Other Items Considered by the Committee

(a)Proposed Reinvestment Strategy for Municipal Savings Resulting from the Implementation of the National Child Benefit.

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee reports having referred the following report and communications to the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services, with a request that she report further on:

(a)the establishment of a Toronto Child Income Program and how such a program would be administered, including the cost and any reaction from the 905 municipalities;

(b)any other options that could be considered, such as provision of hot lunch programs; and

(c)the implications of any suggested options on the Ontario Works Program:

(i)(October 22, 1998) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services proposing a reinvestment strategy for the City's savings in social assistance payments resulting from the implementation of the National Child Benefit; outlining the projected net savings from the Social Assistance program in this regard; and outlining recommendations in regard thereto;

(ii)(November 4, 1998) from the City Clerk advising that the Children and Youth Action Committee on October 26, 1998, considered the aforementioned report of the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services and recommended to the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee that City Council remind the Federal Government of the commitment to end child poverty in the year 2000; and

(iii)(November 3, 1998) from Ms. Anne Dubas, President, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 79, urging the Committee to defend quality child care in Toronto; and suggesting that any funds earmarked for child care should be used to stabilize and expand the licensed child care system, to make this high quality care accessible to more children and their parents.

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The following persons appeared before the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee in connection with the foregoing matter:

-Mr. Colin Hughes, Metro Campaign 2000; and submitted a brief in regard thereto;

-Ms. Jane Mercer, Toronto Coalition for Better Child Care; and submitted a brief in regard thereto;

-Ms. Maria de Wit, Chair, Child Care Advisory Committee; and submitted a brief in regard thereto; and

-Ms. Josephine Grey, Low-Income Families Together.

(b)Toronto Children Living in Poverty.

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee reports having referred the following communication to the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services for a report thereon to the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee; and further that such report include any other definitions of poverty, the pros and cons of these definitions and the cut-off point:

(October 6, 1998) from Councillor Olivia Chow, Child and Youth Advocate, respecting the findings of the first Report Card on Children published as part of The First Duty report on the number of Toronto children living in poverty; advising that 1996 Census data is now available and shows that the estimates in the Report Card understated the extent of child poverty in Toronto; outlining statistics in regard thereto; and suggesting that, as City Council begins development of the 1999 Operating Budget, the figures referred to provide the Committee with an important guide post in ensuring that programs are in place to meet the needs of the large number of children at risk; and that a commitment be made to longer-term strategies to reduce the very high level of child poverty.

(c)Update on Municipal Spending for Provision of Benefits to Non-Social Assistance Recipients.

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee reports having deferred consideration of the following report until its next meeting to be held on December3,1998, with a request that the Chair of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee and the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services discuss the issues raised in the report with the Ministers of Community and Social Services and Health, and also advise Opposition Members of Provincial Parliament:

(October 19, 1998) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services providing an update on the continuation of benefits for non-social assistance recipients and the financial implications thereof; indicating that the Community and Neighbourhood Services Department estimates that the cost to Toronto of replacing benefits previously available to non-social assistance recipients under Special Assistance and Supplementary Aid will be approximately $1.526million at 100 percent municipal cost-sharing for the period May to December 1998, and based on 1998 expenditures the projected 1999 costs will be $1.964million; and recommending that:

(1)in accordance with the new Ontario Works regulations, the Municipality discontinue the provision of benefits under Special Assistance and Supplementary Aid to non-social assistance recipients;

(2)City Council continue to advocate to the Province that the Assistive Devices Program be modified to cover the full costs of medical items formerly covered through Special Assistance and Supplementary Aid; and

(3)the appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

(d)Update of Affordable Housing Demonstration Projects.

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee reports having received the following communication:

(September 28, 1998) from the City Clerk advising that the Council Strategy Committee for People Without Homes on September24,1998, adopted the recommendations contained in the report (September 21, 1998) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services providing an update on affordable housing demonstration projects, and wherein it recommended that the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services be authorized to expend up to $50,000.00, as allocated to the Council Strategy Committee for People Without Homes in the approved 1998 Operating Budget, to cover the cost of staff secondments or the purchase of professional services related to the investigation and preparation of sites and programs for affordable housing demonstration projects; and further directed that a copy of such report be forwarded to the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee for information.

