Item - 2020.PH17.3

Tracking Status

  • City Council adopted this item on October 27, 28 and 30, 2020 with amendments.
  • This item was considered by Planning and Housing Committee on October 20, 2020 and was adopted with amendments. It will be considered by City Council on October 27, 28 and 30, 2020.

PH17.3 - Taking Action to Increase Affordable and Supportive Housing Opportunities

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Amended
Wards:
All

City Council Decision

City Council on October 27, 28 and 30, 2020, adopted the following:

 

1. City Council request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration when identifying sites for possible conversion from shelter to permanent housing, or sites that could accommodate both uses to provide a broad continuum of housing, to add criteria to the list identified in Creating New Affordable Housing and Responding to Funding Programs as outlined in the supplementary report (September 29, 2020) from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat on Addressing Housing and Homelessness Issues in Toronto through Intergovernmental Partnerships on Item 2020.PH16.8 that would consider underrepresented locations where such conversions will allow residents living with homelessness to stay within their community and local support network.

 

2.  City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration and the City Solicitor, to review compliance of existing agreements that secure replacement rental housing with affordable rents to ensure that owners are advertising and offering units to tenant households in need of affordable rents on a fair and open basis; and advancing, if not already included in the agreements, that owners work with the City to ensure where units are not occupied by a returning tenant, that at rent-up or upon turn-over, units are made available to qualifying and eligible households.

 

3.  City Council request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report back to City Council no later than the end of first quarter of 2021 on an implementation plan that establishes transparent access plans for new affordable housing units, including affordable replacement rental units; requirements for an approved access plan should be included in all agreements going forward that ensures that prospective tenants are income tested at rent-up and upon unit turn-over to ensure that affordable units are provided to residents who qualify and are eligible for affordable housing; and such report to include City's process to ensure compliance and how to leverage the choice-based system currently being developed. 

Background Information (Committee)

(October 5, 2020) Report from Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration on Taking Action to Increase Affordable and Supportive Housing Opportunities
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/ph/bgrd/backgroundfile-157300.pdf

Communications (Committee)

(October 16, 2020) Submission from Vashti King, New Toronto Ratepayers Association, including petitions from 1675 people (PH.New.PH17.3.1)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/ph/comm/communicationfile-122365.pdf
(October 19, 2020) Letter from Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, Lakeview Village Business Improvement Area (PH.New.PH17.3.2)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/ph/comm/communicationfile-122417.pdf
(October 19, 2020) Letter from Brian Davis, Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness (PH.New.PH17.3.3)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/ph/comm/communicationfile-122419.pdf
(October 20, 2020) Letter from Keddone Dias, LAMP Community Health Centre (PH.New.PH17.3.4)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/ph/comm/communicationfile-122410.pdf

Communications (City Council)

(October 21, 2020) E-mail from Steven R. Tingley (CC.Supp.PH17.3.5)

Motions (City Council)

1 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Ana Bailão (Carried)

That:

 

1.  City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration and the City Solicitor, to review compliance of existing agreements that secure replacement rental housing with affordable rents to ensure that owners are advertising and offering units to tenant households in need of affordable rents on a fair and open basis; and advancing, if not already included in the agreements, that owners work with the City to ensure where units are not occupied by a returning tenant, that at rent-up or upon turn-over, units are made available to qualifying and eligible households.

 

2.  City Council request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report back to City Council no later than the end of first quarter of 2021 on an implementation plan that establishes transparent access plans for new affordable housing units, including affordable replacement rental units; requirements for an approved access plan should be included in all agreements going forward that ensures that prospective tenants are income tested at rent-up and upon unit turn-over to ensure that affordable units are provided to residents who qualify and are eligible for affordable housing; and such report to include City's process to ensure compliance and how to leverage the choice-based system currently being developed. 


Motion to Adopt Item as Amended (Carried)

Vote (Adopt Item as Amended) Oct-30-2020 10:23 AM

Result: Carried Majority Required - PH17.3 - Adopt the Item as amended
Total members that voted Yes: 22 Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Shelley Carroll, Mike Colle, Gary Crawford, Joe Cressy, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Michael Ford, Mark Grimes, Cynthia Lai, Mike Layton, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Michael Thompson, John Tory
Total members that voted No: 1 Members that voted No are Stephen Holyday
Total members that were Absent: 2 Members that were absent are Jaye Robinson, Kristyn Wong-Tam

PH17.3 - Taking Action to Increase Affordable and Supportive Housing Opportunities

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Amended
Wards:
All

Committee Recommendations

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

 

1. City Council request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration when identifying sites for possible conversion from shelter to permanent housing, or sites that could accommodate both uses to provide a broad continuum of housing, to add criteria to the list identified in Creating New Affordable Housing and Responding to Funding Programs as outlined in PH16.8a, that would consider underrepresented locations where such conversions will allow residents living with homelessness to stay within their community and local support network.

Origin

(October 5, 2020) Report from Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration

Summary

On September 30, 2020, City Council adopted Item No. "PH16.8 - Addressing Housing and Homelessness Issues in Toronto through Inter-governmental Partnerships" and directed the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to report to the October 20, 2020 meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee on a plan to shift future capital and operating funding from shelters to create permanent supportive housing and to include the plan as part of the 2021 Capital and Operating Budget submission.

 
At that meeting City Council also directed staff to develop an affordable housing acquisitions strategy to support the City's COVID-19 Housing and Homelessness Recovery Response Plan, and to report back to the October 20, 2020 meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee with recommendations to activate the strategy to take advantage of the federal Rapid Housing Initiative and ensure that the City is well-positioned to move quickly to acquire properties for people experiencing homelessness.

 

This report responds to Council's direction and provides details on actions taken to-date by staff to proactively prepare to take advantage of the federal Rapid Housing Initiative. It also provides details on how the City plans to pivot to permanent housing solutions while also maintaining capacity in the shelter system for its intended short-term emergency use.

Background Information

(October 5, 2020) Report from Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration on Taking Action to Increase Affordable and Supportive Housing Opportunities
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/ph/bgrd/backgroundfile-157300.pdf

Communications

(October 16, 2020) Submission from Vashti King, New Toronto Ratepayers Association, including petitions from 1675 people (PH.New.PH17.3.1)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/ph/comm/communicationfile-122365.pdf
(October 19, 2020) Letter from Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, Lakeview Village Business Improvement Area (PH.New.PH17.3.2)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/ph/comm/communicationfile-122417.pdf
(October 19, 2020) Letter from Brian Davis, Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness (PH.New.PH17.3.3)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/ph/comm/communicationfile-122419.pdf
(October 20, 2020) Letter from Keddone Dias, LAMP Community Health Centre (PH.New.PH17.3.4)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/ph/comm/communicationfile-122410.pdf

Speakers

Vashti King, New Toronto Ratepayers Association
Brian Davis, Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness (TAEH)

Motions

Motion to Amend Item moved by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Carried)

That:

 

1. City Council request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration when identifying sites for possible conversion from shelter to permanent housing, or sites that could accommodate both uses to provide a broad continuum of housing, to add criteria to the list identified in Creating New Affordable Housing and Responding to Funding Programs as outlined in PH16.8a, that would consider underrepresented locations where such conversions will allow residents living with homelessness to stay within their community and local support network.

Source: Toronto City Clerk at www.toronto.ca/council