Sound check. 1 2 3 Good morning. Welcome to the general issues committee meeting of July 29th, 2026. We do have quorum present and I will call this meeting to order. A reminder that all electronic device are to be switched to a non-audible function during committee meetings. Also, uh for the public and committee members, please note that we have a an exceptionally long agenda for today's meeting. Uh, as the meeting progresses, if it becomes apparent that it will not be completed today, we will recess and continue the meeting uh tomorrow, July 30th, at 1:30 p.m. Should a recess be necessary, the decision will meet later in the day, and the continuation of the meeting will be posted on the city's website. We Oh, sorry. Just one second. Are we good to continue? Okay, thank you. Um, in chambers this morning, councelor Tatison, Bey, Clark, Cooper, Moren Wilson, McMakin, Crutch, Alex Wilson, Wang, Casar. Online, councelor Nan, Councelor Francis. We do not have ceremonial activities. We'll move on to the approval of the agenda. Clerk Kelsey, can you advise of the items included in the addendum? >> Yes, chair. The added items have been published to the online agenda and noted. >> Thank you. Mover and second approve the agenda as presented. Councelor Tatis and Councelor Bey. Any discussion on the agenda? Seeing none, show of hands. That carries. Declarations of interest. Anybody around the table have a declaration of interest? Seeing none, we'll move on to item five, approval of the minutes of the previous meeting. That's 5.1 and 11.1 GIC 26-010 on July 8th, both open and close session minutes. Mover and second to adopt the previous minutes and the closed session minutes to remain confidential. Councelor Bey, councelor Casar, any discussion. Okay, seeing none, show of hands, please. That carries. Thank you. Delegations. Before we begin our delegations for today, members are reminded that questions of the delegations are for clarification purposes only, not for debate. A note to all our delegates, you have five minutes to complete your delegation. You will hear a tone after four minutes, and then you will have an additional minute to finish up. Starting with 6.1, delegation respecting a community hub at 700 Garner Road East. Kevin Gonyy, chairman, Mohawk Sports Park in person. Uh, I believe we have a present presentation. No presentation. It says here there's a presentation. >> Kevin, go ahead. come to the point. Do you have a presentation? Oh, you do have right. He has it there. We'll get that set up if everybody just uh gives us a moment. We'll get it set up and uh we'll get started. Thanks, Kevin. Whenever uh you're ready, you can begin. >> Good morning, and thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Kevin Gony and I'm here on behalf of a consortium of more than 30 community organizations advancing a regionally significant community hub proposal. Our project team has collaborated extensively to develop a facility concept that responds to diverse needs of Hamilton residents and we are here in strong support of motion 9.1 brought forward by the ward 12 counselor Craig Kazar. The Hamilton Community Hub project is validated through three key documents, including a year year-long comprehensive feasibility study, economic impact analysis completed by Sport Tourism Canada, and a detailed operational business plan. Our collaborative network includes more than 30 organizations across diverse sectors including sport and recreation, community and social services, employment and skills development, education, healthc care, accessibility, culture and heritage, seniors active living and child care. Based on our estimate, the broad range of collaboration is unprecedented for a community initiated project of this scale. We have secured letters of intent from several strategic partners. Oh, sorry. Several uh strategic partners including national and provincial sport governing bodies and our P3 lead ball construction which has committed to supporting the construction of a state-of-the-art FI facility on schedule and within budget. Our vision is rooted in inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. This is not just a facility. It is a community building platform designed to create inclusive and equitable public space. The proposed 100,000 square foot community hub includes three multisport courts, optional turf space and indoor running track, community fitness center, child care center, sports medicine clinic, high performance training space, a community kitchen, and community multi-purpose space. The Hamilton Community Hub is anchored through a community access subsidy framework that provides 11,000 subsidized hours annually, equivalent to $270,000 in community benefits, supporting organizations such as the Hamilton Challenger Sports Association and Stack Hamilton. A signature component is our center of excellence for women in sports. A firstofits-kind initiative that expands participation and leadership opportunities for women across the region. Our project will incorporate league gold building standards involving energy efficient uh design features and a comprehensive sustainability plan. We are also exploring a partnership with Redeemer University's environmental studies program to integrate the surrounding green space into learning and stewardship initiatives in collaboration with national provincial sport governing bodies sport for life Canada and Canadian women in sport. We propose establishing a regional high performance training center which will strengthen Hamilton sport capacity. Key components include coaching certification, certification of officials, training for technical equipment operators, development of event support staff, and volunteer recruitment and training. Our proposal directly advances council approved priorities involving youth, seniors, persons with disabilities, tourism, and economic development, and achieves a 98% alignment with the current recreation master plan. Quantified benefits include supporting over 30 local community organizations, generating over 20,000 new community program hours, supporting 350 construction jobs locally, creating 100 over 100 annual full and part-time jobs, $3 million in sport tourism impact. Our proposed community hub is more than just another facility. It's a multis- sector economic, social, and community development engine. This is a once- in a generation opportunity. We are not here asking for funding or requesting approval, only responsible due diligence. We respectfully request committee support for motion 9.1 so staff can uh complete the necessary analysis and provide council with the information required to make an informed decision. Thank you. >> Thank you for your delegation. Councelor Casar, you're up. Thank you very much, Deputy Mayor, and thank you very much, Kevin, for being here and for leading such an ambitious ambitious project with potential great impact for the community. You touched on it just at the end there, and it's covered in my motion later in the agenda, but could you just outline clearly for everyone what you're asking for from the city and what you're not asking for from the city because I think that's really important for uh my colleagues to understand. >> Right. So, similar to past practices involving uh the YMCA and and the Boys and Girls Club, our organization sees a significant community benefit in and developing uh this uh facility and and the extensive benefits to groups that are currently underserved. So, what we're requesting is a formal process to uh outline a staff review of our proposal and how that may benefit and inter interact with current policies and and uh uh strategic vision of Hamilton and possible collaborations. Our our facility concept and features is fluid at this moment. We continually receive uh solicitations for for potential partnerships involving diverse groups. One of those potential partners could possibly be the city of Hamilton. And we feel that this is the best course to follow is through a a staff uh involvement uh review of our our potential project and impact on the uh community. >> Councelor, >> yeah, thank you. So uh support on process from the city and then on funding. You're not asking for funding. There's no budget request uh to the city at this point. If you can just confirm that. >> That's correct. We are not here asking for any funding support. And can you just talk at a high level um the funding plan that you have and how you anticipate the project would be funded? >> Yeah, so I I can confirm uh our current estimate, preliminary estimate for the building costs is approximately $40 million. Of that, the community portion is approximately $10 million. I'm pleased to report today uh that we've almost achieved that total amount from the community portion as as well. We have various uh funding applications as well as responses from upper levels of provincial and federal government and possible foundation support uh that is being considered. Unfortunately, I can't uh discuss any amounts due to uh non-disclosure agreements that are in place. So, >> yeah. Yeah. Thank you very much for that. A lot of work has already been done in a short period of time. So, uh very happy to be supporting Kevin and this project and look forward to committee support uh when we get to that item on the agenda. Thank you, chair. Thank you, Councelor Kevin. We have no one else on the speakers list. Thanks for coming in today. >> Thank you. >> Up next, we have two pre-recorded delegations. We'll start with Vincent Kubar from STAC Hamilton. And uh we can start that whenever you're ready. >> Hello, city council. This is Vincent Kubar, founder and executive director of Stack Hamilton. I'm here today to mention how important it is that we have this facility exist. Very clear message on how what we're doing is working with the community in Hamilton that faces many many barriers and one of the main ones is access to private facilities that can be used all year around. I know there's challenges to have this facility exist in the downtown community because we don't have the space for it, which I understand. Having it up on Gardener Road would be a fantastic location for one, and transportation is an easier uh for the community that [music] don't have access to proper gym courts. a track training facility that supports mental health as well as physical wellness as well [music] such as a gym and also physiootherapy, chiropractics, massage, and other resources that the community requires. This isn't just about sports. It's what sports provides to our youth. >> Can we Sorry. Can we >> is the vehicle that >> do we know what the is the background music part of the video? Okay, just making sure. Thank you. >> Takes opportunity to the next level. If anything gets to our youth to par, which is sometimes a great value for them to be successful. Now with sports [music] and working with youth, we're creating wonderful young human beings that will venture off into their post-secary career path, but also [music] once they complete that, they will come back and enrich the community and support the space. Today I have here with me four of our summer coaches through the Canada summer jobs program. And these youth have been with us for few years now. And they're role models for our younger kids. But not only that, here's what Stack has done for them and is doing for them. But also what Stack has done is helped create [music] their career paths in this field. First up, Reagan. Hi, my name's Reagan. Stack has given me ample opportunities as a coach and a player to just learn and explore [music] myself and it's really helped me going to my career as a social worker. I'm going to be going to Mohawk to play basketball. And I give props to Stack because I've only been here for 2 years. And in the year that I played, um, I got a lot of exposure. I got videos made for me. I got tapes made. We went to America for little to no cost. And an opportunity like that doesn't come around lightly. And they've just done a lot for me. >> So, next up we have Chayla. Hi, my name is Shayla. Being a part of the stack community, it has really opened my eyes by having mentorship twice a week. [music] It has taught me how to be a better leader and also how to be there for children. I will be going to Barack in September and my [music] career path is also dealing with kids. So, I'll be doing child and youth studies. >> Next up, we have someone like to call the stack OG. He's been with us since literally day one. and [music] with many movements in life and sports and academics, he's trusted the process and trusted the program and our mentorship. I'll let him explain what we've done for him. >> Hi, my name is Kabra. Stack has given me gym access, job opportunities, mentorship, and a path towards college athletics. >> Last but not least, we have Salman. >> Hi guys, my name is Salman. I've been with Stack for about two to three years now and I can say Stack has helped me a lot with job opportunities, developing my skills academically and personally, giving me skills and just different things I need in life to help me succeed in life. And I cannot give the most thanks to them. So you see folks, it's not just about sports, it's about what we do with sports and having a facility that exists that gives us the access. So then we can bring in youth that have limited access to these programs, full access. And imagine what we can do. Imagine the numbers of youth that we can support with with not just recreation, uh not just uh competitive, but also career paths that enrich our community. That's why we're here. That's what we need is a facility that exists [music] so we can thrive and then we can make Hamilton thrive. Thank you. Okay, thank you Vincent for that. And up next we have another pre-recorded delegation from Rich Gelder. [snorts] and that video will be popping up momentarily. Good morning, committee chair and councel. My name is Rich Gelder and I am a resident of Ward 13 in Dundas and also a member of the Golden Horseshoe Track and Field Council. Please accept my apologies for being unable to delegate in person today and hope you will accept my pre-recorded delegation. I'm delegating today in support of a motion for a staff review of the Hamilton Community Hub project. In specific, I am speaking about the need for a competition ready indoor track and field facility in addition to the other amenities this shared project will bring to the community. You'll hear about these things in in other delegations. The sport of athletics or track and field has consumed much of my life. I was a competitive athlete in my teens many many decades ago and have spent the last 30 years as a volunteer with the sport and also in my career as an educator. I spent 28 years with the Hamilton Olympic Club as a coach, director, and president for six of those. I have been on the board of directors of the Hamilton Indoor Games and have served stints as a provincial coach for both the Canada Summer Games and the Royal Canadian Legion National Youth Track and Field Program. I helped organize the track and field portion of the 2000 International Children's Games in Hamilton and was also coach for two of those teams internationally. I spent 18 years as the coordinator of the KUSA games track and field program. Currently, I am a level two certified athletics Ontario track and field official and I spend a good number of weekends on the microphone as a venue announcer. I am also the track and field chairperson of the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command District Brack and Field Program, which covers most of southern and southwestern Ontario. I know a bit about the sport of track