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Residents raise concerns over county’s response to issues at housing complex

September 10, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A group of local residents living in a Dufferin County housing complex say long periods of noise, sleepless nights and repeated complaints have left them frustrated with what they believe has been a lack of meaningful action from housing officials.

Several residents at 227 Williams Street in Shelburne recently spoke about their experiences at the complex, living with what they describe as a loud and unruly tenant, asking that their identities be withheld due to concerns about ongoing tensions within the building.

One resident, Angela Kennedy, was willing to speak on the record and described what she said was two weeks of constant noise that left her sleep-deprived.

“For about two weeks straight, I was able to get maybe a couple hours of sleep,” she said. “It was the pounding and the yelling and the screaming and the music playing over and over and over again. They put on Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, or Baby Shark, and it just goes on and on, it doesn’t stop.”

The music, screaming and banging from a fellow tenant are at the centre of their concerns, and continue to occur at various hours of the day and night.

Some residents say the problems have persisted for years, while others who moved into the building more recently say the situation has made it difficult to comfortably live in their apartments.

One anonymous resident said they moved in recently and can’t regularly sleep in their apartment because of the noise.

“I moved [here] in 2026,” the resident said. “I have slept, maybe, three weeks in the time being in my apartment because I cannot tolerate it. I have trauma, PTSD. The screaming, the loud music has affected my mental health.”

They said they regularly stay elsewhere to avoid the noise.

Residents said the impact has extended far beyond an inconvenience.

The disturbances that continue to disrupt their sleep can continue throughout the night before beginning again following only a short break. One resident said the sleep deprivation has affected their mood and ability to function normally.

Residents added that they have repeatedly attempted to address the situation through complaints to housing officials and calls to police. They say recordings and documentation of the disturbances have also been provided to the County of Dufferin.

Their largest concern, however, is what they describe as a lack of progress despite those efforts.

Kennedy and the other residents recalled a meeting with county housing officials attended by approximately 15 people from the complex. They said they entered the meeting hopeful that having several residents describe similar experiences would lead to a solution.

“When we had the meeting, I came in with a good feeling. I’m thinking, finally, they’re going to hear from everybody because we had 15 people show up here, 15 different residents show up here, and they all were saying their piece. We had videos, we had recordings. I thought that the meeting was going to go in our favour. Finally, they’re going to do something.”

Instead, Kennedy and the residents alleged that county staff had a very different reaction.

“They just looked at us,” Kennedy said. “They said, ‘If you don’t like it, you can always move,’”

For those who attended, the response left them feeling as though their concerns had been dismissed rather than addressed.

“Like moving is the easiest thing to do, just pick up and leave,” Kennedy said. “They’re not willing to fix the problem.”

The Shelburne Free Press reached out to the County of Dufferin for comment, and the county confirmed that a meeting did take place with tenants, but declined to comment further.

“Dufferin County hosted a meeting for all tenants at 227 William Street in June to review the complaint policy/process with those who attended,” the county said. “In regard to 227 William Street, forms that must be completed to file a concern are available in the common room at this location. To protect privacy, the county cannot comment on individual tenant cases.”

Residents also expressed frustration with what they see as inconsistent enforcement of rules within the building. Several pointed to restrictions surrounding personal security cameras, saying they had been instructed to remove cameras from their own units while alleging cameras belonging to another residence have remained in place.

The County of Dufferin said that while tenants are not permitted to have cameras in personal areas, it is a safety measure to protect privacy, and the county maintains its own cameras on the premises.

“With safety top of mind, Dufferin County has cameras at points of entry/exit at its housing properties,” the county said. “Tenants are not permitted to have personal cameras in common areas of a building, including the exterior of their unit door pointing into a hallway. Tenants may install cameras in the interior of their units as long as they do not record common areas of a property. This is to ensure respect and to protect all tenants’ privacy.”

Police have also responded to the complex on numerous occasions, according to the residents, and have at times witnessed the disturbances themselves. Residents said officers have also reviewed recordings and spoken individually with people living in the building.

Despite that involvement, residents said they believe the underlying housing issue remains unresolved.

They said their intention in speaking publicly is not simply to complain about another tenant, but to draw attention to what they see as a broader failure to adequately respond when numerous residents report that their quality of life is being affected

After years of documenting incidents, contacting authorities and raising their concerns with housing officials, residents say they want to see a clear path forward addressing the situation.

“Something done about this and done permanently,” a resident said.

“The main issue is that the county is not doing anything for the people.”

For them, the issue has become less about disagreements between neighbours and more about whether residents can expect their concerns to result in action when they say they no longer feel comfortable in their own homes.

The county said that safety and the well-being of tenants remains a priority for the housing properties they manage.

“Dufferin County housing tenants are always encouraged to reach out to the county if they have a concern or complaint and the county is dedicated to working with its tenants and, when necessary, the Ontario Provincial Police to uphold safety at its properties,” the county said.

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