COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE

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URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

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1.9:30 A.M.THE MAYOR'S HOMELESSNESS ACTION TASK FORCE FINAL REPORT: POLICY DIRECTIONS RELATED TO COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND POLICY DIRECTIONS RELATED TO THE HOUSING POLICIES OF THE OFFICIAL PLAN

Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services

(April 8, 1999)

Respecting the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force Final Report and the policy directions and associated financial implications for the City of Toronto arising from such report related to service co-ordination and planning, emergency shelter, social assistance, health and mental health, housing help, supportive and affordable housing, Aboriginal peoples, immigrants and refugees, families and youth; noting that there are no immediate financial implications for the City; and recommending that:

(1)in keeping with the Task Force call for the City to exercise a leadership role in responding to the homeless crisis:

(a)the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services report back to Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee by Fall 1999 on a proposed format for a municipal report card on homelessness;

(b)the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services meet with senior representatives in the Ministry of Community and Social Services to discuss expansion of the abused women's shelter system in Toronto (an estimated 380 additional beds are required). As this type of expansion would take several years, the Commissioner should further request that the Province provide funding to community-based agencies to support abused women forced to use emergency shelters because of the shortfall in the abused women's system;

(c)the City actively pursue the Task Force recommendation to establish partnerships between youth shelters and landlords to create additional housing units for youth;

(d)the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services convene a meeting with the Ontario Multi-Faith Council regarding the development of appropriate discharge protocols, including follow-up support, for people leaving correctional facilities;

(2)in recognition of the need for all three levels of government to take ownership of the problem of homelessness and responsibility for solving it, Council encourage the involvement of the other levels of government in areas that fall within their jurisdictions by:

(a)urging the Province to earmark funds from the transfer of federal monies for health and social services to a dedicated Homeless Health Fund to address the special needs of homeless persons;

(b)urging the Federal Government to designate a senior representative to work directly with the City of Toronto and representatives of Aboriginal organizations in Toronto to develop a culturally appropriate homeless strategy building on the recommendations proposed by the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force;

(c)urging the Federal Government to designate a senior representative to work directly with the City of Toronto and representatives of the immigrant and refugee service sector in Toronto to discuss the broad range of immigration and refugee policy and program issues at the municipal level including those related to homelessness proposed by the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force;

(d)urging the Federal Government to allow refugee claimants access to basic settlement services and to enhance access to and coverage of the Federal Interim Health Plan for refugee claimants;

(e)urging the Federal Government to provide capital funding for an additional shelter for refugees in Toronto;

(f)urging the Province to appoint senior representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Attorney General and the Ministry of the Solicitor General and Correction Services to work directly with the City of Toronto and its community partners to develop discharge protocols, including follow-up support, for all institutions who discharge people to no fixed address or to emergency shelters;

(g)urging the Province to ensure that the definitions of special need and eligibility for supportive housing is broad enough to include "hard-to-house" homeless people;

(h)urging the Province to maintain administration of the Support to Daily Living Program (representing approximately $3 million for Toronto) in recognition of the provincial responsibility for supportive housing;

(i)urging the Province to expand Habitat Services by an additional 200 beds for the year 2000 and to provide full 80 percent funding for this program;

(j)urging the Province to approve the funding proposal to expand the Breaking the Cycle program to include a new substance abuse treatment program for young mothers;

(k)welcoming the recent provincial announcement to make government-owned land available for housing and housing demonstration projects, and urge the Province to establish a process for working with the City to identify potential sites;

(l)urging the Province to support municipal affordable housing partnerships through measures such as capital grants/equity or a role in lending, where the Province does have existing capability;

(m)welcoming the recent provincial announcement on rent supplements, and to urge the Province to consult with the City of Toronto on the design of the rent supplement program with a goal of immediate implementation;

(n)urging the Federal Government to identify specific government-owned sites for use as housing demonstration projects, in co-operation with the City; and

(o)urging Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to enhance its housing partnership role by substantially increasing its support to new affordable housing through revised mortgage insurance policies and direct lending;

(3)this report be forwarded to the new federal Minister of Homelessness and the provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Minister of Community and Social Services, and the Minister of Health; and

(4)appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

(A)Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services

(April 15, 1999)

Providing an overview of the recommendations and policy directions proposed in the final report of the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force relating to the housing policies of the Official Plan and to present an implementation framework, and recommending that the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services:

(1)in consultation with the City Solicitor, be requested to meet with senior staff of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to seek legislative authority to provide the City of Toronto with enhanced demolition control powers consistent with the provisions of the former Rental Housing Protection Act (RHPA);

(2)be authorized, commencing immediately, to pursue contributions toward the provision of affordable housing pursuant to Section 37 of the Planning Act for increases in permitted height and/or density, with respect to the following situations:

(a)site-specific amendments to both the Official Plan and Zoning By-Laws that are being approved for a specific development; and

(b)site-specific amendments to the Zoning By-Law that are being approved and in which the appropriate Official Plan provisions for the implementation of Section 37 are already in place;

(3)be authorized to request that the Committee of Adjustment, when dealing with minor variance applications involving substantial increases in height and/or density, impose a condition under Section 45(9) of the Planning Act for a contribution toward affordable housing where the need for affordable housing is reasonably related to the variance applied for;

(4)any cash contribution in lieu of affordable housing, secured through the implementation of Recommendations 2 and 3, be deposited to the Capital Revolving Fund for Affordable Housing;

(5)prepare draft amendments to the City's Planning documents, for consideration by the Planning and Transportation Committee, Community Councils and Council, to permit second suites as-of-right in all single- and semi-detached houses, subject to appropriate building, fire and planning standards being met and consistent with the approach taken in the 1994 provincial legislation;

(6)consider as a high priority, in the preparation of a housing implementation plan as part of the Official Plan process, policies on urban intensification and the inclusion of affordable housing in new residential developments ;

(7)consult with the heads of the appropriate Departments to prepare, implement and report on a plan to streamline development approvals which builds on current efforts and takes into consideration best practices;

(8)thoroughly review the current planning provisions and procedures respecting rooming houses and examine the opportunities for the provision of such housing City-wide in the context of a longer-term work plan in co-ordination with Buildings, Fire, Housing, Health and Legal staff; and

(9)that the appropriate City Officials be authorized to undertake any necessary actions to give effect thereto.

(B)Secretary, Board of Health

(April 9, 1999)

Advising that the Board of Health on April 6, 1999, had before it a report (March 31, 1999) from the Medical Officer of Health respecting the action strategy for the Public Health response to Homelessness; outlining the recommendations of the Board of Health in regard thereto; and forwarding the report to the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee for information.

(C)Councillor Norman Gardner

(February 5, 1999)

Forwarding a brief from Major Tom Tuppenney, Executive Director of the Salvation Army's Street Harbour Light Centre, respecting the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force report entitled "Taking Responsibility for Homelessness".