and field and what happens locally and what is needed. The one thing that has been lacking for decades, including my time as an athlete and volunteer, is a competition ready indoor facility for training and meets. Hamilton is the largest city in Ontario without such a facility as they exist currently in Windsor, London, Toronto, which in fact has two such facilities, and G. For years, local athletes have had to travel out of town to avail themselves of opportunities, often taking weekly return school bus trips. There is a need for track and field facilities for both training and competition here in Hamilton. Earlier, I mentioned my involvement with the Hamilton Indoor Games, an annual event put on the 91st Highlanders Athletic Association for more than 100 years. As you may know, that meet is currently on death row with nowhere viable to hold this annual indoor event. The Armories, where the meet originated, is old and has infrastructure challenges that force the cancellation of the meet this year. The shiny new TD Coliseum is a great new asset to Hamilton, but the clientele it now serves puts the track and field meet from which many elementary and high school students benefit out of fiscal reach. The proposed Hamilton Community Hub project offers the potential to provide not only training and competitive opportunities for the track and field community in general, but a permanent home for this annual tradition. The project fits right in with the city's recreation master plan and would provide benefits not only for track and field, but other sports and recreation activities such as volleyball, pickle ball, child care, basketball, fitness, sports medicine, and physiootherapy. I believe Hamilton is the best place to raise a child, but I think we can do better from a recreational facility standpoint. This is why I am asking you members of the general issues committee and council to support a staff review of the proposed Hamilton community hub project. Thank you very much. >> Okay, thank you Rich for that. Uh mover and second to receive the all the uh delegations. Councelor Casar, councelor Alex Wilson, show of hands. That carries. Thank you. On to 6.2. Donna Lee McDonald respecting a central outdoor farmers and producers local food market in downtown Hamilton. This is a in-person delegation. Good morning. We are just uh preparing the delegation and then uh we will start as soon as we're ready and welcome and good morning to councelor Jackson. I would just appreciate if we keep the uh small talk to a minimum today. Thank you. >> It's directed at the council for more two. Good morning. >> Good morning. Whenever you're ready, please begin. >> Sorry for the delay there. Uh, I'm here today because I care about Hamilton and [clears throat] Excuse me. and I want to present a common sense proposal. Before I begin, let me provide a context. I was employed by the city of Hamilton between 2012 and 2016 as the manager of the Hamilton Farmers Market. As an employee, I was able to provide some excellent work to council um and uh for the public. Uh I resolved peacefully a long-standing complex political situation surrounding a vendor. Um, that was a long-standing uh item of concern for council. I brought in prepared food vendors into the market to provide business development opportunities for the local prepared food community that continues to grow today. I brought to finance's attention the city's largest embezzlement scheme um that had been operating for nine month or sorry nine years. I identified this within six months of landing in the market. Um, and since this is the first time I've spoken about it actually publicly, I'll share that it was a very difficult experience for me and that as a whistleblower, I received um very little support uh from city staff. And I'd like to recommend to council that you direct um staff to look into this to see what kind of supports they have for people that bring uh concerns to senior staff. Uh previous to the market, I was the director of Hamilton Artist Inc. and worked closely with senior uh city senior staff to strategize the delivery of a permanent home for the gallery on James and Cannon. It's an anchor on James Street and uh it won the first uh the inaugural National Gallery of Canada's award for artistr run centers in Canada was also the first artist run center in Canada to access federal capital funds. Uh I'm also the uh my grandfather was a farmer and uh a deputy reevand east or sorry no uh Drummond center council in lon county for about 25 years. So that's my context here. Uh when I was uh manager of the market, I made it my work to study other markets in North America and the principles of successful markets. Uh the market here uh has demonstrated well that it's not really quite a facility that's uh conducive to local growers and producers. of the current 60 odd vendors, there's only one full-time farmer and two other farmers who supplement their uh their goods that they share. And that's fine. There's there's no judgment on on whatever it takes to run a business. But what I want to highlight is that there is the absence of local produce in downtown Hamilton. And we are in the middle of the fruit and vegetable basket of Ontario. Uh in 1837 a parcel of land about an acre was donated by Andrew Mary Miller and the the second uh municipal building Hamilton was incorporated in 1833. So this is 1837 the second municipal building was built that's this here uh and it housed the market downstairs and city council was upstairs. That's how close council and the market was in the beginning of the city. um the market operated. Okay. So then uh up until the uh the market grew and grew and up until the 40s and 50s um it was actually the largest market in Canada. So I just want to emphasize that it's the largest market in Canada. We also had a midnight market around the turn of the 20th century where farmers would come to the edge of the bay and sellers and they would have this midnight market and they would barge food on barges along the shore of north uh Lake Ontario to Toronto for the dawn markets. It's such an incredible image. Local produce is in the DNA of this city. Um, so this is uh I want to bring you your attention to one last acre of undeveloped land downtown. It's uh 1.6 of an acre bound by Wilson, John, Rebecca, and Houston Streets. I just want us to pause on that how important this land is. There's one acre that's left downtown and it's important to get to the land before it gets built upon. In the city's downtown secondary plan, this land is designated as dense, mixed use, including public plaza. And instead, we have of another condo. There's an opportunity. There exists the funding and the common sense to build a 1acre sheltered beautiful market to facilitate farmers to sell in downtown Hamilton. A market that is large enough and significant enough to attract enough e economic activity to support regional farmers and it's important to be central in the middle of the city in the heart of the city accessible to all by public transit. It would operate one day a week on Saturdays only and would still be able to maintain some parking underneath. The business plan is self-generated and self- sustaining. There's lots of funders, federal, provincial, and municipal. I won't list them all. The only municipal I'm thinking about is the future fund. I don't know if that's still kicking around. >> Donna, just >> I'm going to I'm going to just finish. It's going to take about just a little bit longer. Uh I want to stress that this market proposal is not in com competition to any of the other markets or the central market uh in the city. It's a companion. Um and I would like to direct staff. I guess I don't have time to go into more. >> No, you got Yeah. >> Uh I understand. Yeah, I get it. Um, so I'll leave this I guess with you and I'm going to just bring a couple of pictures here quickly. Um, so just to give you an idea because often images speak more than words. I guess what I'm bringing your attention to is >> Donna just I'm going to interrupt. I'm just going to bring you to this one image. >> Can can I can I speak? >> Uh, of course. >> So if you can go through the images. I have a counselor that wants to ask you a question. Okay. >> Uh, you pull up that and I'll get him to ask you the question. >> There we go. That I just want >> Councelor Crutch, please go ahead. >> Yeah, go ahead. >> Thanks, Donna. Um, I'm just wondering if you were aware of what's going on with the auditor general's role, how it's changed, and how the whistleblower things have changed in the last in this term of council in the last the last term. >> No, I'm not, but I'm glad to hear it. That's it's good. I've been out of touch. I've haven't >> No, it's okay. And the area I think you're suggesting, I heard you rattle off some intersections. I didn't get them all. >> It's the uh uh I I spoke about uh Wilson, uh John, Rebecca, and Houston. There's currently three parking lots there. It's the last undeveloped land of that size downtown. And so this image that I'm bringing to you here is an AI generated image of what possibly um uh a market could look like on that block. >> Thanks. As the current chair of the Hamilton Farmers Market Board, I'd be happy to meet with you. Send me an email. We can chat about this in more detail. There's a bunch of things that you mentioned in your delegation today that have changed, that are in progress, that are happening that maybe if you had that information, it might um help you with your proposal. So happy to meet with you. >> Yes. Thank you. That that really wouldn't be what I was looking for. I would be looking for um council to consider asking staff to look into this proposal. I'm quite familiar with the market. I'm quite familiar with the uh limitations of the the current um place. Um so yeah, I with all due respect, I I help set up that board. Um I'm I'm well familiar with it. >> Oh, I didn't mean the market specifically. claim that there's this parcel of land where the parking lots are happening. There's a whole bunch of things happening there. So, I'd be happy to sit and look over those with you so you know what's going on. >> So, there's already planning that's happening on this. >> Correct. Yeah. Happy to meet with you, Donna. Anytime. >> Okay. All right. I I will follow up with you on that. >> Thank you, Donna. We don't have any further speakers on the list. So, thank you for coming in today and I will need a mover and a seconder to receive the delegation. Councelor Crutch, Councelor McMe, show of hands. >> That carries. Thank you. Moving on to 6.3, delegations respecting homeless serving system transformation update. Item 7.3, our first delegations from Carl Andrew, Hamilton Community Benefits Network in person. Morning, Carl. Whenever you're ready, please begin. >> Thank you very very much, chair. Uh, good morning, chair, members of committee, staff, and everyone watching. I'm of course still Carl Andress, executive director of the Hamilton Community Benefits Network and I'm here to speak today on report HSC26051, the homelessness serv serving system transformation update. Before I begin, I want to acknowledge the position, the very difficult position I should say, housing staff continue to find themselves in. Hamilton is an in is increasingly responding to homelessness, increasingly complex and dealing with declining funding from certain certainly from senior levels of government um as well as perhaps potential austerity here at the municipal level while trying to redesign an emergency shelter system that has been forced to evolve in a crisis. Hodge podge basically being built while the plane is flying. The current housing and and homelessness system that we have now is a system that is in massive crisis. The statistics bear that out every day of frontline workers and anyone who works in that sector if you know them personally as I know many can tell you very sad and sometimes heartwarming tales of successes but a lot of sad tales of of folks that get turned away of holes in that system. So having read the report several times, it feels like um the staffer are on their way towards a fully developed transformation plan and that significant work is in progress but it's heavy on systems information coordination access diversion which I want to come back to prevention centralized intake and a focus on housing pathways all worthy objectives especially housing pathways but considerably light on the details of capital planning replacement infrastructure and implementation deal details needed to safely transition from today's emergency responses to this proposed future vision. The challenge is that while many of the recommendations describe how we might better organize the homelessness serving system, they do not necessarily increase the capacity within that system. In several places, the report proposes winding down services that currently exist while relying on future housing pathways, affordable housing developments, and new models of service that remain largely conceptual. And I want to point those two examples out. The first, of course, is Barton Tiffany. Operationally, regardless of the well-known prominent issues surrounding its construction, it has become one of Hamilton's most successful emergency shelter responses. In the spectator today, it was published that they have placed 60 people into full housing, full diversion. People who went from substance abuse, mental health problems on the street, gave them wraparound supports and services with their couples, with their dogs, and with the care that they needed in one place and moved them into homes, hopefully homes that will become permanent homes. And this is a contrast to the housing first solution that we originally pioneered in Hamilton a number of years ago where we thought if we just gave someone a home that their problems would magically vanish. That turned out to be not as well thought out um as data extended. Obviously without support wraparound supports without uh accommodating and structural understanding of the medical mental health and addiction needs of the folks they tend to fall back into homelessness within 6 months and under a housing first uh system. It is not supported and that does not come with those those diversionary supports. Um so the Barton Tiffany uh model is one of our most successful shelters. It accommodates couples pets, provides low barrier accommodation, centralizes services, allows for access to medical teams, peer support, multiple different organizations, uh all intersect and meet at these places, and it serves people who have historically struggled to find access to more traditional shelter systems. Uh this report identifies March 2028 as the target for winding the site down. Yet I struggle to find a corresponding capital project on your horizon that will replace um this facility or do what this facility does or fill the gap in emergency. As you know, construction takes time. Future reports and service redesigns are important, but they don't identify land construction buildings or open replacement shelter beds. The same concerns apply to the proposed reduction in family hotel overflow by June 2025. Hotels were never intended to become part of Hamilton's long-term homelessness response. Many cities have continued to lean on these very expensive, and I will repeat that, very expensive emergency accommodations. But they are an important safety valve for families who have otherwise ended up in their carves, separated from their children and then eventually into encampments and and into uh the long treacherous pathway that can be um houselessness. The further one spends in houselessness, the