Update on Shelter Capacity and Search for New Sites

The Community Services Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (June14, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services:

Purpose:

This report updates Council on the current capacity issues in the emergency shelter system, most specifically the single men's system, and details the search for new sites for emergency shelter. The report recommends that the Commissioners of Community and Neighbourhood Services and Corporate Services be authorized to approve the use of City-owned and privately-owned sites for emergency shelter use, in consultation with an advisory committee of elected representatives approved by Council at its meeting of June 11, 1999. The report further recommends that Council endorse the protocol for community notification when new sites are being established.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

None.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

1. staff take all necessary steps to locate sites in all parts of the City to provide the 300-400 emergency shelter beds required for this summer and next fall, including the identification of vacant City land that might be suitable for portable structures;
2. terms of reference for an advisory committee of elected representatives to work with staff, as described in Appendix A, be approved;
3. authorization be given for the use of City-owned and privately-owned sites for the public service use/essential service use, subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services and the Commissioner of Corporate Services, and in consultation with the Advisory Committee for New Emergency Shelter Sites approved by Council on June 11, 1999;
4. Council endorse the Protocol for Community Notification for the Establishment and Development of New Emergency Shelter Sites, as attached in Appendix B of this report, and that the protocol be evaluated at the end of 2000; and
5. the appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

Council Reference/Background/History:

Over the past four months, Council has received a number of reports regarding the capacity of the emergency shelter system. On April 13, 14 and 15, 1999, the report titled "Status Report on Capacity of the Emergency Shelter System" was adopted by Council. This report established the objective of maintaining a monthly occupancy level of the emergency shelter system for adults and youth at no more than 90 percent. The report recommended that staff be directed to pursue the immediate opening of a temporary single men's program in mid-April should the occupancy of the single men's system exceed 90 percent. Further, the report recommended that, in future, development of any new hostel facilities must adhere to a protocol for meaningful community consultation prior to Council approval of the establishment of such facilities.

Subsequently, Council, at its meeting on June 11, 1999, approved the establishment of an advisory committee to advise and support staff on the search for and development of new emergency shelter sites and requested that the terms of reference for such a committee and the protocol for community notification be forwarded to Council for approval at its July meeting.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

1. Current Situation:

As of June 6, 1999, the single men's shelter system was operating at the desired 90 percent occupancy level. However, the recent closure of the Fort York Armoury and the anticipated loss of a number of beds over the next two months mean that this occupancy level will not be maintained without the addition of new facilities.

The shelter at the Fort York Armoury closed on Friday, June 4, 1999. The facility had been opened on April 14, 1999, to address the 99 percent occupancy level in the single men's shelter system and to provide shelter beds for the small number of residents displaced by the closure of Doctor's Hospital. During the period when the Armoury was put into shelter service as an emergency measure, the use of the site was shared with the Department of National Defence and was not available for hostel purposes on a 24-hour basis. Although the site is otherwise suitable, this shared use cannot be maintained on an on-going basis. As per the agreement with the Department of National Defence, use of the site was not extended through the summer months.

Staff believed that they had located a new site as an alternative to the Armoury, but lease negotiations could not be finalized in time for a transfer of the program. As a stopgap measure, a small shelter and referral location was established on the main floor of Metro Hall. This site is also inappropriate for long-term use, but it allows minimal service to continue to be provided while sites are found to replace the Armoury beds.

Further beds will be lost over the next two months. Later this month, the last of the winter programs will be closing. This will result in a loss of 120 beds, the majority being used by single men. Also, in July, Seaton House is scheduled to begin a major capital renovation. This facility normally houses 604 men. Approximately 150 beds will need to be closed this summer and a further 100 beds in the fall. These beds will need to be located in "swing space" while the renovations are taking place.

There has been a small drop in demand for shelter space since the middle of April, but as described above the number of beds has dropped more rapidly. The City will need another 300-400 beds added to the system to accommodate the loss of beds and to allow occupancy to remain at a reasonable level during this summer and into next fall.

1. Search for New Sites:

Since early in 1999, Hostel Services staff and staff of Facilities Management and Real Estate have been searching for properties which might be available for emergency shelter use. Aware of the temporary nature of the Armoury, and in light of the ongoing bed shortage, staff intensified their efforts in late March. Staff once again reviewed the list of City-owned properties that are vacant and began searching on the private market for warehouse space that could be made available on short notice.

In the search for properties and the development of shelter sites, two particular challenges have presented themselves. The first challenge is to attempt to meet the principle of "fair-share" by establishing services throughout the City and not only in the downtown core. The second challenge is ensuring local residents and businesses are informed of a proposed site development and feel that they have an opportunity to have their questions answered and provide input. The sections below detail the difficulties that have been encountered in trying to meet these challenges while at the same time ensuring that new facilities are up and running in a timely manner.

a) Broader Geographic Distribution of New Facilities:

Broader distribution of shelter services throughout the City will be an important element in developing a strategy to meet the growing need for emergency accommodation. In reviewing properties over the past number of years, staff have not restricted their search to downtown areas but have in fact looked at sites throughout the City. Staff are, however, limited in their site search by the existing zoning by-laws of the former municipalities.

