Item - 2017.CD19.6

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council adopt the new community engagement process that sets out how the public will be engaged around new or relocated municipal shelter locations as described in Attachment 1 to the report (March 30, 2017) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to replace the current policy known as the Community Information Process, as follows:

"1. Pre-Planning

The following work, and a summary of the relevant results, should be completed before the community engagement process begins:

-     Area Profile

-     City Services Coordination Plan

-     Due Diligence Process, including completion of the Shelter Site Assessment Template

-     Program Model

-     Group(s) to be served

-     Program capacity

-     Service type

-     Staffing model

-     Community support model

-     Special features

2. Facilitation

A facilitator with expertise in managing complex and potentially contentious community engagement processes will be selected to plan and implement each project's engagement plan. The facilitator will be selected from a pre-qualified list that will be updated on an annual basis.

3. Engagement Plan

Based on the findings of the pre-planning process the project's unique engagement plan will be developed. Every plan will include a set of required activities. The need or value of adding other (optional) activities will be considered for every plan.

To support the engagement plan, a summary of the pre-planning work will be developed and may be used to support engagement discussions.

City Councillors whose Wards either contain or have a boundary located within 250 metres of a proposed municipal shelter location will be briefed on the pre-planning findings, and on the engagement plan before it is finalized.

4. Purpose of Engagement

All engagement activities will be based on respectful dialogue and non-threatening language. People will be supported to articulate their concerns in a constructive manner so solutions can be identified. People with lived experience and other vulnerable people will also have a safe space to express their ideas and needs. The focus of engagement will be on planning for and improving the service to be delivered, not approving it.

5. Required Engagement Activities

Meetings with Key Stakeholders

Engagement meetings will be requested with representatives of the following organizations where their service areas contain or have a boundary located within 250 metres of a proposed municipal shelter location:

-     Community associations, groups and tables

-     Business Improvement Areas

-     Local Health Improvement Network

-     Community Health Centres

-     Schools

-     Youth-serving organizations

These meetings may be organization-specific or bring organizations together in groups.

Information website

A page will be added to the City's website that will contain a project overview, a phone number and email address for information or meeting inquiries, information about planned open house(s) and other community engagement opportunities, and a space for directly submitting project input.

Information notice

A project information notice will be circulated to properties within a 500 metre radius of the proposed municipal shelter location. The notice will include a project summary, a phone number and email address for information or meeting inquiries, the project's webpage address, and planned open house(s) details.

Public open house

A public open house will be held, within the Ward containing the proposed municipal shelter location. Open houses will provide project information and the opportunity for residents to speak to a range of City and agency representatives about homelessness generally, the specific service being proposed, and how the project can be supported by the community.

6. Optional Engagement Activities

The required engagement activities may not provide all stakeholders an opportunity to learn about and provide input into the shelter. The City may also identify information gaps or unexplored partnership opportunities that additional engagement activities will address.

Optional engagement activities may be added to the engagement plan throughout the engagement process. No limits will be placed on the potential variety or number of engagement activities. They will be held where staff determine that they are likely to help the community to be more broadly aware of and better understand the project, or where they are likely to enhance the project.

Optional engagement activities may include:

-     Additional open houses

-     Additional engagement meetings with local stakeholders

-     Service partner meetings

-     Community Liaison Committee formation and meetings

-     Design charette

-     Focus group meetings

Additional web-based tools and technologies may also be used to enhance the engagement process, either independently or in order to enhance one or more of the required or optional engagement activities.

7. Post-Engagement

City Councillors whose Wards either contain or have a boundary located within 250 metres of a proposed municipal shelter location will be briefed on the engagement process and outcomes, and on staff recommendations for the proposed new municipal shelter, prior to project approval. A written summary of the engagement process and outcomes will also be summarized and shared with all organizations and individuals who participated in the engagement process."

2.  City Council direct the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to implement the following recommendations 1 through 16 in the Facilitator's Report (January, 2017) titled "Engaging Communities in First Step Housing and Services" included as Attachment 2 to the report (March 30, 2017) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration:

"Recommendations 1 -16 from Engaging Communities in First Step Housing and Services"

"Recommendations to change the conversation:

1. It is clear that this issue needs a champion or champions.  The City of Toronto should engage civic leaders, business leaders, civil society leaders, faith leaders, youth leaders, eminent persons, academics and members of the Alliance to End Homelessness to mount a public campaign to be launched in early 2017 that will educate Torontonians about poverty/homelessness and the potential benefits/successes of First Step Housing and Services and engage them in a new framework to help our most vulnerable residents.

2. The City of Toronto should engage internal and external public relations, marketing communications and public opinion research professionals to develop and implement a strategy to educate Torontonians about poverty and homelessness and engage them in a new framework to help our most vulnerable residents. They can also consider new names for the service.

3. Any communications materials should be viewed through a lens of minimizing stigma and harm, promoting the rights and needs of individuals and underscoring the City of Toronto’s existing commitment to reduce poverty and homelessness. Public engagement activities should underscore the need for constructive, non-threatening dialogue.

4. Communications materials developed to engage communities in new First Step Housing and Services (where this is appropriate) should make clear what the purpose of the engagement is and what is or is not up for debate.