greater the chance there is that they be deal with mental health issues and substance abuse issues. Um I may be a minute or two longer. I'm sorry I'm I'm not running at my usual speed of pace today. I apologize. >> Carl, not a minute or two though. Just if you can some final thoughts and uh wrap it up, please. >> Certainly. Um uh what makes me particularly cautious is that the transformation described throughout this report appears to depend upon affordable housing programs, rent substments like Coochi, the Canada Ontario Housing Benefit, and other national housing strategy programs ended to wind down in 2028. The Financial Accountability Office recently reviewed subsidized housing program paints a more restrained picture. Their analysis projects a decline in both rent gear to income housing below market housing over the next several years with an overall uh growth in subsidized housing remaining relatively modest despite massive ch massive demand changes that are coming on the system. They are predicting an increase of nearly 20,000 to 40,000 additional unhoused families in Ontario in in the coming years. So with that, I will uh wind it down and take some questions. I uh did realize that I forgot to uh ask for a little bit more time today in in my rush to come before you. So I will thank the chair's indulgence. >> Thank you. Uh Council Me Wilson has a question. Thank you very much, Delegate Andress. I always appreciate your advocacy and engagement. Um, I just want to make sure I'm understanding the core thesis that you're delivering and then I'd like to ask you a second question about a reference uh you made. I are you saying are you expressing a caution and a concern that uh we are planning for a transfer in some models that would seem to be dependent on funding sources which your review is telling us there's no evidence of delivery of those sources. I I just want to make sure I'm clear on on what you're telling us. Thank you through the chair. >> Um certainly um that so there's a a couple of key points that I will make in in response through the chair to that. So um this housing service systems transition update is leaning heavily on a a diversion and a housing first model. It is looking very much at what we all hope that the housing services sector is doing is to effectively prevent individuals and families from experiencing homelessness before it occurs. That's their core goal that they've laid out within in this. And they suggested several tools that they're building, several strategies that they are laying out to get towards that goal. One of which is and I will want to make a a comment on this. One of which is the use of of of technology in the standardization of processes. So they're looking at a centralized intake system similar to the one that the city of Toronto uses. There is actually within this report although they don't mention the number of FTEEs, they do mention that there's a management and staffing cost associated with the creation of this centralized uh calling system. So this means rather than the existing system where um residents who are seeking to become housed or hospitals who are seeking to discharge folks or workers at shelters who have a client that they need to move somewhere else have a central place to call with a computerized system that they can look up um availabilities and then provide that information at a glance. Most of that information has already been integrated in the back end in in hyphus and some of that backend work is already done. So that that work is almost available to shelter workers. However, to have a frontline call center is a very ineffective way of service delivery. Toronto, for example, on any given day takes 800 to a,000 calls for folks looking for for shelters and for shelter beds. They're able to place between 30 and 50 of them um through through the phone service. um that is no different than the previous placement records before the centralized intake system existed. So it seems like a a a large expenditure to centralize a system that hasn't had any effect because there weren't the beds there to support the new intake system. So that's the one thing I wanted to say. And the other thing that I wanted to say is that yes, there's a a big dependency. In the report, it mentions 2017 that we've anticipated 517 new housing units will be ready for occupancy. And it mentions 164 of those affordable units will be leased at no more than 80% of CHC's average market rent. Now, that is nowhere near what you get on OSAP, nowhere near what you get on ODSP or that's nowhere near what you get on Old Age Security. It's nowhere near any of the government systems that exists. So that means they are going to repi re regard re rely on rent geared to income or coochi or the Canada Ontario um the cobb they call it the Canada Ontario housing assistance plan and those systems are all wind all the agreements for those are all winding down and the auditor has pointed out sharply that there is a massive increase in demand that we are sitting at the peak of the beginning because of core unaffordability of a wave of new homelessness, a massive increase across Ontario, a title wave, the which I don't think that we even saw during the pandemic. Um, so I I apologize for for taking more of the time on this, but I really want to stress that that this wave is coming and the funding is not matching it. If anything, we're looking at an overall 1% net decrease in funding compared to the uh earlier years. So, I just wanted to bring bring that forward and I'll take any any follow-up questions uh on that subsidy. But that was the warning that the the financial accountability office is saying and it really contract contradicts staff's plans here on this new robust systemsbased integrated uh housing solutions program that's somehow just going to find efficiencies, streamlined systems and better practices. >> Counselor, >> thank you through the chair. Since you you've referenced it at least twice, I'm wondering for anybody who's watching if you could share with us what is the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario? >> Uh, absolutely. So, the um Financial Accountability Office is an an agency of the Ontario government. It's an independent organization that is tasked with doing um financial calculations and budgetary oversights uh on various programs, initiatives uh across the the uh the in this case Ontario government systems. So they provide independent nonpartisan reports that are purely numbers and accounting based um to give governments of all political stripes the tools they need to make informed decisions. >> Thank you. It's an independent agency. It reports directly to the legislature. It's not beholden to any uh government that happens to uh enjoy um power of the day. And it has issued two recent reports of late. One on supportive housing, the other on homelessness and housing. And it is from those reports which you've drawn your stark conclusion which is um demand is going to explode but there's no line item. In fact, it shows otherwise that the investments are not exploding. In fact, they're they're shrinking. Is that what you're saying? To >> I'm I'm saying that there is a modest increase in the dollar value of of money being invested in the housing and homelessness system up to the 2028 period. We won't know beyond that because the new agreements haven't been reached. We have a new federal government um that may have a different mandate in terms of how it deals with its its housing strategy service. Um so we have a modest increase but that increase doesn't account for the fact that we are looking at a projection of 2028 2020 uh 2027 2028 of 1.132 million people in need of subsidized housing in Ontario. That is a substantial amount of of the people in this province who will be looking to governments. And if they're not looking getting it from the province and the federal governments, they're going to be looking at the people around this table to help them. Or you're going to be dealing with the direct impacts of them not being housed, which means living in parks, living in cars, means overburdened as we're seeing it now, libraries, markets, public spaces that become overrun. So, it's just this is a a warning sign of things to come and something to consider both as you're running for office, as staff is considering their their long-term strategic planning and of course um you know, as as we looked forward with the municipality. This storm is coming. We will have to deal with it in one way or another. And for the most part, it looks like the other levels of government have abandoned us unfortunately. >> Counselor, that's >> Thank you. I I am at time. I would just like to say chair to anyone who's interested in those reports, it does uh reference factual information on spending by level of government and it's my conclusion in reading those reports clearly that municipal governments have been spending the most um and not being matched by their senior orders. Thank you to the delegate. >> Thank you, Councelor Clark. >> Thank you, Chair, and good morning. I'd like to ask um delegate Andrew just a couple of questions. So, can [snorts] you clarify again what the estimated increase in homelessness would be in Ontario? You gave a a number that was shocking and so could you just repeat it? Make sure I heard it right. >> Sure. Absolutely. So from um 2021 to 2022 to 2024 to 2025, the FAO estimates the number of households in need of of subsidized housing in Ontario increased by 150,000 households. All right, just to give you a contrasting number, in 2018 2019, there was 9 and um uh 911,000 families approximately or households uh in need of subsidized housing. They are looking at a projection by 2027 2028 of 1.3 million households. So, as you can see, that's uh quite a jump um from what what we were servicing previously and what we will be servicing uh in the future. Um the uh households are projected to grow an increase by 8 870,000 households, 8.3% a year. Um they are looking um to make up 17.6% of all Ontario households in 2027 2028. Um and this um is supported by the fact that the average rent and mortgage payment growths are expected to grow by 3.6% and 4.6% per year respectively outpacing projected household income growth of 2.8% and of course housing investment which has been flat at 1.2% 2% um that they >> those numbers are startling uh to say the least uh especially in context and and council moren Wilson was is correct. Um just using Hamilton as the example we get $28.5 million from the province for homelessness. We spend over $und00 million. >> Correct. [clears throat] >> And they're not stepping up. And would you not what would your thoughts be about pushing the province to create a more equitable and centralized process across the entire province where they're assisting all municipalities uh handle the homelessness file because the challenge that we're seeing is the more we spend the more homelessness come to Hamilton >> cuz other municipalities don't have the money so they just say well Hamilton's doing great work go see them. >> I mean, that is an anecdote I've I've heard my entire life. >> It's not an anecdote. It's real. We've had it backed up. So, the reality is if other municipalities are not spending chair, and Hamilton is, >> then where would the homeless go in that municipality where they have no support? If I if I just could quickly respond to that, um the point in time counts on on housing and homelessness um do do not show the massive demographic shift that you're alluding to councelor. So I just want to push back on that a little bit. But also as I was reviewing um housing and homelessness serving system transformations and I looked at Peele region, I looked at Toronto, these are all regions that are also spending far far above what what they should be. Hamilton is not alone in in St. Catherine's Niagara region. All of these regions are responding to this crisis and they're seeing this crisis and they're stretching their budgets and they are leaning unfortunately on their rateayers because that's one of the few tools that you have to in order to pay for um capital projects uh in in at your level. And you're not the only municipality that is is doing this. This is an Ontariowide phenomenon. It's massively growing in the north where the the numbers are are staggering up there um because of the the lack of investment and concentration. So yes, Hamilton is doing well. Yes, there may be some anecdotal evidence, but we are not being flooded. Other regions are also stepping up and are also pouring tens, sometimes hundreds of millions themselves into their housing and homelessness systems because they're seeing it in their parks just as much as as as we are. But I think it's a it is a massive provincewide problem. The other levels of government do need to step up or do need to generate other revenue tools. But the the other option is that we do nothing here in Hamilton and we turned a blind eye so that I don't have to pay another $1,000 a year on the home I just bought this year because I'm lucky enough to finally be a homeowner. And I mean, I I personally would would rather see a thousand dollar a year property tax increase to see less to to see this unjustice addressed. And I know that there are folks who can't afford folks who might be on the margins, but there are systems that you have to address um lowincome folks and property taxes, especially seniors. there are systems that you've been put in place over the years judiciously to help prevent um those who are on low incomes, who are homeowners from being displaced. So, I think that there is a possibility that some of us would be willing to bear more of the property tax, but I would like to see the province and the federal government step up. They have the dollars and they're and they're they're spending it in ways that I think are not necessarily commisserate with the problem. [snorts] >> Thank you for your cander as always. I appreciate it. Thank you, councelor Clark. Thank you, Carl, for coming in today. Up next, we have Graham Cubit for the chair of Hamilton is Home Coalition in person. >> Good morning, Graham. Whenever you're ready, please go ahead. >> Thank you very much, chair. Uh, good morning, counselors. My name is Graeme Cubit. I'm presenting this morning as chair of Hamilton's Home Coalition of nonprofits committed to developing critically needed, supportive, and affordable housing in our city. Uh you can check out our new website, hamiltonishishome.org for uh information on our goals for 5,000 units towards this goal. Transforming the homelessness system serving system is essential and the status quo is widely recognized as not meeting today's challenges. But we're not here to criticize. We're here to offer encouragement to take the opportunities the staff report alludes to. We see opportunities in this report to set programmatic and numeric targets for how emergency housing models can be reinvented. We look forward to much more proactive engagement with Hamilton is home in helping shape this transition strategy to ensure available resources are optimized and new funds flow to Hamilton. Our [clears throat] current city spending can can be the catalyst for new opportunities to attract federal and provincial funds. Uh as we were just hearing discussed, creating new supportive and transitional housing is the most effective way to transform the emergency system status quo. It provides the physical environments for people to live in their own homes with the integrated supports to actually achieve health stability and personal progress towards their recovery and personal life goals. Hamilton's home