Item - 2014.AU16.19

City Council on July 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2014, adopted the following:

1.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to develop a risk based process for reviewing eligibility files to ensure that housing providers are effectively administering rent-geared-to-income assistance. 

2.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to conduct an assessment among housing providers of training needs and develop appropriate strategies to meet the needs of staff who perform and oversee eligibility reviews.

3.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to develop a strategy to deal with potential social housing tenant fraud which as a minimum should include the following:

a.         policies and procedures setting out standards for staff performing investigations;

b.         guidelines for housing providers on the steps to be taken in situations where tenant fraud is suspected;

c.         provide tools and training for provider and City staff assigned to detecting and investigating irregular activities; and

d.         ensure the divisional Fraud Action Plan addresses the potential for tenant fraud.

4.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration in collaboration with the General Manager, Toronto Employment and Social Services and the General Manager, Children’s Services to explore opportunities to:

a.         share information for the purpose of verifying eligibility for each program; and

b.         collaborate on investigations regarding mutual clients who may be involved in irregular activities.

5.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to use the provincial database to track rent arrears and rent-geared-to-income funds to be recovered.

6.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to report as part of the annual budget process on number of rent-geared-to-income households provided assistance and the total assistance provided.

7.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to update service agreements with social housing providers and include total housing units in the building and any details concerning other obligations such as but not restricted to:

a.         any specific mandate for the building;

b.         number of market units in the building;

c.         minimum number of rent-geared-to-income units to be maintained at all times; and

d.         minimum number and type of accessible units to be maintained in the building.

8.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to ensure the Social Housing Administration System contains complete and accurate information concerning the mandate, and number and type of units available and occupied in each building.

9.         City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, in collaboration with the Director, Affordable Housing, to ensure all affordable housing units are transferred to Social Housing for ongoing administration to make sure they are occupied by appropriate households.

10.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to establish controls to ensure that Annual Information Returns are received, reviewed and processed within the standard timelines established by the Division.

11.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to develop a standardized process for conducting and tracking operational reviews and criteria to determine the frequency and breadth of the review. 

12.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to revise the policies and procedures relating to providers in difficulty and ensure criteria are developed to guide specific interventions. 

13.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration in consultation with the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer to report to City Council in the spring of 2015 on the potential financial implications of obtaining property tax exemptions for eligible social housing providers.

14.       City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to review all social housing projects to identify those where ownership of the property reverts to the City when the lease expires.