Item - 2018.EX34.3

City Council considered Items EX34.2 and EX34.3 together.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council as sole shareholder direct the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors to direct the President and Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) to restructure seniors housing and services by taking the following two actions, commencing in 2018:

a. collaborate with the City of Toronto to design a new Integrated Service Model for seniors housing to promote ageing in place and better quality of life for seniors, in partnership with the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (TC LHIN) and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) and include consideration of a pilot project at Toronto Community Housing Corporation's Greenwood Towers, 145 Strathmore Boulevard and other strategic locations;

b. establish a Seniors Housing Unit, reporting directly to the President and Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, as a new and separate management structure within Toronto Community Housing Corporation with oversight for the seniors-designated building portfolio and responsible for implementing the new Integrated Service Model for seniors housing and operational in 2019.

2.  City Council authorize the Deputy City Manager, Cluster A to create a temporary Transition Team that will:

a.  complete a review of City services for seniors and develop recommendations on the creation of a Seniors Housing and Services Entity responsible for strategic planning, connecting and integrating services for seniors, and maximizing the use of existing resources to effectively meet the current and evolving needs of senior residents and communities;

b.  develop and recommend an approach for the strategic integration of the seniors-designated buildings within the Toronto Community Housing Corporation portfolio with the Seniors Housing and Services Entity as recommended in Recommendation 2. a. above;

c.  report back to Council in 2020.

3.  City Council increase the 2018 Approved Operating Budget for Social Development, Finance and Administration by $0.076 million gross and $0 net and 1 temporary position, with an annualized impact of $0.076 million in 2019, fully funded from the Innovation Reserve Fund (XR1713) to create a Transition Team to implement Recommendation 2 above for a two year period beginning in July 2018.

4.  City Council as sole shareholder direct the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors to instruct its President and Chief Executive Officer to work with the Deputy City Manager, Cluster A, to initiate a process, satisfactory to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Toronto Community Housing Corporation and the Deputy City Manager, Cluster A, to transfer ownership of 24 Toronto Community Housing Corporation houses that are currently uninhabitable (as listed in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (May 2, 2018) from the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration) to meet the needs of identified City priority groups ensuring that:

a.  the properties are maintained for a housing purpose;

b.  the properties continue to be operated by non-profit organizations;

c.  any transferred asset will revert to the City in the event of any future transfers to a transferee that is not a non-profit or any change in use;

d.  the transaction is structured to support the result of an aggregate net neutral financial impact to Toronto Community Housing Corporation following transfer of the ownership of the entire portfolio.

5.  City Council, acting as Shareholder, consent to transfer all properties referenced in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (May 2, 2018) from the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration pursuant to Section 7.3 (e) of the Shareholder Direction.

6.  City Council request the Board of Directors, Toronto Community Housing Corporation to transfer ownership of 13, 15, 17 and 19 Winchester Street to Margaret's Housing and Community Support Services Inc. ensuring that:

a.  the properties are maintained for a housing purpose;

b.  the properties continue to be operated by non-profit organizations;

c.  any transferred asset will revert to the City in the event of any future transfers to a transferee that is not a non-profit or any change in use;

d.  the transfer value will be equal only to the costs of the transfer as determined by Toronto Community Housing Corporation.

Properties that are not transferred to Margaret's Housing and Community Support Services Inc. will be added to the Council-approved Request for Proposals process for the scattered housing portfolio.

7.  City Council, acting as Shareholder, consent to transfer the properties at 13, 15, 17 and 19 Winchester Street to Margaret's Housing and Community Support Services Inc. pursuant to Section 7.3 (e) of the Shareholder Direction.

8.  City Council authorize the General Manager, Shelter Support and Housing Administration, to provide, on behalf of the City acting as Service Manager under the Housing Services Act, consents to achieve the transfers referenced in Recommendation 4 and Recommendation 6 above, pursuant to subsection 161 (2) and 162 (2) of the Housing Services Act, as required, to transfers by Toronto Community Housing Corporation, and to mortgages by transferees, subject to such terms and conditions that the General Manager, Shelter Support and Housing Administration, considers reasonable and necessary to carry out City Council's decision, including, without limitation, compliance with the Housing Services Act and the Service Manager's local rules; rent; the operation of the housing project; funding; reporting and accountability; the mandate and target tenants for the housing project; and tenant supports.