members are poised to play key roles in supporting this transformation alongside community allies. We have learned to cooperate in new ways. So, we're not fighting over turf for funding. We're playing to each other's strengths while spurring each other on to innovate. And we're respecting each other's missions and organizational capacities to deliver new results. Current examples that are relevant to this transformation of the emergency system might be helpful. Sack Joa, for instance, is leading new indigenous supportive housing models with multiple projects underway, uh, including the project at 204 gauge street. If you would, uh, go back go past that one. They're actively addressing the reality that indigenous people are over represented in Hamilton's homelessness counts. The YW.CA is creating new opportunities for women and gender diverse people and their children through the Oakwood project. It's also very open to reinventing current programs like Caroline's Place being ac being being acutely aware of the limitations of the existing emergency system as it re relates to women's needs. It's fundamentally important to ensure that the unique experiences women, children, and gender diverse people are reflected throughout the transformation of emergency options. Good Shepard intends to reinvent its men's shelter while also actively imagining the exit from Bart and Tiffany and new options to the hotel shelters for family focused supportive housing. and Indwell is creating new support models in collaboration with healthcare partners with opportunities to build the supportive housing capacity needed through these projects like the former Kenmore Theater CHCH site which was just purchased and Century Manor. Today's report identifies no immediate financial considerations, but we want we do want to flag two financial opportunities this transition plan can trigger. First, housing services division last October uh report HSC2504041 uh mentions that Hamilton is spending 54 million on shelters and $4.8 million on encampments. The good news is this is 58.8 million in funding we already budget. So, we have the local ability to recalibrate those funds to achieve new results. This fall, we should identify immediate and near-term opportunities to transform emergency responses like the Barton Tiffany and the shelter windown plans to make strategic pre-commitments for three years out so that the new current so that the current emergency shelter can option shelters can continue to operate while new supportive housing gets built. We could effectively house everyone currently outdoors and most people in the shelter system with the operating funding we current we currently budget. But we need the new capital funds to build this exit strategy, which is our second point. Build Canada Homes has roughly 400 million ready to commit to Ontario projects this fall if operating funds can be put in place. We don't need these dollars for two to three years, but we do need commitments this season. Hamilton is home and the city of Hamilton through the housing secretariat are could be very well positioned to together attract this federal investment needed to fund the shelter transition plan today's report outlines. System transformation is difficult but possible. Hamilton has willing partners and the funds to to start reshaping our homelessness reality within 5 years. Building upwards of 600 new supportive housing units is possible. With these new options for people facing homelessness, the revamp coordinated access system can be effective and life transformation of housing options leads to long-term stability for people on our streets, the agency supporting them, and our broader community. We're standing here as Hamilton's home, ready to come alongside the city in enabling this report today. Thank you. >> Thank you, Graham. We do have a question. Councelor Tom Jackson. >> Good morning, Deputy Mayor Spa. Good morning, Chair Cubit. Um, can I ask a bit of a cheeky question to you, please? Um, but it has so much sincerity in it. So, everything you explain, if I took you to a town hall meeting in Ward 6, it's very encouraging what you're explaining, what you're doing to get the homeless, the marginalized off of the streets and into something that they can be proud of, Graham. And it sounds like, if I heard you correctly, Deputy Mayor, that you could solve, fingers crossed, our homeless problem. Every time I hear this from anyone, any other delegate, our city staff say to me and to this body that that roughly 2,000 homeless, that roughly 300 tent people, the encampments in our parks and on our streets now, uh, the needle isn't moving. It's staying stagnant. And that's the dilemma for me as a governor here, Graham, that if I could see that needle moving downward significantly, I could support more funding for what you want to do within well, the chair of the uh uh Hamilton is home. Uh wonderful um initiative. That needle doesn't seem to move. So, Deputy Mayor, long preamble through you. If Mr. cubit. I hope he gets the essence of where I'm coming from. Give me some explanation of what's happening out there, what you want to do, and what to me and the layman doesn't seem to be in a positive way achieving what you want done. Does that all make sense in terms of a question to you, please? >> Through you, chair, uh, councelor, I believe you summarized the angst that most citizens in Hamilton feel. How come we can't move the needle? And uh I I and our members fundamentally resonate with the frustration that you feel with the status quo. We I personally have the privilege of working in many communities across Ontario working on supportive housing. Uh there's examples of communities that are taking strategic decisions that are moving the needle and I'll cite St. Thomas as perhaps the most uh most obvious one. The community has well uh documented uh evidence, third-party research, others who are saying this strategy the community adopted in 2020 towards ending homelessness is working and could be considered uh effectively having solved homelessness by next year. It took coordination amongst organizations uh you know city council leaders, city staff, senior leadership status all down in a room and said if you all did your best what would it look like? and if we resource you, uh, are you committed to doing so? And everybody who put up their hand said yes and we're working that plan and building supportive housing, uh, is a key part of that strategy. And that's what's leading towards people being housed, no longer in on the side of the road, changes to the policing model, changes to, uh, emergency and social services towards that goal of ending homelessness. It's a a little bit different scale in Hamilton. We have higher numbers, fair enough. But we're also a bigger city, different resources. We've we've changed ourselves as a community by Hamilton's home, challenging ourselves to cooperate. We're now in a position that we weren't 5 years ago of knowing how each other work, how each other think, what each other are willing to do, how we can innovate together. That's why we're here today differently than we were 5 years ago to say we can come alongside housing services not with our hands tied but with our hands open to say we can do it. The key thing is we're spending a lot of money in Hamilton right now for results that none of us are satisfied with. We don't have to debate that. But if we can reimagine how we commit those resources, emulating St. Thomas where they said we will commit municipal resources and use whatever opportunity we can to backfill those with municipal or with provincial or federal funds. Every single time they've committed to a housing project, they've backfilled the municipal commitment with other funds as they became available. And you know, like mutual funds, the past is no indication of the future, but I believe that we can draw the attention of the province when we make those kinds of decisions. >> Sher Cubid, I admire your leadership so much. Thank you. And I'm going to delve more into the St. Thomas model. Maybe our staff are taking notes as well. Appreciate the answer to my question. Thanks, Deputy Mayor. >> Thank you. Uh, up next we have councelor Crutch. [clears throat] >> Recently, I was in St. Thomas and I can tell you that my experience the difference between St. Thomas and Hamilton can't be enumerated here today. Could you speak to that specifically because I applaud what they're doing there, but it's a very very different situation in St. Thomas and Hamilton. Could you expand on that? >> For sure. Thank you, counselor. Uh through you, chair. Uh when when St. Thomas said about its problem solving uh journey, there were 149 people on the by name priority list. It's a much smaller community, so a much smaller number of people who are street homeless, but the impact on the BIA, the impact on the Chamber of Commerce, the the expression of frustration of the community was basically identical to Hamilton. Uh they didn't have a homeless shelter. They didn't have many of the resources that Hamilton has. And they said, "We don't want to expand those services into the abyss of endless emergency measures. So, what else are we going to do?" The police chief said, "We can't arrest our way out of this. So, find a better solution." And that's where us as a community had to step up and say our best looks like this. In Hamilton, we have, you mentioned, 2,000 people who are homeless. We have maybe 300 people on the side of the road. It's not difficult to see that right from the parking lot here at city hall. The reality is is that with $58.8 $8 million that we're currently spending on emergency shelters and homelessness. Uh which is numbers from the staff report. I don't have the fine grain detail of that, but $58 million is a lot of money towards the ability to enable ourselves to empower ourselves to make change. I think what's key is that we have to sit down together and say what changes do we do we want? We see it identified the shelters the Barton Tiffan is going to be shut down by next March. Okay, that's already written down. the uh family shelter uh hotels that we need to wind that down by the next year. That's great. What are we going to do to replace those? This is the key opportunity to bring the federal government to bear in paying for the infrastructure we need using operating funds which we're already budgeting. I if I can add on to that, I think we talked about we heard about the issue of trying to bring provincial funds. We know the province uh is one of the hardest levels of government to convince to come to the table on this. But the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing is Minister Rob Flack, whose writing is St. Thomas, who knows firsthand how to solve homelessness because he sees it in his own writing. So appealing to his his his evidence from his own writing could be useful for us as a city and emulating that approach could be very uh very effective. >> Thanks. Thanks. I have two more questions. Are you aware of our near constant appeals to the province on the subject? >> I hear about it through you, chair. I'm very aware of the near constant appeals and I believe that there's opportunity to reframe the results. >> Okay. My other question for you is about the specific articulation of a proposal that looks at addressing homelessness. One of the things that Indwell said some years ago now was that and it's been reported pretty publicly is that the density of these solutions with the supportive housing ends up really mattering. And so you can't simply build too much density in one space and expect to find a solution because it's not how those communities will work together. It's not how supportive housing works. It's not the scale and the pace and frankly the kind of approach that's necessary in settings like that. If I understand what you're saying, I think I do, is that we're going to need multiple spots around the city for supportive housing and those might be at the scale of 50 units or less each. Those will need to be probably because of the nature of where folks are spread across the city. How many of those do you think we would need to address this issue? >> Uh through you chair. Um I will let my colleague Jess Brand uh delegate about Invol specifically but as chair of Hamilton his home I can say that we're each organization is very aware of the size and scale mattering for supportive housing and all organizations are committed to developing the right scale for the services to be effective. Saca's projects is a great example. 40 units uh focus on indigenous housing on gauge had zero neighborhood push back in a community that we just recently heard uh wasn't so thrilled with the uh shelter relocation idea. So when we propose supportive housing we we see different community buyin, different community acceptance uh and fundamentally different results from those investments. I think that's the key. uh and then that those smaller scale projects make it very feasible to find locations uh throughout the city. >> So numerically like probably seven to 10 projects would need to have take place nearly simultaneously for you to sort of achieve something on the same time scale. >> That would be reasonable. >> Okay. Thanks very much for answering my questions. >> Thank you. Up next, Councelor Clark. >> Thank you, Chair. Can I just ask Graham, so he's mentioned St. Thomas. heard the ministers mention St. Thomas. It's a community of about 56,000 people and they had about 150 homeless and they created supportive housing. They got $2.5 million from the province. So, help me understand how that equates to Hamilton through you, chair. uh the example equates to Hamilton and how each of those projects as individual projects structured the opportunity for the province to come to the table. Uh there wasn't a commitment by the province to an overarching strategy but it was an opportunistic approach that for instance the station uh that's a project developed by Indwell the municipality made a commitment of I believe it was $2.8 $8 million. Uh at the end of the day, uh they had the they they found the opportunity to use provincial funds uh towards the uh $2 million of that operate of that capital, leaving only $800,000 on the municipal levy. What the program did when it got going, having attracted CHC, provincial and municipal, as well as donations, was then able to put a proposal before the province for operating funds. And those operating funds were secured directly by Indwell through the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health doesn't fund good ideas. They re they kick and scream to fund anything, but when there's an imminent result uh available, then they're much more open to funding in that calendar year. This year, Indwell was named in the provincial budget as along with another organization out of uh York Region. Um we've details are still forthcoming but uh we understand that the operating funds are linked to projects that the province funded through a capital stream called um the last mile fund. So there's always the linkage between something the province has done and something the province will do but they never lead the conversation. And so that's where I think as as locally we could start to lead the conversation and creating those contexts for those investments. >> And are you suggesting that the city hasn't been leading that conversation with the ministers? >> No, it's through your chair. I'm not suggesting that at all. I think that what we're doing is consistently priority emergency responses versus permanent supportive housing. And it's consistently evident that the ministries don't want to continue to fund expansions of cabins and other types of emergency responses because there's no exit from those. And the minister has made it clear over and over uh that they you know I think it's 790 million they say they invest annually. They're like why do we keep expanding this when it just gets you know put into temporary measures. And I think that that's where Hamilton's opportunity to to change gears is is critical. >> Really focusing on the permanent uh permanency of housing with integrated supports. >> Yeah, the city of Hamilton has been doing both. St. Thomas had dollar fordoll funding 5050 with the province for the supportive housing project. We're putting in $28 million and the province is or sorry the province is putting in $28 million and we're over hund00 million in housing and homelessness annually. I don't see the comparison. I'll leave it at that. