Item - 2020.RH3.1

The Subcommittee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing recommends that:  

1. The Planning and Housing Committee request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to report back to a November 2020 Subcommittee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing meeting on progress made by the Interdivisional Staff Working Group to improve internal practices to help address potential illegitimate evictions, potential investigation functions and responses.

2. The Planning and Housing Committee request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to report back to a November 2020 Subcommittee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing with a revised terms of reference and expanded mandate of the Advisory Committee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing to provide advice on all City related tenancy matters and transition to become the Tenant Advisory Council as called for in the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan.

3. The Planning and Housing Committee request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to explore opportunities to improve customer-service as it relates to tenant information and services provided across City divisions.

4. The Planning and Housing Committee request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with the Chief Communications Officer, Strategic Communications and the Customer Experience Transformation and Innovation (CXi) team to develop a website maintenance plan for the new tenant portal; implement Phase 1 of the Communication Framework by October 31, 2020; and present options for the implementation of Phase 2 at a November 2020 Subcommittee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing meeting.

5. The Planning and Housing Committee direct the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to identify short-term opportunities to align the Tenant Support Grant program, and its associated Municipal Code Chapter 797, with current market conditions, including updating administrative requirements to mitigate challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, and report back to a November 2020 meeting of the Subcommittee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing to facilitate implementation of short-term program changes in January 2021.

6. The Planning and Housing Committee direct the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to examine opportunities to align, over the intermediate- and long-term, existing programs for tenants in the private market with current market conditions, and to report back to the Subcommittee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing in the second quarter of 2021 on proposed program changes, and the cost of implementing such changes.

7. The Planning and Housing Committee direct the General Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, to review and update, as required, current City of Toronto web content related to the Rent Bank program, the Eviction Prevention in the Community (EPIC) program and the Tenant Defence Fund and Tenant Hotline programs, and include information on how tenants can access each program.

8. The Planning and Housing Committee request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat in consultation with the General Manager, Employment and Social Services and the General Manager, Shelter Support and Housing Administration to report to a November 2020 Subcommittee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing meeting on: 

a. exploring opportunities to improve data collection and analysis capacity and coordination as it relates to protecting affordable rental housing in consultation with external organizations and community agencies and tenant-led organizations; and

b. developing a process to monitor residential evictions in Toronto by collecting information from the City staff delivering tenant eviction and support programs, including EPIC, the Rent Bank and the Housing Stabilization Fund.

9. The Planning and Housing Committee request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to request a Data Sharing Agreement between the City of Toronto and the Landlord and Tenant Board to facilitate regular information sharing on evictions, above guideline increases and other tenancy-related data.

10. The Planning and Housing Committee request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat work with the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building to develop an assessment tool that will guide staff in determining work which may legitimately result in the need for the tenant to vacate a property either temporarily or permanently, and subsequently to develop educational materials to advise landlords and tenants of their rights and responsibilities under provincial legislation.

11. The Planning and Housing Committee request the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to consult with and/or contract with an appropriate organization to develop and distribute, both electronically and in print, simple, user-friendly forms for tenants to help them deal with evictions notices and communications from their landlord, including but not limited to a tenant who wishes to exercise their right of first refusal to give the landlord notice in writing before vacating the rental unit and report to a November 2020 meeting of the Subcommittee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing.

The following gave presentations to the Subcommittee:

- The Project Coordinator, Transformation Office gave a presentation on Delivering information that keeps people housed - Customer Experience Transformation and Innovation Program.

- Benjamin James Pullia, Co-Chair, Advisory Committee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing

This report provides an update on the work undertaken by City staff and the Advisory Committee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing. It responds to the November 20, 2019 directives from the Sub-Committee on the Protection of Affordable Rental Housing. Specifically it makes recommendations on how to: improve tenant communications; enhance existing City eviction prevention programs; and enhance data collection and analysis. The report also responds to specific questions related to Toronto Building, City Planning and City Legal.