(e)United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee reports having received the following communication:

(September 28, 1998) from the City Clerk advising that the Council Strategy Committee for People Without Homes on September24,1998, had before it a report (September 14, 1998) from the Co-Chairs of the Advisory Committee on Homeless and Socially Isolated Persons respecting Canada's compliance with the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and that the Council Strategy Committee recommended the adoption of the recommendations contained therein, subject to amending Recommendation No. (5), so that such recommendations read as follows:

(1)the City of Toronto affirms its recognition that access to adequate housing is a fundamental human right to which Canada is bound under international human rights;

(2)the City of Toronto recognizes that, in this, the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which recognizes that housing is a human right, this right is not being respected, protected and fulfilled in Canada;

(3)the City of Toronto will prepare submissions to the U.N. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the problems of homelessness and poverty in Toronto and identify ways in which this right may be more fully protected;

(4)the City of Toronto commits to ensuring that the right to adequate housing is fully protected and fulfilled within the City by the Committee's next review in year 2003; and

(5)the City of Toronto will appoint a Committee on the Right to Adequate Housing to review progress in fulfilling this right and provide an annual report to the City on what has been accomplished each year and what needs to be done to fulfil this right by the year 2003.

(f)Communication from the Federal Minister of National Defence on Homelessness.

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee reports having received the following communication:

(September 25, 1998) from The Honourable Arthur C. Eggleton, Minister of National Defence, responding to Clause No. 8 of Report No. 7 of The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee, headed "Homelessness and Request for Declaration of Disaster"; and encouraging dialogue between municipal authorities and the Domestic Operations Staff of the Land Force Central Area Headquarters, located in Toronto, with respect to any possible municipal use of Federal buildings.

The Chair of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee orally advised that he had spoken with the Minister of National Defence, and he had indicated that the Moss Park Armoury and Fort York Armoury would be made available for emergency use by the homeless, if required.

(g)Metropolitan Toronto Housing Authority Asset Management - KPMG 1998 Update.

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee reports having referred the following communication to the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services for a report thereon to the Committee, such report to include how best the City can document the exact condition of the MTHA buildings:

(September 29, 1998) from Mr. Rashmi Nathwani, Chair, Board of Directors, Metropolitan Toronto Housing Authority, forwarding, for information, a copy of the KPMG report, entitled "Capital Maintenance Study, Metropolitan Toronto Housing Authority", dated August6,1998.

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Councillor Ila Bossons, Midtown, appeared before the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee in connection with the foregoing matter.

(h)Added Cost of Expanding Shelter Services for the Homeless.

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee reports having:

(1)recommended to the Budget Committee, and Council, the adoption of the following report; and

(2)requested that Mayor Mel Lastman, Councillor Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, Chair of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee, and CouncillorGordon Chong negotiate with the Provincial Minister of Community and Social Services, and that the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services work with the appropriate Provincial staff, to ensure that the City of Toronto receives 80 percent of the true costs of shelter services:

(November 2, 1998) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services recommending that:

(1)the 1999 budget request for hostel services be revised to reflect the increased costs related to the expanded homeless caseload;

(2)the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services be directed to meet with Provincial officials to explore improved cost-sharing arrangements;

(3)the Department be authorized to commit up to $540,000.00 in one-time start-up costs in 1998 to ensure that new and expanded shelter sites open as quickly as possible; and

(4)the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

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Councillor Jack Layton, Don River, appeared before the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee in connection with the foregoing matter; and provided an update on the situation with regard to Doctors Hospital.

(i)Children's Services Fact Sheet - "School Based Child Care, City-Wide Overview".

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee reports having received the following Fact Sheet:

(November 5, 1998) Children's Services Fact Sheet, headed "School Based Child Care, City-wide Overview".

The Chair of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee orally advised the Committee that the fact sheets will be submitted to the Committee on a monthly basis.