Urgent Priority Status (UPS) policy update will benefit tenants at 122 Massey who have received an N13 notice by allowing them to be prioritized on the centralized waitlist,' according to DNSSAB.
Tenants at Westwinds Village, 122 Massey Drive, are facing an uncertain future after receiving N13 eviction notices recently due to needing major repairs, but a policy update passed this week may give them new options for affordable housing.
On Wednesday, the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DNSSAB) approved changes to its Urgent Priority Status (UPS) policy, expanding it to include social housing tenants who have received N13 eviction notices due to major repairs or structural safety concerns.
The move comes just weeks after residents at Westwinds Village, operated by PHARA Community Services, were issued N13 notices stating that the future of the building is “undetermined.”
The updated policy means those tenants can now be fast-tracked for other affordable housing units in the region. Previously, N13 recipients had to rejoin the centralized waitlist—often starting from the bottom—despite already spending years waiting for their current housing.
“Our understanding now is that this increases social housing options for those tenants who have received N13s,” PHARA CEO Mike Van der Vlist said to BayToday. “It basically decreases the timeframe to access additional housing options. So PHARA’s opinion is this is excellent news for assisting tenants, and anything you can do to assist tenants with social housing is always a positive in our community.”
DNSSAB says the goal is to “prevent the risk of homelessness” by prioritizing these individuals on the waitlist.
“The Urgent Priority Status (UPS) policy update will benefit tenants at 122 Massey who have received an N13 notice by allowing them to be prioritized on the centralized waitlist,” a DNSSAB spokesperson wrote in an email to BayToday.
Van der Vlist added, “I would encourage them again, as we have in the recent memo that was issued at the end of August, to apply to the central housing waitlist … and we'll continue to keep our tenants apprised, and we'll be sending something shortly out to them of this information (the UPS policy update).”
He says there are 48 units at 122 Massey, with about 40 currently occupied by approximately 80 people. Eight of the units are accessible and linked to PHARA’s assisted living campus program. Tenants include seniors and people with disabilities receiving at-home care.
Van der Vlist says the “site-wide structural challenges” came to light last fall, triggering ongoing work with engineers, architects, and contractors. A fundraising campaign—Save Massey—was launched in March of this year to try to raise $8.4 million for major repairs. At the time, $1.2 million was raised.
“There are plans for their repair,” said Van der Vlist. “But again, that requires a significant capital investment, and we continue to work with all of our partners because we need to ensure that social housing remains open.”
He confirmed that a few tenants have already left since receiving the notices, though many are struggling to find alternate housing in North Bay’s rental market.
“Housing is a key social determinant of health. It impacts school, work, and quality of life,” Van der Vlist said. “It is really one of the key bases for quality life, and when that becomes a question, there will obviously always be worries and concerns.”
When asked about government support, he said local officials and agencies are engaged, but funding challenges persist at all levels.
“It’s not only here in North Bay or the local area,” said Van der Vlist. “This is a provincial and national challenge for social housing at this time.”
Still, he says PHARA remains committed to saving the building rather than pursuing demolition or redevelopment.
“Our interest is to repair 122 Massey Drive and to keep this social housing available,” he said. “Our hope is that repair is still cheaper than rebuild, and the goal is to keep units open.”