By Mike Anderson
An 85-year-old man assaulted last month at Lakeside Residences, a subsidized apartment building operated by Housing York Inc.(HYI), located at 17 The Queensway S. in Keswick, is calling on his landlord to improve security.
The 85-year-old, who does not want to be identified, fearing reprisals from his assailant, was hospitalized for four days following the assault and is still recovering from his injuries.
The assault took place on August 4 after he confronted two people trespassing in the hallway outside his apartment and demanded that they leave the building. The male trespasser pushed the 85-year-old, who uses a walker, to the ground and punched him repeatedly.
The suspect is known to police – he has been the subject of a trespass notice at the building since 2022 – and was recorded by a surveillance camera, located near the elevator.
He is also the subject of a trespass notice at nearby Keswick Gardens, another HYI-run property, dating back to 2021.
According to a YRP spokesperson, a warrant has been issued for one count of assault, and police are attempting to locate the suspect who remains at large.
“They need to find a way to protect people in this building. That’s all I want them to do,” the 85-year-old assault victim told the Post.
“There are a lot of young kids living here now. And there are a lot of old people in here. And, these trespassers just come walking in and out whenever they feel like it.”
“They put up trespass notices. And people ignore them. There’s nobody to stop them coming in.”
While the building has controlled access, according to the victim, it hasn’t stopped trespassers, including suspected drug dealers, from entering the building.
“There’s a buzzer on the door. But people keep letting them in. I cannot understand why there isn’t better security here,” he said.
The Post asked HYI to comment on the assault.
According to Joshua Scholten, Director, Housing Operations, York Region, tenants should call 9-1-1 if they encounter an individual who is subject to a trespass notice and should not engage with the individual.
However, Scholten did not explain why the suspect had been able to enter the building daily, according to the victim, since the trespass notice was issued by HYI in 2022.
“HYI buildings are not open to the public; access is limited to tenants, authorized visitors and staff,” Scholten said in a statement emailed to the Post.
“As this matter is now under York Regional Police investigation, we cannot comment further; the HYI team is engaging with York Regional Police to explore holding resident information sessions to share information on crime prevention strategies and fraud prevention.”
Seniors in the building say info sessions don’t go far enough. They want to see a dedicated staff member or contract security onsite during off-hours.
According to Scholten, HYI does review security measures on a case-by-case basis. However, despite a record of criminal activity in the building, HYI, so far, has resisted adding staff or contract security to monitor access to the building.
“We understand and appreciate tenants’ concerns regarding security presence during evenings and weekends,” Scholten said.
“HYI uses a combination of onsite staff support and building monitoring systems to support safety. HYI also reviews resident requests for additional security staff during off-hours and makes determinations on a case-by-case basis; these decisions are informed by factors such as patterns of increased criminal activity, safety concerns and repeated incidents of unauthorized access.”
Lakeside Residences, which was initially proposed as a seniors-only building but is currently mixed, has a history of criminal activity. Since the 97-unit building opened in 2014, there have been a series of drug offences and assaults, including a stabbing in 2021.
A former resident, who also declined to have their name published, says HYI buildings once had night security; however, that was cut by HYI.
“There is no manner of policing in these buildings. We used to have night security. But those things are gone by the board. They don’t want to spend the money. We are left to deal with these issues on our own.”
She also says the building superintendents, who rotate between HYI properties, do little to deter crime because they only work 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“You’re lucky if they are still there at 5 p.m. in that building. You don’t see them until the following morning,” she said.
She believes HYI has an obligation to protect seniors, and they are not living up to it.
“It’s up to us to call the police if we see a trespasser. But most seniors are too terrified in case there are repercussions,” she said.
“We should have somebody in these buildings from HYI, who’s here 24 hours a day. A 12-hour shift, followed by another 12-hour shift. Onsite, all hours.”
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