Over the past two years, the City has proceeded with emergency shelter development applying existing provisions of the zoning by-laws of the former Cities of Toronto and North York. These provisions allow for the municipality to use buildings/lands for public/essential services as-of-right. Emergency shelters have been defined as a public essential service use.

In order to locate shelters in the other areas of the City, staff would need to find a site with as-of-right zoning. Permissions for crisis care facilities are relatively restrictive and it would be unlikely that staff would be able to locate sites that would meet the existing zoning requirements. Therefore, most sites would require full rezoning or would have to go to Committee of Adjustment for a minor variance. The amount of time required to complete either of these processes would mean that the shelter site would not be available for six months to one year, assuming that no appeals were made to the Ontario Municipal Board. Given these time frames, and the immediate need for service, at present staff are essentially restricted to locating sites within the former cities of Toronto and North York.

Council has already requested that staff begin to explore ways to address the varying provisions of the existing zoning by-laws. On May 7, 1999, the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services brought forward a report, entitled "Process for By-law Amendments to Permit Affordable Housing, Emergency Shelters and Rooming Houses Across the City". The Commissioner has now been directed, in consultation with the City Solicitor, to report back to the Planning and Transportation Committee on the form of a by-law, similar to the essential service provisions in the former North York, York and Toronto Zoning By-laws, which would accommodate emergency shelters and other municipal housing uses in all parts of the new City. The Commissioner has been further requested to report on a public consultation process to be followed to permit public input into the by-law amendments required.

(b)Advisory Committee for New Emergency Shelter Sites:

At its meeting on June 11, 1999, Council recommended the establishment of an advisory committee to advise and support staff in the search for and development of new emergency shelter sites. Committee membership includes: the Chair of the Community Services Committee, Councillor BradDuguid; the Chair of the Administration Committee, Councillor Lorenzo Berardinetti; Councillor Irene Jones; Councillor Chris Korwin-Kuczinski; Councillor Jack Layton; and Councillor Pam McConnell. Proposed Terms of Reference for this advisory committee are attached as Appendix A to this report.

(c) Protocol for Community Notification:

Overview:

In order to deal with increasing demand, the emergency shelter system has expanded at a rapid rate over the past number of years. While some community members are supportive when an emergency shelter is proposed or located in their neighbourhood, initially, most residents or businesses are not receptive to the location of the service in their area. They see it as a program that places significant burdens on their local community without providing much local benefit. In a number of cases, staff have been contacted by constituents and businesses who feel that they have not been provided with information regarding site development in a timely manner.

In the course of "traditional" shelter development significant community consultation takes place at all stages. Community members can be involved from the early stages of development. They are kept up-to-date through circulation of written information, door-to-door canvassing, and public meetings. The community can, if they wish, become directly involved in work on the shelter development through volunteer work on Boards and Committees. At the present time, new shelters are often being opened in such short time frames that communities may only be notified days prior to the opening. In this case, the community consultation process as described above is impossible. Nevertheless, there must be commitment on the part of the City and the City's staff to provide local communities with information regarding shelter development in their area.

Principles:

On April 13, 14 and 15, 1999, Council recommended that staff adhere to a protocol for meaningful community consultation prior to the establishment of emergency facilities. Such a protocol must be supported by a set of principles to guide the process. These include a commitment to:

-respect community concerns regarding significant concentration of services;

-early notification and frequent dialogue with communities regarding the City's plans to develop an emergency facility in their area;

-inform communities of the criteria used for the site selection;

-seek community input regarding the development of the program and maintain on-going liaison once a program is in place; and

-consult with local councillors prior to the finalization of any site selection and work with them to develop a notification and communication strategy.

Using these principles, staff have developed the following protocol to be used when a site has been selected.

Protocol for Community Notification:

Attached as Appendix B is the recommended Protocol for Community Notification for the Establishment and Development of Emergency Shelter Sites.

This protocol, which will be consistently used throughout the City, clearly explains the process to be used when the City is intending to establish an emergency shelter. Information provided to the community will include size of facility, client group to be served, staffing levels, etc. A clearly identified contact person will be available to answer questions and respond to community concerns. Communities will have an opportunity to comment on how the services of the proposed emergency shelter are managed and provided. Should a facility be established in the community, residents and businesses can continue to be involved through the community liaison committee which will be established by the City.

Requirements for early and clear communication, coupled with the opportunity for the community to provide input into program design, should help to address criticism regarding a lack of proper process in previous emergency shelter development. It should be noted that while the protocol sets in place a process for notification and input, it does not grant the community the opportunity to veto the use of a site for emergency shelter purposes.

Initiating the Protocol:

While the protocol will be followed for all sites, the starting time of the process may differ for City-owned and privately-owned sites.

City-owned Sites - In relation to City-owned sites, there will be no difficulty with the implementation of a protocol that requires early notification of a community. Once the local Councillors have been consulted and shelter staff have reason to believe that they will move forward with site development, community notification should begin. The only effect this notification may have is the addition of a number of days to the process of opening the shelter.

