Item - 2012.CD10.3

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that:

1.         City Council adopt the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy 2020, comprised of the following eight key elements:

a.         Goals and Objectives:  The goal of the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy 2020 is to advance equitable outcomes for all neighbourhoods.  The Strategy has two objectives:

i.          to ensure every Toronto neighbourhood has the public, private and community infrastructure required for equitable resident opportunities; and

ii.         to ensure broader municipal, regional, provincial and national policies, programs and funding priorities are informed by a neighbourhoods perspective.

b.         Neighbourhood Improvement Areas:  Neighbourhoods requiring targeted investment will be designated using the City's 140 social planning neighbourhoods and identified as "Neighbourhood Improvement Areas" (NIA).  The current 13 priority investment neighbourhoods will be designated as the first Neighbourhood Improvement Areas;

c.         Targeted Investments:  Investments will be targeted at NIAs to create the equitable opportunities for residents required to advance equitable outcomes for neighbourhoods;

d.         Continuous Service Improvement:  City services to Toronto residents will be continuously improved in NIAs with inter-divisional collaboration on service planning and delivery;

e.         Networks and Service Partnerships:  The City will support the development of neighbourhood-based networks and service partnerships in NIAs;

f.          Engagement:  Local residents, businesses and community-based organizations and groups will be engaged in planning the social and economic development of NIAs;

g.         Monitoring and Evaluation:  The City will:

i.          work in collaboration with United Way Toronto and a broad range of stakeholders to: develop an equity-based framework that identifies the outcomes the City will work to advance for all neighbourhoods;  develop an evaluation process that considers progress made in advancing equitable neighbourhood outcomes and equitable resident opportunities using both quantitative and qualitative research methods; and establish new NIA designation criteria based on the outcome framework, the evaluation process, and other analytical tools, including Wellbeing Toronto and the most recent demographic information;

ii.         monitor the wellbeing of all 140 social planning neighbourhoods on an ongoing basis using the outcome framework, evaluation results, NIA designation criteria, and drawing on Wellbeing Toronto and other available sources of data; and

iii.        report regularly on the progress made against the Strategy's goal and objectives; and

h.         Neighbourhood-Informed Policy and Program Development:  Learnings from targeted efforts in NIAs will be used to inform both municipal and broader regional, provincial and national policies, programs and funding priorities.

2.         City Council direct the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to report back on the outcome framework, evaluation process, designation criteria, monitoring process and reporting cycle for NIAs in 2012 and to seek authority to establish the next group of Neighbourhood Improvement Areas at that time.

3.         City Council direct the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration:

a.         collaborate with United Way Toronto to develop and implement a plan for engaging a wide array of private, public and community funders in the development of NIAs, and for ensuring that the federal, provincial, and regional policies, programs and funding priorities that have an impact on the advancement of equitable neighbourhood outcomes and the provision of equitable resident opportunities are informed by a neighbourhoods perspective; and

b.         report back to the Community Development and Recreation Committee in 2012 on this plan.

4.         City Council direct the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and the Project Director, Tower Renewal to work jointly to:

a.         adapt and document the Communities in Flight (CIF) model for the improvement of living conditions and quality of life in low-income high-rise apartment buildings;

b.         identify a pilot site and test the adapted CIF model there;

c.         if the pilot is successful, use a public procurement process to establish a roster of property management companies and community service organizations with the expertise to implement the adapted model; and

d.         share learnings from the pilot project with United Way Toronto's Tower Neighbourhood Renewal Committee.

e.         report to the Community Development and Recreation Committee with any further recommendations for action arising out of this pilot.

5.         City Council forward the report "Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy 2020" to the Toronto Library Board, the Toronto Police Service Board, the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board, the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board for consideration.