The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that:

1.         City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to negotiate with Spike Capital Corporation, Kearns Mancini Architects and others with interests in the adjacent privately owned properties to the south (collectively, "Spike/KMAI”) to develop a non-binding proposal for a public interest partnership for the redevelopment of the Seaton House shelter property and the adjacent properties to the south, which Spike/KMAI has indicated they own or have under contract, into a purpose built facility(s) that may include affordable housing units, supportive housing units, emergency shelter and long-term care beds for the homeless as well as private market uses appropriate for the area.

2.         City Council exempt Spike/KMAI’s proposal from the Unsolicited Proposal Policy and the procurement sections of the Public Interest Partnership Framework, on the basis of Spike/KMAI’s interest in the adjacent residential properties to the south of Seaton House, which places Spike/KMAI in a unique position to assist the City with this redevelopment proposal.

3.         City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to consult with Build Toronto regarding its participation and potential role in the proposed redevelopment, if any, and to involve Build Toronto in the proposal development, if appropriate.

4.         City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to consult with Toronto Community Housing Corporation regarding the potential to include the social housing building to the south at 291 George Street in the proposed redevelopment.

5.         City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to consult with Seaton House staff, Seaton House residents, other appropriate City staff, CUPE Local 79 representatives, and the local community in developing affordable housing, supportive housing, emergency shelter and long-term care beds for the homeless and related support services in the context of a new purpose built facility.

6.         City Council direct that the results of the negotiations with Spike/KMAI, and the redevelopment proposal, including program details, private market components, projected costs, a transition plan, sources of funding and timelines, be brought back to the Community Development and Recreation Committee and City Council for approval.

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that::

1.         City Council direct that following completion of analysis and review of submissions for Year Two funding, the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, submit a report to the Community Development and Recreation Committee recommending approval of proposed projects for Year Two funding under the Social Housing Renovation and Retrofit Program.

This report provides information on the status of funding approved by the Province under the Social Housing Renovation and Retrofit Program (SHRRP), including a list of all projects recommended to the Province under Year One of the Program.

SHRRP provides funding for repairs and energy retrofits to existing social housing units. The program is funded jointly by the federal government, as part of its Economic Action Plan for Canada stimulus initiatives, and the provincial government, as part of its Poverty Reduction Strategy. The Program will provide approximately $220 million for eligible construction ready projects in Toronto that can be completed in fiscal 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.  There is no requirement for the City to cost share in this funding program.

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that:

1.         City Council delegate authority to the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing, to enter into service agreements and allocate funds to partnership programs in the amounts shown in Appendix A to the report (October 23, 2009) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, for a total allocation of up to $803,452.91 gross and $0 net from the 2010 Consolidated Homelessness Prevention Program, subject to approval of the 2010 Operating Budget, and up to $275,398.16 gross and $0 net from the 2009 Consolidated Homelessness Prevention Program, already approved in the 2009 Operating Budget; to:

a.         establish two new drop-in partnership projects;

b.         increase funding for four existing partnership drop-in projects to help ensure basic services are delivered;

c.         provide extended hours of service at nine existing partnership drop-in centres; and

d.         increase funding for one Supports to Daily Living project to permit an expansion in the provision of support services to individuals at three additional housing projects.

2.         City Council delegate authority to the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to enter into service agreements and allocate funds to one time investment programs in the amounts shown in Appendix B to the report (October 23, 2009) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, for a total allocation of up to $628,300.00 gross and $0 net from the 2010 Consolidated Homelessness Prevention Program, subject to approval of the 2010 Operating Budget; to:

a.         provide interim funding to Eva’s Initiatives for Harm Reduction programming at Eva’s Satellite;

b.         continue the Nutritious Food to Drop-in Project, in partnership with the Daily Bread Food Bank;

c.         support consistent sector-wide training in the drop-in and housing help sectors.