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other questions? Seeing none. Graham, thank you for coming. Up next, we have Jess Brand from Inwell. It's an in-person delegation. I will just ask everyone's patience as we try to load the presentations. We're having some issues with our presentation computer. This might take a minute or two. Um, so please uh allow for some patience. Thank you. Thank you. >> Welcome, Jess. Whenever you're ready, you can begin. >> Thank you. >> Good morning, chair and counselors. Uh my name is Jess Brand, and I am presenting this morning as regional director for INDL. At Indwell, we see firsthand the hard work that has gone into improving system integration so that people can move with dignity from homelessness into housing. You can see here, this is the under construction Acorn Flats uh uh as part of the Oaks. Some of you have actually had the opportunity to come and tour this building. [snorts] Thank you to the many minds and hearts that have contributed to this report. I wanted to take a moment and describe and celebrate what system integration that is already at work in our city. What we're able to do working together to reference the earlier conversation I want to illustrate how we are changing ourselves. When the city published the housing and sustainability investment road map, it identified that families were experiencing significant housing need at Indwell. were already planning acorn plants. Knowing we had an opportunity to respond, the city recognized that opportunity, too. Hamilton committed 2.3 million toward the project, enabling us to secure the federal funding required to make it a reality. City staff, council, and the housing secretariat partnered with us through the capital phase, and we now look forward to Coochi rent supplements that will help us keep these for homes affordable. Alongside that, generous donors have stepped forward to fund a playground and the staff who can support families there. That is system integration. And it doesn't stop there. Today, our teams at Indwell are working alongside Good Shepard's hotel overflow. This is a photo from a tour that we took just a few weeks ago. This is not just Inwell staff. This is Good Shepard and Inwell together. We're working alongside Good Shepardd's hotel overflow, family center, and intensive case management teams to coordinate referrals, tour the building together, plan smooth transitions so families experience continuity of care rather than a disconnected handoff. We've also we also have relationships with Sakaja and the YW.CA as we continue strengthening supports for families across Hamilton. Some of this has emerged from our work together with Hamilton is home. System integration reaches far beyond what any one organization or even the city can accomplish alone. The report identifies four pillars of transformation. Prevention, coordination, sustainable responses through rebalancing, and permanent housing. From where we stand, coordination is already well underway. Community organizations are increasingly working together, sharing responsibility and building pathways rather than silos. That that work deserves continued support. The opportunity before us is to continue the rebalancing that this report describes. Supportive housing is both prevention and a permanent housing solution. We know it reduces homelessness, improves health out improves health outcomes. >> Sorry, just just one sec. Make sure someone mutes their uh microphone. >> Can you mute? Yeah. Perfect. And anybody online that can hear me, please make sure your microphones stay muted unless you're asked to speak. Thank you. >> Go ahead, Jess. Sorry about that. >> Oh, thank you. Supportive housing is both prevention and a permanent housing solution. We know it reduces homelessness, improves health outcomes, provides greater dignity, and offers a more sustainable response than relying on emergency shelter as a long-term solution. As we continue investing upstream in strengthening supportive housing, we also reduce pressure downstream. We can meet today's urgent needs while steadily building a system where fewer people need emergency responses in the first place. I believe our shelter providers, supportive housing providers, healthcare partners, and the city are increasingly moving in the same direction. That momentum is worth recognizing, protecting, and building upon as we focus our attention on how Hamilton can optimize our current operating spending by committing to supportive housing development as a shelter transition plan. This enables Indwell and our ally provide ally providers to successfully secure new federal capital funding, which in turn helps ease the financial burden on Hamiltonians. We know every door that we open is a solution to homelessness, helping break the cycle of crisis that people and families face. This enables the stability we want for each other and our community. To close, matey author and Hamilton resident Jesse Thistle in his memoir from the ashes reflects on the many times he encountered different parts of the homelessness system. While there were many services along the way, it was ultimately the people in those systems who showed him kindness that changed his life. [snorts] May we continue transforming our systems so that they make that kind of human connection more possible. building a city where people both offer and receive kindness on the journey out of homelessness. Thank you. >> Thanks, Jess. We have counselor Tison. >> Hi, I'm over here. >> There you are. >> Yeah. Um, in reading 8.4 that's later on in the agenda. It seems like we're pretty consistent with our hotel use over time and that needs growing. So, one of my questions at that time was going to be, wouldn't it be better for us to buy our own hotel and operate it as opposed to paying millions and millions for rental um properties, but that that's for later, but can you go into me can you go into explaining a little bit about your hotel overflow program that you just talked about? >> I can I actually can't speak to the hotel overflow because that's a good good sheeperd is operating uh that uh and we are looking to move folks from the hotel overflow into housing. Uh but that is folks who there is not room in the family shelter system and there's not room in supportive housing or affordable housing for them and so they are currently in shelter and receiving support to maintain emergency stability until a permanent option comes available. >> Okay, listen. Thanks so much. I'll review that offline. >> Thank you counselor. Just looking around. Any other questions? Seeing none, just thank you for your delegation. Can I have a mover and second to receive the three delegations? Councelor Wang, councelor Cooper. Uh, show of hands. All in favor? That carries. Thank you. 6.4 delegations respecting implementation plan for residential care facility subsidy program modernization. Item 7.2 um, Sheiling Joanne Sin St. Joseph's Health System Center for Integrated Care. This is in person and I believe there is a presentation as well. Hi. We are just loading that presentation. Good morning, Sheilin. And I I'm just going to apologize right from the start because I'm guaranteed I didn't say your name right. So, if you want to just introduce so this way I know it. And uh thank you. >> Yes, I go by Chili. Uh but also Joanna, my middle name. Uh good morning members of the general issues committee. My name is Joanna Sin and I am one of the research leads of the Jurroinsky integrated residential care initiative. Our work focuses on improving equitable access to care for people living in subsidized residential care facilities. People living in RCFs have complex and intersecting health needs. Many residents live with chronic physical and mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and develop developmental disabilities. Co-ccur co-occurring needs are highly prevalent. Many residents live in poverty, have limited social networks, and few people they can count on when they need help. The housing with related supports model that was approved last December contains important changes rooted in increasing financial and housing stability. These include increasing the personal needs amount, doubling the amount of time that residents can be away from their RCF without risking their subsidy, and recognizing the need for more personalized support beyond homemaking, uh, meals and housekeeping. These are important steps forward, but it also begs the question, how do we fund the additional staff needed to make this model work? Last year, Hamilton directed $9 million to subsidize about 800 RCF beds. If we were to place a net new case manager in every RCF 24 hours a day, that alone could take up the whole $9 million budget. It seems that improving the system will have to come at the expense of fewer people being able to benefit from it. But perhaps this is a false trade-off. We don't have to choose. As an applied health systems researcher, I wanted to speak today about the opportunity for a stronger partnership between the health and housing systems. This doesn't mean merging the two systems. It means making the best use of the strengths and resources that we have that each sector already has. We already have examples of this approach. Consider how home care is placing care coordinators within primary care teams. Now imagine applying the same principle to housing. What if the health system invested in case managers embedded in RCFs? The new housing with related supports model already recognizes the importance of case management, but dedicating a case manager to every RCF is not economically feasible. Nor is it sustainable to expect RCF operators to independently recruit and supervise and have the expertise to navigate complex health and social needs. We need to think differently about how these supports are organized. We strongly support a neighborhood approach. Case managers could support clusters of RCS within the same geographic area. A team-based approach would allow case managers to consult with one another and allow for flexibility to shift capacity as residents change, residents needs change rather than resources being tied to a particular RCF. Models like this exist already, often co-led by health and housing partners and with funding from the health system. If the city wishes to be innovative, we believe neighborhood-based service delivery is at the leading edge. And it's not just our team, we can look to organizations like Indwell and the Greater Hamilton Health Network. Community hubs are also highlighted in Hamilton's community safety and well-being plan. But there are certain things that we need to get right. First, we need effective partnership models. Health and housing systems need clear roles and formal accountability for working together around shared populations and outcomes. Second, we need to focus on what actually helps people stay housed. This means moving beyond a reactive crisisdriven model and investing in supports and a sense of belonging, safety, and security that help people maintain their housing over time. Third, we need to gather and use information more effectively, not just to inform intake, but also for care planning, coordinating supports, program evaluation, and quality improvement. We can learn a lot from interi assessment systems that are designed with these functions in mind. And finally, we need to prioritize relationships and trust. A case manager cannot simply be another person who comes into the building. They need to be someone who the residents trust, someone they know, and who understands what it's like on their good and bad days. So to conclude, we thank housing services for sharing updates on their implementation plan. We encourage the city to explore how proven models of embedded case management and system navigation could be adapted to RCFS and how health system resources can be leveraged to develop and sustain such models. We look forward to the next few months of consultation and we hope to discuss these ideas with housing and health partners and RCF residents, staff and operators around the table. Thank you. >> Thank you. I'm gonna go with Joanna. my wife's name Joanna so that I won't hopefully don't screw that one up or I'm in real big trouble. Um looking around, uh councelor Wayne, go ahead. >> Thank you. Thank you for your delegation. I recall the last time you came in too. Um uh do you have a copy of your sort of spoken um presentation? Is that something you can share with clerks? Because I I felt that there was a lot of information in that presentation that I was struggling to keep up with. So perhaps you could I could ask you to send it over to clerks. >> Definitely. I can share the prepared uh presentation, the notes and also some of the information specifically about the components of the implementation plan with uh yourself. Thank you. >> Perfect. Thank you so much. >> Thank you counselor. Uh looking around anyone else? Not seeing anyone else. Uh I don't I [clears throat] just want can we check if there's someone on the screen? I can't see if any of the online are asking. No. All right. Thank you Joanna for your delegation. Uh, what else? Oh, up next we have Sarah Mayo, Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton. This is in person. We'll just take a moment to load up the presentation. Good morning, Sarah. And once we're ready to go, uh, your mic's on and you can begin. