Item - 2025.HL29.3

The Board of Health:

1. Endorsed the interim approach, as outlined in the report (November 7, 2025) from the Medical Officer of Health, for the Toronto Urban Health Fund Grant Program for the 2026 and 2027 funding cycles while changes to the Toronto Urban Health Fund Grant Program are considered for the 2028 funding cycle.

2. Requested the Medical Officer of Health to identify another organization or organizations to address any gaps in services and supports most impacted by the closing of AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT), for gay, bisexual, queer and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM), including those who use substances by February 28, 2026.

3. Requested the Medical Officer of Health to report to the Board of Health in 2027 with proposed changes to the Toronto Urban Health Fund Grant Program for the 2028 funding cycle.

The Toronto Urban Health Fund (TUHF) administers $4.2 million in funding to organizations: 1) A community grant program with a budget of $3.3 million, and 2) Purchase of service agreements with five organizations to deliver sexual health programs and services totalling $0.9 million.

The Toronto Urban Health Fund grant program provides grant funding to grassroots and community-based organizations (CBOs) to deliver culturally appropriate, evidence-based HIV and substance use prevention programs and services to underserved groups.

On July 4, 2023, the Board of Health directed the Medical Officer of Health to review the Toronto Urban Health Fund grant program and consult with stakeholders to ensure that recommendations are community- and data-informed. This report summarizes the findings from Toronto Public Health’s (TPH) review of the Toronto Urban Health Fund grant program.

Implementing many of the findings from the program review will require additional consideration, planning and stakeholder consultation and require sufficient notice to impacted program stakeholders. Toronto Public Health will return to the Board of Health in 2027 with proposed changes to the Toronto Urban Health Fund grant program for the 2028 funding cycle.

While Toronto Public Health prepares to implement the findings from the Program Review, Toronto Public Health is proposing an interim approach: 1) streamline the grants administration process for the 2026 and 2027 funding cycles, and 2) fund adaptations or extensions of currently funded one- and three-year projects that are responding to community needs and were approved by the Board of Health in 2024 and 2025. Toronto Public Health will recommend adapted or extended projects for 2026 and 2027 funding to the Board of Health in Q2, 2026.