Item - 2021.EC25.5

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council adopt the Homelessness Solutions Service Plan in Attachment 2 to the report (October 6, 2021) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration.

2.  City Council thank all of the community partners, frontline staff and stakeholders who provided input into the development of the Homelessness Solutions Service Plan, the City of Toronto and community provider staff who led the implementation of the 2021 Street Needs Assessment and the more than 2,500 people experiencing homelessness who participated in the 2021 Street Needs Assessment survey and shared what services they need to find and maintain housing.

3.  City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to approve and implement all ongoing enhancement and development of the Shelter Management Information System (SMIS) and its alternative iterations required to transform the system into a Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS), including enhanced flow of information across programs with all of the necessary security, privacy and client consent practices in place.

4.  City Council reiterate its requests to the Federal and Provincial Governments to:

a.  continue to provide funding to deliver the COVID-19 response for people experiencing homelessness until such time as Ontario Ministry of Health guidance related to physical distancing in congregate living settings changes and allow for the implementation of the Homelessness Solutions Service Plan while ensuring stabilization of the homelessness service system through to recovery;

b.  provide ongoing and sustainable funding to ensure that appropriate primary health care, harm reduction, overdose prevention and mental health case management services are available to adequately support individuals who are homeless and implement the shelter health services framework to provide a coordinated and consistent approach to health services across the shelter system; and

c.  recognize that permanent solutions to ending chronic homelessness are not possible without increased, long-term funding commitments and provide the capital and ongoing operating funding needed to meet the City of Toronto's supportive housing targets of 1,800 new supportive housing units every year for 10 years.

The Economic and Community Development Committee considered Items EC25.5 and EC25.6 together.

The Acting General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration and the Director, Service Planning and Integrity, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration gave a presentation on Homelessness Service System Update.

The Economic and Community Development Committee:

1.  Requested the City Manager, in consultation with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to report directly to the November 9 and 10, 2021 meeting of City Council on the following:

a.  an update on capital and operating funding contributions from the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario toward:

1.  the 24-month plan approved by City Council on September 30, October 1 and 2, 2020 to deliver 3,000 affordable rental and supportive homes by the end of 2022; and

2.  the targets in the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan to create 18,000 new supportive housing opportunities by 2030 in order to functionally end chronic homelessness in Toronto; and

b.  opportunities to accelerate or expand City Council's targets for building affordable housing to functionally end chronic homelessness in Toronto as a result of COVID-19, evictions, housing unaffordability and other upstream contributors to homelessness.

This report provides an update on the results of the 2021 Street Needs Assessment (SNA), and seeks Council approval of the attached Homelessness Solutions Service Plan for Shelter, Support and Housing Administration (SSHA).

The SNA, conducted in April 2021 for the fifth time in Toronto, is a needs assessment survey and point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness in Toronto led by SSHA, in collaboration with community partners in the homelessness sector. The 2021 results provide critical data needed to understand the impact of the pandemic on homelessness, and to understand broader service needs of people experiencing homelessness in Toronto. The SNA also gives people experiencing homelessness a voice in what services would help them get housing and the supports they need to end their homelessness.

Based on the results of the SNA, as well as extensive engagement and feedback with frontline staff, service providers, sector partners and people with lived experience of homelessness, the Homelessness Solutions Service Plan identifies the implementation priorities to guide SSHA and our partners in the homelessness service system in Toronto over the next three years. The plan supports our ongoing efforts to build and strengthen a responsive homelessness service delivery system which uses an integrated and person-centred approach to address homelessness.

These priorities will advance the outcomes of ensuring people experiencing homelessness in Toronto have access to safe, high quality emergency shelter, and are provided housing-focused supports that ensure homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring.

Homelessness is a complex issue that cannot be solved by any one organization or sector. While the Service Plan identifies the actions related to the homelessness service system, it also highlights the importance of working together. Effective delivery of the housing and homelessness system will require continued close collaboration between SSHA and the Housing Secretariat, other interdivisional partners, as well as ongoing engagement and partnership with community providers, other service sectors, other orders of government and people with lived experience of homelessness, towards our shared goal of ending chronic homelessness in Toronto.