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I'm Sarah Mayo from the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton. Um, and I wanted to speak about the just getting the slide to move. If I do it here. No, that's wrong. Can you just Oh, here. Here. >> Use the mouse. >> The mouse. Okay. Yes. My apologies. It's still not >> Oh, okay. It did. Okay. Good. Okay. So um I wanted to speak about um the item about the RCF system. Um the RCF subsidy modernization process in today's staff report is on right track, but it's a long-term project. A major benefit is that when the program is fully implemented, personal income for RCF res residents will more than double. But it will take until mid 2028 for only a few homes to be operating in the new system with the pilot program phased approach developed by staff with no timeline yet for the full roll roll out. Meanwhile, most of the 700 current residents uh will languish with the current RCF system, which includes concerns around lack of privacy and programming and the very low personal income for tenants, $150 a month. Um, Ontario social assistance rates are lower than they were in 1990 despite the crisis in rental costs since that time. Low social assistance rates including Ontario Works ODSP and PNA personal needs allowance is a major challenge in solving can uh Hamilton's in uh encampment and homelessness crisis. Um Ontario Works uh um rates for example are only 733 and haven't increased since 2018. Um there has been modest increases in uh ODSP, but it's still much less than um rental costs. Many people experiencing homelessness need supportive housing like an RCF. But the drop in personal income that tenants experience when moving to an RCF, even if they're on a low uh ODSP or uh OW basic needs amount um in when they're living in a shelter or an encampment when they move to an RCF, they lose even that small basic needs amount and uh transfer to the personal income system um when they're a tenant at the RCF for someone um on ODSP at a shelter where they do receive meals um and they'll continue receiving meals in an RCF, their personal income would reduce by $659 a month. So, this is a disincentive and it makes it challenging um to get people to accept to move to an RCF as as a solution to their uh homelessness. Um about 18% of the ODSP case load in Ontario uh survives on these low personal needs allowance and special border allowance amount amounts of $149 and $71 a month in personal income. In Hamilton about 700 tenants and RCFs receive only $150 a month in personal income. Um, and the province has not given uh has given inflation increases to OSP but not to the personal needs allowance or the special border allowance since 2018. And there's been a lack of action in Hamilton as well. In 2019, city council endorsed a staff recommendation to explore raising the personal needs allowance of residents in RCFs, but since then there has been no increase um and it is within the city's powers uh to increase RCF residents. It didn't used to be uh because it used to be on what was called the doicillary hostel program but it's not that program doesn't exist anymore and things have changed and the provin the city does have the opportunity to increase incomes uh which they have done for operators u but every time operator incomes have increased there hasn't been an increase to um tenant incomes and uh tenants have to pay so many things um yes their meals are paid but They have to pay their personal hygiene products, their sunscreen, their over- the-counter medication, um their menstrual products, their all their clothing and boots and winter jackets, and if they want to go for a coffee, if they want to get a cold drink on a hot day, um many homes don't don't have internet. Uh a fan for the room, transportation to take the go bus to see family. the this the list is enormous that they have to pay out of the $150 a month. I'll end with um our friend Lance Stingman who would have been here um but he sadly passed away last year and he was the chair of the coalition of residential care facilities and I'll just quote from one of his delegations that he gave um uh in in 2019. Many are concerned about the PNA tenants and RCFs are are like everyone. They want what we all that what we all want to be treated with dignity and respect especially in their own home. We ask that whatever changes are made to the RCF model in Hamilton we always consider the tenants and the many ways vulnerability is pres presented in the existing system. Thank you. >> Thank you Sarah. Just looking around to see if there are any questions. Can't see anything online either. Thank you for Oh, sorry. Councelor Alex Wilson. you sir, is there a specific recommendation standard? Um, I think you're drawing attention to something you'd like focus on just in terms of the solution side of that or best practice >> in terms of >> solutions um to the um to the RCF to the PNA amount or just so you can rephrase it so I can understand. >> Thank you. Um, >> so for example, I'm not sorry turning it on. Um, thank you. Um, just for example, if for there's a best practice in terms of this should be the amount, this should be the standard, here's how you should make that decision around feedback. Like I guess you've identified maybe a concern with the amount's not the right amount if I could ask that. And so in terms of addressing that, if that's how we frame the concern, do you have a specific solution? So across Ontario uh organizations in all sectors uh have been calling for a doubling of social assistance rates as a minimum change. Um even doubling the social assistance rates would still be uh below what people pay for have to pay for rent. But that is um that is the the minimum that people are calling for because it hasn't been increased in so long and inflation has increased so much and housing costs that an immediate doubling is is needed of social assistance rates >> and so just given that that's not necessar you can help me understand so that's not a municipal lever per se that's a provincial lever but the RCF policy in front of us is the municipal lever can you just help me connect the dots you've identified a problem you're saying the best solution will happen at the provincial level you and me Maybe let's have a expectation that that won't happen at the provincial level in the next 12 months, let's say. What are you asking the city to do in light of that? >> So, so social assistance rates affect thousands of Hamiltonians and your role is is um lobbying the province to increase those rates, but you do have 700 tenants of subsidized RCF homes where uh you do have the opportunity to double those rates, for example, without the province saying, "No, you can't do that." Um, so that is uh that is something that it used to be there there was a staff report 20 years ago that said no you can't do anything and I think that that information has sort of thought that that was be forever but it's not the case. We have learned that it's um no longer those provincial rules no longer apply and so it's um there is an opportunity for the city to act independently for those 700 residents. It won't solve it for everybody else. But >> so through you chair, just making sure I understood, there's a concern that the personal needs allowance isn't keeping up with real cost. The upstream solution or the best solution would be the province raising social assistance rates. You'd like the city to keep advocating, continue advocating relentlessly, the province to do just that. But >> within this >> within this segment, >> yeah, we can we can um look at the personal needs allowance and your recommendation would be to look at doubling as a potential consideration. That's that's kind of captured what you're asking for >> through the chair. That's a very good statement of my uh suggestion. Yes. Thank you. >> Thank you. I'll get off the list. >> Yeah, that wasn't me counselor doing that to you, but someone someone was trying to do it. >> Ghost. >> Uh councelor Clark. >> Thank you, chair. As always, I appreciate it when Sarah uh attends council and enlightens us. Uh just a quick question. In uh her research, does she have an idea of any variances for the personal needs amount across the province that different municipalities are paying uh residents of RCFS? Do you have any idea there? >> From our research, um cities like Ottawa and Windsor, etc. I'll use the 149 150 amount because that is the amount that is set by the province for long-term care uh residents and and it hasn't increased since 2018 even for long-term care residents. Um and they and so the province and and that amount did limit previously limited municipalities. So they they were stuck with that. But even with this change, uh I have not heard yet of a municipality that has um that has increased it uh at this time. But we're we're one of the few uh most municipalities have a different system where where the the meals are provided in a different way so that people can get their full ODSP check and not be subject to this $149 and so they can get their full basic needs of $800 808. Um, so it's um it's very different in many municipalities because they they get they they're set up and the the new modernization program is set up to do that to to allow um more flexibility in how meals are provided which then the rules about room and board uh limiting incomes would not apply in the same way. And so there's an an opportunity for that to happen, but it's um going to take a while with this modernization program. And meanwhile, um there there there needs to be still attention on on this issue until those changes are put in. >> Thank you. I appreciate your input. >> Thank you, councelor. Up next, Councelor Ted McMe. >> Thanks, uh Deputy Mayor Sarah. Thanks for your your presentation and um as a former minister of community and social services who've been in the trenches struggling I know just how tough >> it is to win change and I share some private stories with you offline. Um wonder um you're probably aware of this. Um one of the very first things we did as a new counselor after the election was to unanimously endorse a resolution asking on the two senior levels of government to embrace a basic income program. No. um and that would u wouldn't be providing funds for um single parent moms to invest in our RSPs but might buy diapers and some nutritious food. Uh any comments on um on that? I mean the strategy of of doubling I I'd do that tomorrow if I had another chance to do that and and the political willingness to do it but that doesn't seem to be in place. Um there's been some movement on basic income. Are are you and the council engaged in that? >> Yeah. Um we see that basic income has worked to reduce poverty in seniors and in children. There has been improvements um in the decades uh since those basic income programs have been uh available to them. And we did see with SERB was a form of basic income during the pandemic and that uh helped reduce poverty um that would have otherwise increased tremendously during the pandemic without that form of basic income. Um so the sir being the uh Canada emergency response benefit um and uh so yes uh basic income uh wouldn't have these these complicated rules about room and board and who's congregate settings and who what kind of supports exactly like that is the rules around um social assistance are so complex and and then working you can't even a PNA if you're in an RCF essentially you can't work because your of the type of social assistance you have doesn't allow you to it doesn't have any uh accommodations for uh working income. So there's there's just so many um problems with the current um with the current social assistance rules and a basic income program delivered through the tax system like child benefits would would fix that. appreciate that through through you, chair, we did have a fairly positive experience in Hamilton >> with the plywood project that uh as I recall there were promises it wouldn't be cancelled until there was a full review and report, but >> that didn't stop the program from being um uh cancelled. Um and I guess things like the child tax credit are a form of basic income that's >> lifted a lot of kids out of poverty. >> Yeah. >> Families. Yeah. Thank you. Keep up the good work. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Just looking around. Any other? Not seeing any. Thank you, Sarah, for coming. I believe we have a virtual delegation. There's James. James, whenever you're ready, please proceed. >> Thank you very much. Um, good morning, Deputy Mayor and members of the general issues committee. Thank you for taking the time to hear from me today. I'm here to speak regarding HCS or is it HSC? I might have typed that wrong. 2522B specifically the action plan for implementation and how our concerns are some being addressed. I want to appreciate Sarah for bringing up Lance. Whenever I come here, I always try and channel Lance uh who is a great representative for RCF tenants and I try to be in hisstead. [clears throat] Uh I'm going to start with my usual closing statement this time for good reason. nothing about us without us. Consultation of us needs to begin on day one, not after most of the work has been done and we are just haggling over details. Uh while this report states that they intend to consult with RCF tenants, they do not plan on doing so until late 2027 or early 2028 when implementation begins. Why are they waiting so long? Uh this is something that frustrates many advocates regardless of whom they speak for. If you want meaningful input, you need to ask early and ask often. Uh operators are being included in the planning from the beginning though. Um some RCF operators I've met are compassionate and responsible stewards to the individuals under their care and I can trust them to speak honestly regarding the needs of residents but some are not so much. Uh I I will not weigh in on the nonprofit for-profit argument or judge the operators but they cannot be the only consultation. You are suggesting changes that will alter how residents live and won't be asked about it until most decisions have been made. uh in January along with the previous delegate Dr. Ch. Ling uh we held a meeting inviting all groups involved in the RCF discussion including the RFPR, the SPRC, the HCLC, uh CCRNH, uh RCF operators, housing services, and many more. Uh after a good discussion, it became clear that a vital group was missing that needed to be included, the residents themselves. Uh while this has challenges that need to be addressed, it is valuable input if we are truly trying to make RCS better for the residents. There are many passionate and intelligent members of the community that we need to empower in order to do this work. And perhaps we need to learn how to listen to them on their terms. Uh we could create some sort of advisory committee or CLG, something less formal like a working group or some other format they feel comfortable working in. Uh we could also reactivate the RCF liaison as that provided a limited window into RCF resident concerns. Uh we also identified getting them access to the Canada disability benefit for the disability tax credit as a priority in addressing quality of life issues for RCF residents. It's another avenue for us to give them more money and we should get on that. Uh from what I understand a professor Master has identified that by the end of the modernization as many as one 100 subsidized spaces may be eliminated. If this is in fact the case what will happen to these residents. Uh we are also very hesitant to try and classify all residents into three categories. We know from experience that people will slip through the cracks and we must be prepared to catch them when they do. Um I'm a little confused why the RCF congregate care system is still housed in the homelessness file. It is housing with supports and should be classified as such. Uh the ACBD's housing working group wrote a report highlighting deficiencies in the RCF congregate care system that are not being addressed by anyone and that went to staff of housing services instead of coming here. A number of issues mentioned in this information report are also covered in the ACPD's RCF report, but this HSC report doesn't incorporate ACPD input. Uh full disclosure, I learned yesterday afternoon that housing services division reached out to us on the 23rd of last week to arrange regular meetings going forward. Unfortunately, uh they used the wrong email address and I didn't get it until yesterday afternoon. Uh however, asking us to consult on something when it is finished is again not proper consultation. Uh this report is focused on improving service delivery but is only not the only area that needs improvement and now is the best time to make substantive changes to improve quality of life for all RCF congregate care facilities. Uh we are eager to work with everyone involved in this file to make life better for RCFs. Just to hammer the fact home, I'll wrap up as usual. Nothing about us without us. Thank you for your time