Privately-owned Sites - The early notification of communities surrounding privately-owned sites is seen to be more problematic. Public information on the City's potential use of a site can place the City at a distinct disadvantage during lease negotiations. The negative reaction of a surrounding community to the proposed use of a site can have a number of possible effects. As happened with the development of group homes in the 1980s, surrounding residents or businesses may pressure the landlord into withdrawing from negotiations or may, in fact, present the landlord with a counter offer which cannot be matched by the City. Also, the landlord may become attuned to the City's high need for the facility and the difficulties in locating appropriate sites and may decide to negotiate for significantly higher levels of rent. For these reasons, it is recommended that in the case of privately-owned sites the process for community notification begin only after consultation with the advisory committee and local councillors and the completion of lease negotiations.

(3)Approval for New Site Development:

As noted earlier, staff have been continuing their search for appropriate properties. To date, staff have identified three City-owned sites which have the potential for use. Two of the sites are located in North York and one is located in Scarborough. Staff have also reviewed approximately 25 privately-owned sites for consideration. The majority of these sites are located in the former City of Toronto. Of these, only two sites (both in the former City of Toronto) have been identified that are appropriate for shelter purposes and also have landlords who are willing to negotiate with the City once they were aware that the site was proposed for emergency shelter use. Staff have so far been unsuccessful in finalizing leases with either of these owners. If all five sites were developed, they would provide approximately 350 shelter beds.

Staff are also reviewing the City portfolio to determine whether vacant lands are available on which temporary structures could be erected. Various models exist including pre-fabricated modular units and rigid frameworks covered with cloth membranes. These types of structures are used for emergency shelter purposes in a number of communities in the United States. Staff will be working with Buildings staff to determine whether a model exists that can provide appropriate shelter and also satisfy the requirements of the building and fire codes.

Staff will continue to consider the use of any sites which may become available. As in the case of previous site developments, where possible, staff will make use of the zoning by-law exceptions that permit the establishment of emergency shelter uses as public service use/essential service use. Where necessary, staff will proceed with rezoning applications for sites. The list of possible sites changes on daily basis and it is difficult for every site to be brought forward to City Council for approval. As such, it is recommended that authorization be given for the development of City-owned and private sites for the public service use of an emergency shelter, subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services and the Commissioner of Corporate Services, in consultation with the Advisory Committee. Prior to opening a site, staff will be required to demonstrate to the Commissioners that the protocol for community notification has been followed.

Conclusions:

It is anticipated that there will continue to be a significant shortfall of between 300 and 400 beds in the emergency shelters for single men. Staff will continue the search for new sites throughout the City and will proceed with the opening of new sites in consultation with the Advisory Committee, using the protocol for community notification and with the approval of the Commissioners of Community and Neighbourhood Services and Corporate Services.

Contact Name:

Joanne Campbell

General Manager of Shelter, Housing and Support Division

Tel: 392-7885

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Appendix A

Terms Of Reference

Advisory Committee for New Emergency Shelter Sites

Advisory Committee Chair:

Councillor Brad Duguid, Chair, Community Services Committee

Membership:

Councillor Lorenzo Berardinetti, Chair, Administration Committee

Councillor Irene Jones

Councillor Chris Korwin-Kuczynski

Councillor Jack Layton

Councillor Pam McConnell

Purpose:

To advise and support staff on the search for and development of additional emergency shelter sites by:

-assisting in the use of the principles and Protocol for Community Notification as approved by Council;

-reviewing the sites identified by staff for potential development;

-assisting staff in balancing the interests of communities surrounding shelter sites and the needs of the City-at-large; and

-assessing the effectiveness of the approved Protocol for Community Notification and making recommendations for modifications and improvements.

Process:

The Advisory Committee will:

- review potential sites identified by staff prior to their selection;

-involve relevant local councillors;

-in conjunction with staff and local councillors, assist in the development of a communications plan.

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Appendix B

Protocol for Community Notification for the Establishment and Development

of Emergency Shelter Sites

Once a potential site has been identified:

(1)Staff, in consultation with the Advisory Committee, will contact and meet with the councillors in whose ward the site is located. Where a site is close to the border of two wards, staff will also contact and meet with the other affected councillors.

(2)In the case of a City-owned site, staff will prepare a written communication to the local residents and businesses identifying the proposed use of the site. This communication will be reviewed with the Advisory Committee and local councillors and will include the following information:

(a)address of the site;

(b)capacity of the site;

(c)hours of operation;

(d)clients to be served on the site;

(e)staffing of the site;

(f)services to be provided on site; and

(g)contact name and number for information.

Staff will ensure that this communication is circulated to the community. Staff will also ensure that information is provided to local residents and business associations. Where required, information should be translated to accommodate local constituents.

(3)In the case of a privately-owned site, staff will complete lease negotiations and will then proceed with a written communication as described in Item No. (2).

(4)As requested, staff will attend community meetings to provide information on the shelter development.

(5)Staff, in consultation with the local councillors, will put in place a community liaison committee comprised of residents, business owners and local councillors and will ensure that this committee is kept informed about the shelter prior to and after opening.

(6)Once the shelter is open, a 24-hour telephone number will be made available where local residents can call with concerns or questions.