Item - 2015.CD7.3

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council approve the location of a new 30 bed men's emergency shelter to be operated by Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre at 850/854 Bloor Street West in Ward 19 in accordance with the requirement of the Municipal Shelter By-law 138-2003.

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, with respect to the men's emergency shelter located at 850/854 Bloor Street West, to:

  a. Include the following conditions in the operating agreement with the service provider:

i. that the service provider will hire a local community liaison worker who will be responsible for attending the meetings of existing community and business organizations; facilitating a community liaison committee; responding to local concerns and suggestions; and other duties city staff and the service provider determine are required;

 

ii. that the service provider submit a Community Response Plan that outlines the agency's standards for responding to neighbours' concerns, to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration;

 

iii. that the service provider ensure the men using the shelter have access to the employment, housing, health, skills workshops, and other services provided at their facilities and that local outreach is done to ensure that a local population in need is served by this shelter; and

 

iv. that no access be granted from the rear alleyway and no rear yard amenity space be granted without community consultation and approval.

  b. Ensure that Shelter, Support and Housing Administration staff attend the service provider's board meetings for no less than the first year of the shelter's operations, conduct regular site visits and review the service provider’s audited financial statements.

  c. Establish a Community Liaison Committee that includes interested residents, relevant city staff, the service provider agency, and a representative from the local Councillor's office and that this committee meet regularly and be publicly accessible.

  d. Arrange for the appropriate City staff to conduct a community safety audit of the neighbouring park and make recommendations for any changes required to maintain and improve the park.

3. City Council approve the recommended bed capacities and maximum operating contract values as set out in Appendix A to the report (September 29, 2015) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, which are in accordance with the service levels included in the 2015 Approved Operating Budget for Shelter, Support and Housing Administration.

4. City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, or his designate to enter into new or amend the existing purchase of service agreements with community agencies for the provision of shelter services up to the maximum operating contract values as outlined in Appendix A to the report (September 29, 2015) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration.

5. City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, or his designate to enter into a purchase of service agreement with Fred Victor Centre to operate a 37 room Transition to Housing program in Ward 28 for women re-entering/entering the workforce, up to a maximum annualized contract value of $1.2 million.

6. City Council amend the existing authority of the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, or his designate, to enter into a purchase of service agreement for the establishment of a permanent 30 bed transitional and emergency housing program for LGBTQ2S youth in Ward 27 up to a maximum annualized contract value of $0.655 million by replacing the words " Egale Youth Housing Inc" with "Egale Canada Human Rights Trust".

This report recommends allocations to shelter providers to expand existing or create new shelter capacity. The recommendations complement those in the staff report "2015 Funding Allocations for Shelter and Related Services" adopted by City Council at the meeting of July 7, 8, and 9, 2015.

Through the 2015 budget process, $2.5 million was added to Shelter, Support and Housing Administration's (SSHA) base Operating Budget to address shelter occupancy pressures and meet Council's service level standard of a 90 percent occupancy rate in all sectors. In February 2015, the division initiated a Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) process to identify community not-for-profit agencies that could establish new shelter programs or expand their existing programs. This report provides a summary of the results from that process and seeks City Council approval for the establishment of one new permanent shelter program in Ward 19 and Council authority to expand seven existing programs. The programs for which funding is recommended in this report will add a total of 91 permanent beds to the shelter system.

An additional program, which will add a further 30 permanent beds is in the process of securing a location and will be reported on separately pending the outcome of that process.