and attention. >> Thank you, James. Uh, we do not have anyone on the speakers list. So, thank you for your delegation today. Can I also have a mover and second to receive the three delegations? Councelor Alex Wilson, Councelor McMe. Show of hands. That carries. Thank you. 6.5 delegation respecting Hamilton's climate action strategy annual update. Item 7.1, Miriam Sager. I apologize if I mispronounced your last name in person. Please come forward. members of the committee. Miriam Sager. Um, so many emergencies that we're all facing that you are having to handle. And of course, there's a connection between the housing, there are few connections between the housing emergency and the climate emergency, including the impact of extreme weather effects um and smoke on the unhoused and people living in apartment buildings without AC. Um, I'm here first of all just to express again um that I support determined action on Hamilton's climate action strategy. The two punch strike we just experienced a couple of weeks ago with the heat and the smoke was a visceral reminder that climate change is real and urgent and every bit of mitigation the city can achieve is critical. We must stop carbon emissions. So, our adaptation efforts are not just band-aids. And wasn't isn't the air so sweet to smell? Like I walk out now in the morning and I just want to breathe in all this air and it's easy to forget as soon as the smoke cleared. Just easy to forget that actually this is real and happening now. Um I was very happy to see that um waste collection was suspended for two days. I don't know if it was GFL decision or the city's decision, but prioritizing workers well-being. Um, well, I appreciate that very much and in general thinking about uh people because we need to think about the resilience of infrastructure for sure, but also about humans. That's what we're about, I think. But thinking the uh people living in this city um we are told that we need to prepare for 72 hours in cases of extreme emergencies that we might need to be evacuated. We'll have to take care of ourselves before the authorities can find us. Uh that's in general. It's not specific to uh Hamilton. Um, and I want to share with you a neighborhood initiative so you have a picture of the kinds of projects that the climate ready together program from priority focus area climate change governance and innovation can support with a fairly small investment potentially making a big difference to how communities are coping and will have to cope in extreme weather situations. So earlier this year, a group of a small group of residents in the northern area of Kirkindall got together uh to think about how we build resilience in our just around us. We had some initial ideas um that we learned from Amy Angelo of the Office of Climate Change Initiatives in a presentation that the office uh did about what communities can do for themselves. Um, we also had a bit of uh well some guidance from a a project uh in Toronto. It's called Crew Climate Resilience to Extreme Weather. And building on that, we started to flesh out our goals and initial plan to get to know our neighbors, find out who is particularly vulnerable and what resources and assets we have in the in the neighborhood, to build a communication network, and educate ourselves and our neighbors about readiness for [snorts] emergencies. We introduced ourselves to our ward counselor and at the KNA uh uh AGM. Uh we printed cards, handed them out doortodoor. So around 300 households, I think 250 or 300 in our area. People were really happy to hear from us. We also brought with us some readiness material that uh the city's manage emergency management coordinator uh Pike Ken was kind enough to uh get from us from the Red Cross. People are concerned. They really want to be prepared for emergencies. We held a yard sale uh to cover some of our costs. Oh, okay. Uh and we were really lucky during the last heat and smoke event. We felt really ready to go with a uh WhatsApp group. People exchanged information. Uh we checked up on vulnerable neighbors who uh don't have AC and people who didn't have masks. We gave out masks and so on. and our network is growing. uh we have the wherewithal to do this for ourselves and uh I'm very happy that this uh ready together program will be launched with small grants for communities that can't really afford to do that for themselves although the costs aren't huge and also uh providing um outreach and mentorship to folks who don't who can't do that without this support. uh the people who need it the most are the have are have have the um have the least ability to actually do that without help from the city. Um thank you for supporting the um climate um action strategy. >> Thank you Miriam. We do have a question if you can just stay at the podium. Councelor Moren Wilson. >> Thank you. This is a time for questions, but I'm going to be a little bit cheeky and uh suggest um there's lots of communities out there who are not struggling for need um but you have you and your neighbors have just shown such exemplary citizenship um in identifying the importance of social capital and uh the importance of relationship as the basis of care. And I'm wondering um I'll turn it into a question um if you would opine on uh you referenced the multiple crisis that we're facing and your opinion on the importance of knowing your neighbors, caring about your neighbors, the capacity to reach out for your neighbors as a way in which to um feel empowered. and perhaps that the absence of that might be at the root of why we're having multiple crises at the same time. >> To the chair, thank you counselor for uh the opinion and question. Um I met a whole bunch of people while door knocking just around me who said they don't know anybody in the neighborhood either because they're new or they just don't and there is something about our way of life. I didn't know that there were children on my street on this three stretch of three small uh blocks. People go from their home to the car and from the car to the home with their families and we don't see each other even in the summer. Um and a neighbor right next to me just had an accident. Nothing to do with any of these crises. She lay on the floor for a few hours after a fallen elderly neighbor. Um [clears throat] perhaps she would have had some way to reach me. I was just next door, you know, to be able to help uh to knock on somebody's door and say, "How are you doing? Do you want to come over on a hot day? Here's a mask." um being able to trust each other, to share resources, to share uh food if we can't leave our homes, uh to go to grocery stores if somebody's ill even, although that's not our main uh concern. Um I do think at at some point if systems fail, which we can expect them to do, people will have to help each other out. >> Yeah. Thank you, >> councelor. Yeah, thank you. Thank you for that. Um, for me, your message has affirmed the importance of familiarity, trust, basis of empa, of um, empathy in order to ultimately make change that matters to that person on that day, but also to fundally make those um, system changes to uh, try and address these crises. Thank you always. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you for coming, Miriam. >> Thanks. Up next, we have a delegation from Jesse Elders, Bay Area Climate Change Council in person. We are just setting up the presentation. There we go. Good morning, Jesse. Whenever you're ready, please proceed. >> I am tall. >> I see. Okay. Thank you. Hi, I am Jesse Elders, the program manager for the Bay Area Climate Change Council or back, which is a program emerging from a partnership between the city of Hamilton, City of Burlington, and Mohawk College to collectively accelerate climate action in our region. Back brings together cross- sector leaders to identify and implement the complex systems changes required to reach net zero in the Hamilton Burlington Bay area. Back has a council that sets strategic direction for our work. The council's membership ranges from Hamilton's heavy industry to gr to local grassroots environmental organizations. In addition to convening our council, back convenes working groups called implementation teams to identify and remove specific barriers to decarbonization together. The truth is that municipalities cannot achieve the necessary emission reductions on their own. One of Bach's roles is to call leaders from across the Bay Area together to a collective table to organize themselves and work together to achieve the required emissions reductions for our region. We have um we're here today delegating on the fourth annual progress report from the office of the climate change initiatives. We begin by acknowledging and congratulating the city on some significant progress. Most recently, we recognized the passage of the carbon budget and accounting framework, a critical tool to support informed decision-making in corporate spending and investment. We also recognize the development of a climate justice framework to center social justice and equity in all of our work on climate change. Back like the city focuses on the largest sources of emissions in our region, industry, buildings, and transportation. uh there are many projects in which back has been directly involved highlighted in the uh annual report and I'll turn to those now. In the context of the building sector, we applaud the Better Homes Hamilton pilot program designed to tackle emissions from existing buildings. Given the need to retrofit a substantial portion of our our current building stock, we look forward to the forthcoming evaluation of the program this fall and importantly its opportunities for scale up. We also recognize the significant work invested in green building standards designed to tackle emissions from new buildings. Buildings represent long-term investments in our community emissions, resilience, health, and comfort. And we encourage the city to be bold in its response to uh bill 98, drawing on resources like the climate action partnerships municipal communities of practice to evaluate the options available to us in the current legislative landscape. Transportation is also a significant contributor to Hamilton's emissions due to the use of fossil fuel-powered vehicles. In 2022, BAC released its options for travel report outlining several critical steps the city could take to accelerate the uptake of zero or lower carbon forms of transportation. And we're pleased to see the continued implementation of BACK's recommendations, including a growth in dedicated cycling lanes and infrastructure, increased service frequency and GO train alignment on several critical lines, including through HSR next, and progress on a citywide electric mobility strategy and action plan designed to move our remaining infrastructure from fossil fuel powered vehicles to electric alternatives. But as you will have seen from the report, more progress is needed. Both corporate and community emissions continue to increase, highlighting the urgent need for more climate action. With the with the wildfire smoke of the past few weeks, it is uh easy to see why the city of Hamilton has declared a climate emergency, mandating that we all take urgent steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and help both residents and businesses to prepare. This is a time to take a long-term view, continue to invest, and to act with both vision and leadership. One of the greatest risks of the of the current moment is that we fail to see the connections between climate, affordability, health, and our communities uh safety and to depprioritize it. And so, frankly, a big part of my role today is to encourage us not to lose sight of those connections and to continue to uh be bold in our response to climate action in this community. Of course, the city is not alone in this work. Back remains a committed partner in the race to ensure that we achieve net zero. We are deepening our investment in our implementation teams. I apologize chair. Is that the five minute or >> that is? Yeah. >> Okay. So, we're deepening our work then to um uh engage community members in working together to unlock further decarbonization opportunities and commit to uh supporting each other in achieving emissions reductions and um we look forward to continued partnership as we tackle this uh foundational generational challenge. >> Thank you. >> I appreciate you wrapping that up, Jess, but we do have a question so don't go anywhere. Councelor Moren Wilson, >> thank you. Thank you for your delegation. I would like to give you an opportunity to further expand on the relationship between affordability and the climate crisis, please. >> Sure. Thank you. One of Back's greatest areas of focus over the past several years has been uh in the building sector and in housing in particular. And I think that's a uh one of the greatest ways we can see a connection between affordability and climate. Uh the truth is that affordability in housing uh is achieved through so so basically if you make climate investments in climate in higher efficiency higher performance buildings then you also achieve gains in uh in affordability. An efficient home a high performing home is also one that is more affordable and cheaper to operate. And um that's an example where you see a clear connection between investment in uh climate strategy also leading to a positive investment in the affordability of our life here in Hamilton. >> Thank you. Thank you chair. >> Thank you. Just looking around. Anyone else? >> Seeing none. Jess, thanks you coming in today. >> Thank you. >> Our last delegation on this item is from Ian Borsick, Environment Hamilton, which I believe is virtual. There he is. Ian, whenever you're ready, please proceed. >> Yeah. Thank you, chair. Can you hear me fine? >> We can. >> Okay, great. Hi, everyone. Uh, my name is Ian Borsick. I'm the executive director at Environment Hamilton. And I wanted to hone in on a very specific element of the report for you today prepared by the staff of the Office for Climate Change Initiatives. And that is specifically, and I'm going to be uh shifting on my screen, so I apologize if it looks like my eyes are going all over, but on page 12 of the overall summary, there's the challenges preventing progress section. and um as a full-time environmental advocate who is working with uh folks across the province of Ontario and across Canada on a variety of issues to do with transportation, industrial decarbonization, buildings and greening buildings and the like there too. I really want to hone in on this section and highlight this for your consideration right now going forward through this municipal election but then also into the next term of council because much like on the housing files listening to the previous delegations and the discussions there too um on the issue of climate change and climate action uh the city of Hamilton is punching above its weight and so are a lot of other municipalities. There are really exciting programs coming out of the city of Toronto in particular, but city of Ottawa is also doing considerably and so is the city of Hamilton. But the fundamental reality that we are facing right now in Canada is that we know that the province has more or less given up addressing environmental issues. We've seen that in responding to the industrial fallout that we're seeing locally. And the feds have literally come out and said, Mark Harney, our prime minister, has come out and said that emissions are going to go up because of the policies he's choosing to take uh for us. Um, one of those policies was to extend the timeline for DeFasco's decarbonization was promised to the