The Executive Committee requested the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to report directly to City Council at its meeting on May 22, 2018 on the next steps on transferring 165 Elm Ridge Drive to Reena - Toby and Henry Battle Developmental Centre, an organization that supports the community inclusion for people with developmental disabilities.

In July 2017, City Council approved Tenants First: Phase 1 Implementation Plan to restructure the operation, governance and funding of Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC).  In January 2018, Council approved Implementing Tenants First: Toronto Community Housing Corporation Scattered Portfolio Plan and an Interim Selection Process for Tenant Directors on the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board.

This report advances the direction set in July 2017 by detailing the steps required to create a Seniors Housing and Services Entity. The Council direction to create a Seniors Housing and Services Entity is consistent with the broader modernization and transformation mandate for the City.  The Seniors Housing and Services Entity and proposed transition team are aligned to other initiatives to modernize human services including Human Services Integration and the ongoing work to modernize the City's social housing system. Three key actions will commence in 2018-19 aiming to restructure and integrate housing and support services to better meet the needs of seniors living in Toronto Community Housing Corporation and in the other communities in Toronto.

These actions are summarized below:

Action 1: Toronto Community Housing Corporation and City to design and implement a new Integrated Service Model for seniors housing to promote ageing in place, better quality of life, and successful tenancies for seniors living in Toronto Community Housing Corporation seniors' and mixed buildings, in partnership with Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (TC LHIN) and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC).

Action 2: Toronto Community Housing Corporation establish a Seniors Housing Unit as a new and separate management structure within Toronto Community Housing Corporation, with oversight for the portfolio of seniors-designated buildings and responsibility for delivering the new Integrated Service Model for seniors housing, as described in Action 1 as a transitional step in the transformation of Toronto Community Housing Corporation. 

Action 3: City begin the process to align and coordinate current City services for seniors through creating a Seniors Housing and Services Transition Team.

This report focuses primarily on strategies to improve the quality of life for tenants who live in Toronto Community Housing Corporation seniors-designated buildings, as well as seniors in Toronto Community Housing Corporation mixed buildings and the general population of seniors in Toronto. Seniors living in Toronto Community Housing Corporation experience higher than average levels of vulnerability due to physical, mental, and economic challenges. A seniors-focused social housing model will better connect these tenants with services to create opportunities to better support ageing in place, improve their overall quality of life, and promote successful tenancies. This in turn can reduce pressure on other City services like emergency medical services and long-term care homes.  Integrating City services for seniors will make navigating the support service system easier. The creation of seniors hubs in Toronto Community Housing Corporation buildings will bring services to the doorstep of vulnerable seniors and will improve access to services for the seniors living in those buildings and others located in close proximity.

These proposed actions, and associated recommendations, are designed to improve the delivery of housing and services to the 110,000 residents who live in the City-owned housing portfolio. As set out in this report, the proposed actions will require planning and implementation over the next five years.

This report also advances the plan for scattered housing by recommending the transfer of:

- 24 houses within the scattered housing portfolio, which are currently vacant and have unmet capital needs, to non-profit housing providers that support current City priorities, and

- 4 houses that have been approved for conversion to 35 units of supportive housing.
 

In addition, this report provides updates regarding the ongoing work to define the mandate for the new Toronto Community Housing Corporation; the interim funding model for 2018 and 2019; and the work of formulating a new permanent funding model that is sustainable, accountable, predictable, and simple to administer. Finally, there are responses in Attachments 2 and 3 to the following requests made through the adoption of EX26.2:

a)  City Council request the City Manager and the Deputy City Manager, Cluster A to report back on including the following two additional buildings in the list of seniors buildings that have become mixed buildings:

Downsview Acres, located at 2195 Jane Street; and

Northwood Apartments located at 3680 Keele Street; and

b)  that City Council request the Deputy City Manager, Cluster A and the Interim Chief Financial Officer to report on the current 83 seniors buildings and their previous corporations and on any distinct operating features associated with these buildings.

To successfully implement these recommendations and continue the transformation of Toronto Community Housing Corporation, ongoing active participation from tenants and staff of Toronto Community Housing Corporation, non-profit organizations, Local Health Integration Networks, City Divisions, as well as other orders of government is essential.