P.O. Youth Initiative to Be Launched over the Next Months

Written by Alexandra Park Youth in cooperation with the Esplanade Youth Group

Boxed in between Spadina, Bathurst, Queen and Dundas streets is the Alexandra Park Community, less formally known as “P.O.”, or Project Original. This community is notable for being the third affordable housing project to be built in the city. Its existing housing was built in the 1960s.

The residents of Alexandra Park face a host of issues that are universal to working class communities in this city. The struggle of these residents for affordable rent and well-repaired housing has been constant for decades. Along the lines of this tenants’ struggles, one of the significant victories for residents in this neighborhood was the winning of co-operative control for their housing, which had once been managed by the Toronto Community Housing Corporation. The community elected its first board in 1999.

Since then, tenants, and particularly the youth, have engaged in an active struggle within their co-operative to improve their community, and in particular, the living conditions for younger residents. These younger residents face the constant threat of police violence and harassment in their home and neighbourhood. Along with the physical threat to their security, the Alexandra Park youth have commonly been labeled as being gang-affiliated or as criminally-inclined.

One of the first efforts by Alexandra Park youth was to develop a more active role in their housing co-op board. They won a majority representation for several years and have since maintained a significant presence. One of the positive gains of this work by the youth was the addressing of the many reported incidents of harassment by neighbourhood security, which had targeted youth.

Another pervasive concern for the community was the lack of accessible programming for children and youth. This was, in large part, due to a lack of funding by the city. Youth leaders took up the task of fighting for more programming in the community, often developing activities themselves. In this area there have been several successes as well.

However, many of the above listed problems that these youth have struggled against have not been significantly addressed. Much of the new programming is not the result of new funding from the city, meaning that it remains inadequate. This situation will only get worse as the City of Toronto articulates its plan to reduce social service spending. Police harassment and violence have not diminished either. Significantly, just as the city cuts, or plans to cut, social spending, the Toronto Police budget continues to increase, making up almost half of municipal spending.

More recently, many in the community, including youth, have shown wariness towards the proposed “revitalization” plans for the community, noting an uncertainty as to the intentions behind the plan. This uncertainty comes just as updated data from the Regent Park Revitalization shows that approximately 600 Rent-Geared-to-Income units will be eliminated in the new development site.

In response to these concerns, we, the youth, are coming together to develop an independent Alexandra Park Youth Initiative. Our organizing efforts will be focused toward building a consistent political and legal education, continuing campaigns against police injustices and continuing the fight for adequate and affordable youth programming in our community.

To get involved in this initiative, or to report incidences of police harassment, get in touch with us by email at: [email protected]

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