3.         City Council delegate authority to the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to enter into service agreements to:

a.         provide financial resources for the 2010 Health and Safety fund consistent with the terms set out in Appendix D to the report (October 23, 2009) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, for a total allocation up to $100,000 gross and $0 net from the 2010 Consolidated Homelessness Prevention Program, subject to approval of the 2010 Operating Budget for Shelter, Support and Housing Administration; and

b.         invest in Supports to Daily Living, Drop-In Services, and Housing Help Outside of Shelters for a total allocation of up to $210,000 gross and $0 net from the 2010 Consolidated Homelessness Prevention Program, subject to approval of the 2010 Operating Budget for Shelter, Support and Housing Administration.

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that:

1.         City Council approve the recommended per diem rates, bed capacities and Personal Needs Allowance rates for the shelter system as set out in Appendix A to the report (October 23, 2009) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, subject to the approval of the 2010 Operating Budget.

2.         City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, and/or his designate to:

a.         enter into purchase of service agreements with community agencies and motel operators for the provision of shelter services and the issuance of Personal Needs Allowance, up to the maximum contract values as outlined in Appendix A to the report (October 23, 2009) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, subject to the approval of the 2010 Operating Budget;

b.         contract with and issue payments of up to $8.676 million(gross)/$1.737 million (net) to Mental Health Program Services of Metropolitan Toronto (Habitat Services) for the provision of housing and supports for psychiatric consumer survivors living in Habitat contracted boarding or rooming houses, subject to the approval of the 2010 Operating Budget;

c.          contract with and issue payments to the Toronto Hostels Training Centre for the administration and provision of training for shelter staff up to a maximum amount of $0.198 million (gross)/$0.099 million (net), subject to the approval of the 2010 Operating Budget;

d.         purchase up to $42,000 (gross and net) in training for staff of the directly operated shelters from the Toronto Hostel Training Centre in order to meet the training requirements laid out in the Council approved Toronto Shelter Standards, subject to the approval of the 2010 Operating Budget;

e.         pilot a system of advance quarterly per diem payments to shelter operators; and

f.          pilot multi-year contracts with shelter providers in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor and Director, Internal Audit, that will reduce the administrative burden on agencies while maintaining accountability to the City.

3.         City Council approve the recommendations arising from the Per Diem Funding Model Review, including consultations with community agencies, as outlined in Appendix I to the report (October 23, 2009) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, and instruct that these recommendations be forwarded to the Minister of Community and Social Services, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care for consideration. 

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that:

1.         City Council approve the 2009 Food Security Investment Program (FSIP) allocation  recommendations totalling $306,000.00 to 10 organizations as described in Appendices 1 and 2 to the report (October 19, 2009) from the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration.

2.         City Council direct that the Food Security Investment Program be administered as part of Community Services Partnership (CSP) program, starting with the 2009 Food Security program update and year end reports; that the CSP annual allocation recommendations include an annual summary of all CSP programs that address food security issues; that the FSIP grant size cap be maintained within the CSP envelope for currently funded FSIP projects.

3.         City Council approve Snow Shovelling and Lawn Care Program allocation recommendations of $351,270.00 to 12 organizations and an amount of $32,350.00 for subsidy and transition issues, as described in Appendix 3 to the report (October 19, 2009) from the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration.

4.         City Council delegate authority to the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to approve the one-time re-allocation of up to $65,000.00 in underutilized 2009 CSP funding that may not be released to organizations due to agency closures or performance reviews; that any re-allocation of funds be made to currently funded CSP organizations; and that any re-allocation be reported to Council in the 2010 CSP allocation recommendation report.

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that:

1.         City Council approve the Identify ‘N Impact allocations totalling $158,300.00 to 19 applicants as recommended in Appendices A and B to the report (October 21, 2009) from the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, and that an amount of $10,000.00 be held for appeals.

2.         City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to establish a goal for the year 2010 to approve one application in each priority neighbourhood.

The Community Development and Recreation Committee forwarded the report (October 21, 2009) from the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to the Community Partnership and Investment Program Appeals Sub-Committee for the purpose of hearing appeals and reporting directly to City Council on the allocation of the appeals fund.

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that:

1.         City Council authorize staff to award a sole source contract for the procurement of Base X shelter systems for the Toronto Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team to HDT Expeditionary Systems Inc., in an amount not to exceed $670,978.33 CDN, net of GST ($645,883.74 US).