March 6, 2000

To: Community Services Committee

From:Commissioner, Community and Neighbourhood Services

Subject:Information Sharing Agreement Between Toronto Social Services and the Metro Toronto Housing Authority

 Purpose:

This report seeks approval from the Community Services Committee and Toronto City Council to negotiate and approve an information sharing agreement between Toronto Social Services and the Metro Toronto Housing Authority.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

There are no financial implications resulting from the adoption of this report.

Recommendations:

"It is recommended that:

(1)The Commissioner of Community Services, on behalf of Toronto Social Services, be authorized to negotiate and approve an Information Sharing Agreement with the Metro Toronto Housing Authority; and

(2)The necessary City Officials be granted the authority to take the necessary action to give effect thereto."

  Background:

In September 1999, Toronto Social Services began discussions with the Metro Toronto Housing Authority for the purposes of entering into an information sharing agreement. The Metro Toronto Housing Authority estimates that 50 percent, or 15,000, of their tenants are in receipt of benefits under the Ontario Works (OW) program.

Given that these tenants are mutual clients of MTHA and Toronto Social Services, eligibility for MTHA housing and for the shelter allowance component of OW benefits could be assessed much more efficiently and effectively through the use of shared information. The development of an information sharing agreement would streamline administrative processes and reduce the potential for errors.

Toronto Social Services has successfully developed information sharing agreements with a number of other levels of government, notably Immigration Canada and Employment Insurance. These agreements have resulted in improved services to mutual clients, administrative efficiencies, and enhanced program integrity on both sides. These agreements also establish strict administrative procedures to ensure compliance with applicable privacy and access-to-information legislation.

Comments:

With the recent downloading of social housing funding from the Province to the City of Toronto, MTHA is faced with an even greater responsibility to be cost effective while continuing to meet the needs of tenants. Currently, a considerable amount of MTHA staff time and effort is spent determining rents based on a tenant's income, and conducting reviews to establish tenant's annual eligibility.

The direct link to information afforded by the proposed agreement will enable to obtain data regarding tenants social assistance income, thereby reducing administrative effort and enabling MTHA staff to dedicate more time to other service related priorities. In the same way, clients will benefit, in that information about their incomes that has already been provided to, and verified by, TSS staff, will not have to be re-submitted to MTHA staff. Fewer demands will be placed on clients, and there will be no discrepancies in the information available to both TSS and MTHA.

In the past, Toronto Social Services area offices monitored the shelter costs and eligibility of clients who were tenants in Metro Toronto Housing properties. However, these efforts, which occurred on a case by case basis, were time consuming and not entirely successful. There were often problems for staff in identifying MTHA addresses, especially in buildings where not all the units are subsidized, and in obtaining current and correct information from the client. Data exchanged via the information sharing agreement will allow TSS to much more efficiently monitor shelter costs of mutual clients, as well as changes of address or family size.

 Perhaps most importantly, for Ontario Works clients, whose potential rent arrears can result in a loss of shelter, the sharing of information between the two Departments would prevent the loss of shelter by enabling staff to intervene more quickly.

 Conclusion:

The Information Sharing Agreement will be written and developed with the involvement of the City of Toronto Corporate Access and Privacy Manager and Toronto Legal Services to ensure its compliance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The agreement will provide a mechanism for both Departments to monitor the eligibility of their mutual clients, while ensuring that the needs of the clients are also met through better service.

Toronto Social Services has been working in conjunction with Peter Schafft, CEO, MTHA and his staff in developing this Information Sharing Agreement. MTHA concurs with the recommendations set forth in this report.

Council is requested to authorize negotiation and approval of the Information Sharing Agreement between Toronto Social Services and the Metro Toronto Housing Authority.

  Contact:

Heather MacVicar

General Manager, Social Services Division

Telephone:392-8952

Fax:392-8931

Email:hmacvic@toronto.ca