Suspected rooming house sparks complaints in Cambridge neighbourhood

Residents in Cambridge are calling on the city to clear up an overcrowded home alleged to be operating as a rooming house.

Neighbours living on Wade Green tell CTV News the issue began last summer. They said they saw multiple people living in the home.

In October, a fire broke out inside and that sparked further concerns from nearby residents who feared for the safety of the neighbourhood.

Michael Smith lives two doors down from the alleged rooming house and believes anywhere from 10 to 15 people have lived there.

“Cars would be parked on our cul-de-sac, in front of our driveways, there was a lot of garbage outside,” he told CTV News.

Smith said illegally-parked vehicles would impede service vehicles from entering portions of the street. They would also block other vehicles from entering and exiting driveways.

“We started noticing and started wondering: ‘What’s going on?’” Smith recalled.

Several residents then filed complaints with city bylaw.

Smith also fears a second home on the street is also being converted into a rooming house.

“It’s not as bad as [the first property] was but just the number of vehicles and the number of maneuvering in the driveway that is atypical of an ordinary family,” he explained.

Cambridge councillor Nicholas Ermeta said he’s heard several complaints from concerned residents and wants to understand exactly what’s happening.

“Safe living conditions are paramount so I think it needs further review,” Ermeta told CTV News. “We need to learn more about the situation.”

According to the City of Cambridge bylaws, occupancy standards allow for two people per bedroom.

“Just seeing the number of people coming and going into the house you can quickly conclude that there are more than that number as per the bylaws,” Smith added.

The City of Cambridge said it’s aware of the concerns of residents and is working to find a resolution, but adds that finding an acceptable solution is challenging when so many people are struggling to find homes in the midst of a province-wide housing crisis.

“There have been a lot of meetings taking place,” said Alana Russell, director of communication for the City of Cambridge. “It’s not a situation that can correct itself overnight and it’s something that holds a lot of weight and a lot of impact when you’re considering someone’s place to live.”

The city adds that homes may appear overcrowded depending on the size of the family living inside, but no bylaws are actually being broken.

As of Monday, the alleged rooming house on Wade Green sits empty without any tenants living inside due to the extensive damage left behind by the fire.

Cambridge residents looking to submit their concerns to the city may do so through the Service Cambridge Portal.