Item - 2014.AU16.19

Tracking Status

  • City Council adopted this item on July 8, 2014 without amendments and without debate.
  • This item was considered by the Audit Committee on June 27, 2014 and adopted without amendment. It will be considered by City Council on July 8, 2014.

AU16.19 - Strengthening the City’s Oversight of Social Housing Programs

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Adopted on Consent
Wards:
All

City Council Decision

City Council on July 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2014, adopted the following:

 

1.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to develop a risk based process for reviewing eligibility files to ensure that housing providers are effectively administering rent-geared-to-income assistance. 

 

2.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to conduct an assessment among housing providers of training needs and develop appropriate strategies to meet the needs of staff who perform and oversee eligibility reviews.

 

3.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to develop a strategy to deal with potential social housing tenant fraud which as a minimum should include the following:

 

a        policies and procedures setting out standards for staff performing investigations;

 

b        guidelines for housing providers on the steps to be taken in situations where tenant fraud is suspected;

 

c.         provide tools and training for provider and City staff assigned to detecting and investigating irregular activities; and

d        ensure the divisional Fraud Action Plan addresses the potential for tenant fraud.

4.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration in collaboration with the General Manager, Toronto Employment and Social Services and the General Manager, Children’s Services to explore opportunities to:

 

a        share information for the purpose of verifying eligibility for each program; and

b        collaborate on investigations regarding mutual clients who may be involved in irregular activities.

5.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to use the provincial database to track rent arrears and rent-geared-to-income funds to be recovered.

6.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to report as part of the annual budget process on number of rent-geared-to-income households provided assistance and the total assistance provided.

7.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to update service agreements with social housing providers and include total housing units in the building and any details concerning other obligations such as but not restricted to:

a        any specific mandate for the building;

b.         number of market units in the building;

c        minimum number of rent-geared-to-income units to be maintained at all times; and

d        minimum number and type of accessible units to be maintained in the building.

8.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to ensure the Social Housing Administration System contains complete and accurate information concerning the mandate, and number and type of units available and occupied in each building.

9.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, in collaboration with the Director, Affordable Housing, to ensure all affordable housing units are transferred to Social Housing for ongoing administration to make sure they are occupied by appropriate households.

10.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to establish controls to ensure that Annual Information Returns are received, reviewed and processed within the standard timelines established by the Division.

11.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to develop a standardized process for conducting and tracking operational reviews and criteria to determine the frequency and breadth of the review. 

12.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to revise the policies and procedures relating to providers in difficulty and ensure criteria are developed to guide specific interventions. 

13.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration in consultation with the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer to report to City Council in the spring of 2015 on the potential financial implications of obtaining property tax exemptions for eligible social housing providers.

14.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to review all social housing projects to identify those where ownership of the property reverts to the City when the lease expires.

Background Information (Committee)

(June 2, 2014) Report from the Auditor General - Strengthening the City’s Oversight of Social Housing Programs
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2014/au/bgrd/backgroundfile-70649.pdf

AU16.19 - Strengthening the City’s Oversight of Social Housing Programs

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Adopted
Wards:
All

Committee Recommendations

The Audit Committee recommends that:

 

1.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to develop a risk based process for reviewing eligibility files to ensure that housing providers are effectively administering rent-geared-to-income assistance. 

 

2.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to conduct an assessment among housing providers of training needs and develop appropriate strategies to meet the needs of staff who perform and oversee eligibility reviews.

 

3.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to develop a strategy to deal with potential social housing tenant fraud which as a minimum should include the following:

 

a        policies and procedures setting out standards for staff performing investigations;

 

b        guidelines for housing providers on the steps to be taken in situations where tenant fraud is suspected;

 

c.         provide tools and training for provider and City staff assigned to detecting and investigating irregular activities; and

d        ensure the divisional Fraud Action Plan addresses the potential for tenant fraud.

4.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration in collaboration with the General Manager of Toronto Employment and Social Services and the General Manager of Children’s Services explore opportunities to:

 

a        share information for the purpose of verifying eligibility for each program; and

b        collaborate on investigations regarding mutual clients who may be involved in irregular activities.

5.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to use the provincial database to track rent arrears and rent-geared-to-income funds to be recovered.

6.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to report as part of the annual budget process on number of rent-geared-to-income households provided assistance and the total assistance provided.

7.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to update service agreements with social housing providers and include total housing units in the building and any details concerning other obligations such as but not restricted to:

a        any specific mandate for the building;

b.         number of market units in the building;

c        minimum number of rent-geared-to-income units to be maintained at all times; and

d        minimum number and type of accessible units to be maintained in the building.

8.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to ensure the Social Housing Administration System contains complete and accurate information concerning the mandate, and number and type of units available and occupied in each building.

9.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, in collaboration with the Director of Affordable Housing, ensure all affordable housing units are transferred to Social Housing for ongoing administration to make sure they are occupied by appropriate households.

10.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to establish controls to ensure that Annual Information Returns are received, reviewed and processed within the standard timelines established by the Division.

11.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to develop a standardized process for conducting and tracking operational reviews and criteria to determine the frequency and breadth of the review. 

12.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to revise the policies and procedures relating to providers in difficulty and ensure criteria are developed to guide specific interventions. 

13.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration in consultation with the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer to report to City Council in the spring of 2015 on the potential financial implications of obtaining property tax exemptions for eligible social housing providers.

14.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to review all social housing projects to identify those where ownership of the property reverts to the City when the lease expires.

Origin

(June 2, 2014) Report from the Auditor General

Summary

The Auditor General’s Work Plan included a review of social housing subsidies administered by the Social Housing Unit in the Shelter, Support and Housing Administration Division.  The expenditures for the Social Housing Unit in 2013 were $466 million. 

 

The objective of this review was to assess the adequacy of the City’s oversight of social housing in ensuring the accuracy of rent-geared-to-income (RGI) assistance provided to eligible households and operating subsidies to housing providers. 

 

While Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) is the main provider of social housing units in the City, the focus of this review was on the City's oversight of the additional 246 not-for-profit social housing providers.  In 2013, RGI assistance was provided to 52,309 households living in TCHC housing units and an additional 14,829 households living in housing units supplied by other social housing providers.

 

This report contains 14 recommendations.  Addressing the recommendations in this report will strengthen the City’s oversight role as the service manager for social housing programs. 

Background Information

(June 2, 2014) Report from the Auditor General - Strengthening the City’s Oversight of Social Housing Programs
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2014/au/bgrd/backgroundfile-70649.pdf

Motions

Motion to Adopt Item moved by Councillor Josh Matlow (Carried)
Source: Toronto City Clerk at www.toronto.ca/council