Item - 2018.EX35.1

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council amend the Standing Committee Mandates contained in City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 27, Council Procedures by:

a.  establishing a Housing Committee as a standing committee with the following mandate:

"The Housing Committee's primary focus is the housing and accommodation of Torontonians, with a mandate to monitor and make recommendation on housing and shelter in the City.";

b.  deleting the Affordable Housing Committee as a special committee of Council;

c.  increase the membership of the Executive Committee to accommodate the Chair of the Housing Committee.

I am writing to recommend that City Council make adjustments to the mandates and composition of the standing committees for the next term of Council starting December 1, 2018.

The business of the City is currently divided across seven policy standing committees and the Executive Committee.  These committees meet on a monthly basis.

Under our Council Procedures, each Member of Council is required to serve on one of these seven committees or as one of the four at-large members of the Executive Committee.

This report recommends changing the number of standing committees to eight which will require some members in the next term of council to sit on two standing committees, and will see the Executive Committee's composition increased by one.

Housing and accommodation is a key priority to the success of our City as a whole in a time where the ability for Toronto residents to affordably live and work in our city is increasingly threatened. This committee will serve to coordinate housing and shelter services under one committee and will reflect the priorities of this Council in its governance structure.

If adopted, my recommendations would accomplish the following:

- Converting the Affordable Housing Committee from a special committee to a standing committee responsible for all housing, shelter and accommodation matters including those currently considered by the Community Development and Recreation Committee and the Tenant Issues Advisory Committee.

 
- Amending the mandate of the Community Development and Recreation Committee as follows:

- Transfer of shelter, accommodation and housing matters to the proposed Housing Committee.
 

The revised committee mandates as contained in the Council Procedures are attached as appendix 1.

Rationale:

1.  Converting the Affordable Housing Committee from a special committee to a standing committee.

Housing is a priority for the City of Toronto. The importance of this issue cannot be understated as affordability is threatened for residents of Toronto. Therefore a standing Housing committee will give this issue the attention and cross-divisional planning it requires.