Recommendations to rethink the model:

5. Annually the General Manager of SSHA should present City Council with a capital and operating budget and a city-wide plan for meeting First Step Housing and Services requirements. Individual sites would not be identified even if they are known, but areas where there are gaps or opportunities would be generally identified. Once approved, this plan and budget would form the basis for conducting area needs and asset inventories and lead to the location of new facilities.

6. In a ward or adjacent wards where gaps or opportunities for service have been identified, a detailed assessment of needs and assets would be done, in consultation with the local Councillor(s), local stakeholders and residents.

7. The new First Step Housing and Services model should include integration with services on site and in the community, integration with other facilities, and integration with the community. This means, whenever possible, co-locating with hospitals, community health centres, affordable housing sites, private real estate developments, or other community hubs. Community use of the First Step Housing site should be encouraged.

8. Shelter, Support and Housing Administration should create a roster of architects, planners, and urban design professionals to assess the property and assist with the design of new First Step Housing and Services facilities. The community should be involved in the design of these facilities.

9. The City should seek out best practices in services and facilities for people experiencing homelessness: individuals, couples, families. This means design excellence, operating excellence and programming excellence.

10. The City should investigate the feasibility of offering private real estate development incentives to integrate First Step Housing and Services into private development schemes. These could include expedited planning approvals, reduced development charges, or use of Section 37 agreements.

11. As it re-examines the management of its real estate portfolio, the City should prioritize the use of surplus assets for First Step Housing and Services and affordable housing where this makes sense and where this complies with the zoning by-law.

Recommendations to authentically engage the community:

12. City Council should amend its policies related to the Shelter By-law/Zoning-by-law to remove the requirement for a public meeting and notice circulation and instead include a range of public engagement options such as open houses, websites, charrettes, focus groups and meetings with community groups and residents.

13. Shelter, Support and Housing Administration should create a roster of third-party facilitators to engage when proposing new First Step Housing and Services facilities.

14. Community engagement should start with the annual plan developed by the General Manager of SSHA for developing new First Step Housing and Service locations across the city. This plan should be available for public input through the Community Development and Recreation Committee and City Council. This report would not include specific new First Steps Housing sites.

15. In wards or adjacent wards where service gaps or opportunities are identified by SSHA , local needs and assets would be assessed. Local stakeholders, residents’ association, BIAs, faith groups and service providers should be engaged through these assessments and these will form the basis for a web of allies who are committed to supporting First Step Housing and Services facilities in the community. Councillors should play a key role in identifying stakeholders who should be involved and in recommending engagement strategies.

16. Once a site is proposed for a First Step Housing and Services facility the public should be engaged to make it a success. Open houses, charrettes, focus groups and meetings with community groups can all be effectively used to engage the community. These processes need to make it clear that the site is not subject to public approval, but that the public’s help is needed to make these services a success. Public engagement should be subject to a code of conduct so that engagement is authentic and does not further victimize the people we are helping."

3.  City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to enter into agreements, as required, to develop a roster of professional facilitators for planned shelter engagement processes.

4.  City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to enter into agreements, as required, to develop new best practice shelter design guidelines.

5.  City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to enter into agreements, as required, to develop and implement a communication and media campaign to build public awareness and understanding of the new homeless service system model.

6.  City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to enter into agreements, as required, to pilot the new service model in four new shelter programs planned for 2017.

7.  City Council request the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to report to November 16, 2017 Community Development and Recreation Committee meeting with an update on the pilot projects and further work towards development of the new service model; such report would include anticipated financial impacts, the new property development approach to shelter infrastructure planning and approvals, as well as the implementation strategy for the following recommendations 17 through 20 in the Facilitator's Report (January, 2017) titled "Engaging Communities in First Step Housing and Services" included as Attachment 2 to the report (March 30, 2017) from the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration:

"Recommendations 17 - 20 from Engaging Communities in First Step Housing and Services"

"Recommendations for city-wide leadership:

17. City Council should approve service plans, and operating and capital budgets on an annual basis that respond to the gaps and opportunities identified by the General Manager of SSHA in their annual report to Council.

18. City Council should examine the potential for providing private developers with incentives to integrate affordable housing and First Step Housing and Services into their schemes, and for eliminating fees and levies currently applied to new shelters.

19. City Council should examine City-owned properties with a view to integrating First Step Housing and Services into these sites.

20. City Council should amend its policies related to the Shelter By-law/Zoning-by-law to delegate to the General Manager of Shelters Support and Housing Administration the approval of specific sites for First Step Housing and Services provided that these sites are within the operating and capital budgets approved by Council."

This report makes recommendations to improve the community engagement process for opening new emergency homeless shelters. It also describes the further steps needed to change the model for emergency shelters and change the conversation about homelessness in Toronto.

City Council previously requested that staff engage external experts to conduct a review of best practices to improve community engagement related to emergency shelters, and to increase public awareness about homelessness. Through that process it became clear that, in order to change the conversation about homelessness, we also need to change the model for homeless services.

This report responds to the findings of the review and recommends a new community engagement process for homeless services for approval by Council. This new engagement process will be put into place, to the extent possible, with shelter location processes currently underway, and will be fully implemented with any future locations identified.

The report also outlines the steps required to move forward towards development of a new model for homeless services, including a new name for emergency shelters. This new homeless service model will be piloted in 2017 at four shelter locations that are currently in planning stages. Based on the results of the pilots and further analysis of the review recommendations, staff will report back in the fall with further recommendations for a permanent service model to be implemented in all existing and future homeless services across the City.