Item - 2019.PH7.6

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, in consultation with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to enter into a Transfer Payment Agreement and/or related agreement(s) with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing or any other provincial entity necessary for the receipt and expenditure of funding under the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) and the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) on such terms and conditions as are satisfactory to the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, in consultation with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

2. City Council approve the receipt of Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative and the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative program funds for provision of housing services and initiatives, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Transfer Payment Agreement and any related agreements, directives or program guidelines.

3. City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter Support and Housing Administration in consultation with Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to increase the 2019 approved Operating Budget for Shelter Support and Housing Administration by $11,800,000, $0 net fully funded through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative and the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative, with future year requests subject to Council approval through the annual budget process.

4. City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, in consultation with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to undertake Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative and the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative program administration in accordance with the approved allocations and the Transfer Payment Agreement, including appropriate measures as the program proceeds to adjust program parameter, recipients, and year-end funding among program components as required to ensure full and effective use of available federal/ provincial funds.

5. City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, in consultation with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to develop Investment and Sustainability Plans, outlining funding priorities, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Transfer Payment Agreement and any related program guidelines, and to submit the plans and any updates to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

6. City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, or the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, as appropriate, to enter into agreements or other suitable arrangements with the provincial government, other City divisions, community agencies, private entities and/or individuals to deliver the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative and the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative components in accordance with the terms and conditions of the program guidelines on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration or the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

7. City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, in consultation with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to report to the Planning and Housing Committee in Q1 2020, on activity to date and funding projections on the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative and the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative.

The City of Toronto is committed to providing affordable, well-maintained and secure housing as a key component of building and sustaining healthy and inclusive communities. The purpose of this report is to seek Council approval for the City of Toronto to participate in two new federal/ provincial housing and homelessness programs: the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) and the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI). The provincial government has allocated a three year total of $159.8 million in federal/ provincial funding to the City of Toronto through the programs. Between 2019 and 2022, these programs will assist in maintaining and increasing housing options for some 9,000 low to moderate income Toronto households.

The delegated authorities sought in this report are time-critical as any delay in signing the Transfer Payment Agreement with the Province would miss the provincial deadline in activating these initiatives. This report also seeks Council approval for authority to make funding allocations under the various components of the two programs. The programs will further the City's housing, homelessness and poverty reduction goals, assist the non-profit housing sector and support mixed-income, complete communities, while complementing the City's own housing programs.

COCHI is intended to support non-profit community housing providers through both capital and operating funding. Capital funding can be used to support community housing provider's repair or renovate building systems and carry out health and safety repairs. Operating funding can be used for rent supplements or transitional operating funding. The objective of COCHI is to stabilize the supply of community housing through repairs, renovations, operating and rent supports to protect tenant's social housing in projects with expiring operating agreements or mortgages. This report recommends allocating the majority of COCHI funds to the operating components to secure long-term affordability for residents in receipt of rent-geared-to-income (RGI) assistance in social housing projects developed through federal social housing programs.

OPHI provides both operating and capital funding. The operating component can be used for housing allowance/rent supplement programs to make rents more affordable for tenants in existing rental buildings and provide support services. The three capital components are: new non-profit rental housing construction, home repair funding and home-ownership loan funding. OPHI is a continuation of the Investment in Affordable Housing Program.

This report requests authorization for the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration and the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to enter into agreements with the Government of Ontario and other organizations to deliver the initiatives and ensure effective use of available federal/provincial funding. COCHI and OPHI are a part of the bi-lateral agreement signed in April 2018 between the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario under the National Housing Strategy.