Item - 2025.CR8.2

The Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee:

1. Recommended that the General Manager, Seniors Services and Long-Term Care consider including disaggregated race-based data, collected through voluntary self-identification, to identify inequities experienced by Black and other equity-deserving seniors in the Toronto Seniors’ Strategy.

2. Recommended that the General Manager, Senior Services and Long-Term Care consider including in the Toronto Seniors' Strategy clear equity benchmarks and performance indicators related to:

a. aging in place outcomes;

b. evictions and displacement prevention;

c. access to culturally affirming and anti-racist supports; and

d. service accessibility for Black seniors across all neighbourhoods.

3. Recommended that the General Manager, Seniors Services and Long-Term Care consider collaborating with relevant community agencies and Black-led organizations serving seniors in the development and implementation of the Toronto Seniors' Strategy.

4. Recommended that the General Manager, Seniors Services and Long-Term Care consider including a specific section within the Toronto Seniors’ Strategy focused on the experiences, needs, and priorities of Black seniors, grounded in the Recognition–Justice–Development framework.

5. Recommended that the General Manager, Seniors Services and Long-Term Care consider including an Aging-in-Place Protection Framework in the Toronto Seniors' Strategy that identifies and addresses systemic barriers contributing to displacement and eviction of seniors.

6. Requested that City Council, upon receipt of the final Toronto Seniors' Strategy, direct the General Manager, Seniors Services and Long-Term Care to ensure cross-division coordination to support Black seniors and prevent displacement, including alignment with the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism.   

Leslie McCallum, Director, Seniors Services and Community Programs, Seniors Services and Long Term Care and John Wilson, Manager, Senior Services, Seniors Services and Long Term Care gave a presentation on Toronto Seniors’ Strategy Community Consultations.

The community consultation process undertaken to support the development of the third Toronto Seniors’ Strategy will be described, including how staff sought to engage seniors and older adults who identify as Black, Indigenous, or as a member of an equity deserving community(ies). Staff will share an overview of what we heard from Toronto residents who participated in the consultations and request the input of Advisory Committee members.