citizens of Hamilton. Um, this is a really emotional topic for a lot of folks because this is about the air we breathe every single day. But DeFasco is the largest single point source of emissions in the province of Ontario. And when we're talking about community emissions and you see, you know, 70% of all community emissions come from one company um or one sector, it's alarming and it can be extremely demotivating for the average Hamiltonian to see upper levels of government not respond to this crisis and not hone in on a clear solution that the city of Hamilton has been pushing for. Um, you know, I want to commend uh city council for unanimously asking the province not to renew the sight specific standards for steel uh locally. Of course, we assumed that there was going to be a technical standard to follow that and the province is still dragging their heels. Ultimately, what we're looking at here is a continual march towards increased emissions and further degradation of our local environment. The city of Hamilton has been doing an incredible amount of work to address mitigation. And I understand that people like to talk about, and I will reference a previous delegate, with, you know, adaptation being a band-aid, but I think what we're looking at here is well into the future is going to be the need for bigger band-aids and more immediate band-aids. And I really worry about future incidents where the city of Hamilton won't be able to cover the costs of the environmental issues that we're seeing. Even just this month, we've seen an entire, you know, entire communities go up in flames because the province and the feds have cut the amount of money that needs to go towards fighting forest fires that we know are only going to get worse uh because of climate change. Um, I really want to put this into perspective for you as counselors that we need to do more in addressing industrial emissions by putting the pressure on the province and the feds much like how we do for housing to actually do their jobs and implement the policies that are going to see decarbonization of the local steel industry so we can retain that industry and our local jobs while not poisoning the air and making climate change worse. We're facing ultimately DeFasco being, you know, the number one lobbyist of the prime minister's office in the last year. We're looking at tariffs being used as an as an excuse for uh delays that were well into place before 2022. And we have international companies deciding that they're pulling out of decarbonization altogether or in the case of our summital sequentially doing investments when they've already made promises to our community. I really want to emphasize for the city of Hamilton that we need to continue doing this progress but into the future we are going to see the need for adaptation and it's because the senior levels of government are not doing their fair share and ensuring that we have decarbonization. If the province didn't get rid of capp trade when they shortly first form government, I think we would in a very different place right now when it comes to our local air quality, but also in terms of our community greenhouse gas emissions. And I really just want to highlight that and say that I think as a city we need to really rethink our strategy when it comes to addressing the upper levels of government and the role that they play in degradating our environment and making climate change worse. Um I am at 5 minutes now so I'm happy to take any questions if there are any. But otherwise I really appreciate everyone's time and attention on this for uh such a long day of meeting. >> Thanks Ian. Just looking around not seeing any speakers. Appreciate the delegation. Mover and second receive the delegations. Councelor Wang, councelor Casar, show of hands. That carries. Thank you. Moving on to 6.6. Frank Dateo respecting vacant unit tax 2026 bylaw item 8.7. This is a virtual delegation. >> Quick mic check. Can you guys hear me? >> Yes, we can. Whenever you're ready, please proceed. >> Thank you. Um, morning everybody. My name is Frank De Mateo and I'm a current citizen of of Hamilton. Been a citizen all my life. Uh the topic of discussion for me today is around the vacancy unit tax program and specifically the appeals process. Uh first I want to open by thanking deputy mayor and council committee members for listening to my story today. Second, I also want to appreciate the members of the vacancy unit tax uh program and their professionalism. uh escalating my story as requested. Uh this includes people like Ricky and Samra and Andrew. Had a long discussion with Clayton about this as well. Uh I want to also extend thanks to uh Ward Five, Matt Francis and and David Ronald for provided continued support. Uh and really uh just a thank you to all the great people here to listen my story today. So, I want to talk about uh my mom who is a 75-year-old woman wled for 27 years. She has uh been a very responsible and law-abiding citizen of Hamilton for decades, consistently paying her taxes in full and on time since 1969. Through this time, she's demonstrated respect and commitment to the city of Hamilton and its community. Uh she is currently living in in a very limited fixed income of under $12,000 a year. She carefully manages her expenses in order to meet basic living uh costs and you know doing the green stuff that we just talked about collecting water and recycling and and growing her own garden. Really minimalistic lifestyle. In addition, she has a limited understanding of the English language, which has made it difficult for her to navigate through the vacancy tax uh uh vacancy tax uh program and the appeals process. And that's why I'm here today. I'm here to [clears throat] advocate for others as well, dealing with vacancy unit tax declarations. So, some facts about my mom. She's a primary resident. She did de she did not declare I'll be clear she did not declare her vacancy unit uh declaration in 2025. There's a possibility that she never received the letter in the mail to declare. She received a bill in in June of 25 and in September of 25 for $4,200 that she paid mistakenly thinking it was uh just property tax uh invoices. Uh [clears throat] these bills were discovered in April of 2026 during the 2025 taxation process. So in in 2026 of April, I started the appeals process and uh to really collect her $4,200 outstanding. And it was at that time that I learned that in order to do that, I need to pay a late appeals cost of $500. uh which in my mind is a little bit it's just wrong timing in my mind because it's only 3 months after she made the payment. Uh so um in her circumstances $500 late appeals represents approximately 5% of her total yearly income. Given her long-standing history and responsibility to to the uh responsible Hamilton taxpayer and her financial hardship and language barrier, I am respectably asking that we have an exemption process and and wave the appeals fee. I've learned that there is no exemption process and and and as an act of fairness and compassion toward a valued Hamilton long-standing citizen, I think this the fee should be waved. If the intent of vacancy unit tax is to increase housing availability, this has had the wrong wrong outcome and negatively negatively impacted an honest senior citizen of Hamilton with this erroneous penalty. I respectfully request an exemption to the $500 vacant units tax. Thank you for listening. Are there any questions? >> Thank you uh for your delegation, Frank. We do have a couple speakers. I'll start uh with councelor Francis and then councelor McMeon. Go ahead, councelor Francis. >> Yeah, thank you chair and thank you Frank for coming down here and uh sharing this with uh committee today. Uh it's an unfortunate situation um you know that you shared on your mother's behalf here. And unfortunately this isn't the only time I've experienced this exact same situation with many residents. I've heard this from um quite a few number of residents now in a very similar situation and simply put uh people there's many people who just can't afford this type of penalty. Um, so I I do want to let you know that um, you know, of course, other than the fact that I've been um, pushing back against the vacant unit tax from inception, I I will be today introducing an amendment to end this $500 fee um, which would potentially allow you to um to go back and and appeal for that uh, to get that money back essentially. But um, council, >> my question to you is >> Thank you. >> Sorry. No, I was just ask if you had a question. Go ahead. >> No, you know what, chair, that's good. Thank you very much. Just want to want to get on record that I will be uh introducing this uh motion later today. Uh won't won't be moving it be moving at council, but just want to put that on record. Thanks. Thanks for coming out, Frank. >> Thanks, ma'am. Appreciate the support. >> Councelor McMakin. >> Yeah. Thanks, Deputy Mayor. and through you my words will be decidedly shorter following what councilor Francis has said. Um and I really appreciate the the delegate. Um, I've come across uh several instances where um a home is owned by uh or managed by a numbered company and down the road someone finds that they've got a bill often in double digit thousands of dollars and uh they appeal it and u through the process they're essentially cleared. It's like going to court and being found innocent but then sent to jail with a $500 fine. So, I intend to support uh the motion later today. I think it uh is uh very problematic. I'm I support the BUT. I think it was a good move, >> but it has has to work properly. I think you would agree with that. That's my question. >> I would agree with that question. >> Yes, I would agree with that. I I I like I as I stated if the intent is to increase housing and it's a great system but but if the intent is the wrong is to have wrong outcome and negative impact to honest senior citizens I I I think you have to review the the program. >> Thank you. >> Thank you councelor McMe. I don't believe we have any other speakers. Frank, thanks for coming today. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. Mover and second to receive the delegation. Councelor Francis, Councelor Tatison, show of hands. That carries. Thank you. That ends our portion of the meeting for delegations. We are now moving on to items for information. We will be putting uh all the items on the floor uh at one time. So mover and seconder uh to put the items on the floor 7.1 and 7.2. Councelor Wang, Councelor Nan. Uh 7.1 PD26086 is our Hamilton climate action strategy annual update and our director is here to provide a verbal overview. Director Lucas, uh she was here. >> She's still here. There you are. >> Hi. >> Thank you very much, Chair. Um appreciate the opportunity to just very briefly introduce our report today. Um as you know, my name is Linda Lucas. I'm the director of the Office of Climate Change Initiatives. I'm here today with the staff team, Trevor Imhof, Katherine Wkelman, Beatatrica Koko, and Amy Angelo. And we be pleased to answer any questions that you might have about the report. I was going to highlight some things, but I want to say I think a lot of the delegations covered what I wanted to to highlight. Um, we've we've made some good progress in 2025 through our core priority focus areas. You heard about carbon budget and accounting framework, better homes Hamilton, um the development of a climate justice framework, community food garden coordination, including work on a substantial expansion to a garden. Um and the report provides many other examples of work across corporate divisions and in the community, whether it's individuals, institutions, corporations doing what they need to do to make a difference on the mitigation and adaptation front. But there are significant challenges that remain. Um, and again, you've heard about industrial emissions. Um, 71% of our our community emissions in 2024 uh with little to no progress being made on decarbonization of industry. And I just want to also link that to um that lost uh coal benefit. Um decarbonization of industrial activity comes with huge benefits to local air quality. And I think it's important that we acknowledge the need for the shift for that reason too. And then there are other challenges with provincial policy changes that have curbed our progress or prevented the municipality's ability to mandate actions that can make a big difference whether it's green building standards or some of our green standard site guidelines work. Um so so we take steps forward and and we we're experiencing some push back. Um and that is creating challenges for us. So, I'm going to stop there, but again, the team is here and we're happy to answer any questions you might have about the report. Thank you very much. >> Thank you for that, director, and thank you for your team uh being here as well. We do have a few speakers. We're going to start with councelor Clark. Go ahead, counselor. >> Thank you, chair. Just a couple of questions. Um, and I appreciate the report. So, Hamilton has very limited and in most cases no authority on industrial emissions. So how can Hamilton play a role other than advocacy to the provincial government and the federal government which incidentally they seem to be going backwards instead of forwards uh with decarbonization plans. director >> through the chair. It's it's a good question, councelor Clark. Um I I I think that given the substantial um contribution that local industry makes to greenhouse gas emissions, I think I think we need to continue to persist. Um I I'll acknowledge that, you know, we have one local steel producer that has been committed substantial funding from both provincial and federal government. Um, I'm I'm going to suggest very respectfully that there may be value in the municipality pushing to to find out where where we're at with with that. What, you know, are there conversations happening proincially and federally with with the local steel producer? I you know at this point it feels it feels problematic that we're seeing no movement forward on that project given given the commitments that have been made proincially and federally and and um I I think it's worth continuing to ask at the municipal level. I think you know I acknowledge what you're acknowledging that the municipality is not mandated to require action. Um but I'm I'll be quite frank in saying to you that we will never reach our net zero um ambitions if we don't see movement in that sector. >> Council clerk. >> Well, and that's that's my concern. It it it with what's happening proincially and federally, it seems we're really pushing a train uphill. Um the city of Hamilton, can you speak to um the amount of work that the city of Hamilton has done with regards to electrifying electrifying our fleets um with regards to um um our facilities and and trying to use as much renewable power and energy as we can in that regard. And I'd like you to speak to also um the potential for electrifying the bus fleet um including the costs to doing so. >> Director, a few questions in there. So whenever you're ready. >> Oh yeah, that's okay. Through the chair, I'll I'll do my best council. I don't think I can answer every one of those questions in detail. Um, if you do look, we we do track every year progress being made with electrification of the fleet. So, I can tell you that we we're moving in the right direction on some fronts. Um, and and so we do have more electric vehicles that are part of the city's fleet. Uh, we now have our first electric fire pumper truck that there was just a ribbon cutting for that very recently. Uh we've got an electric full-size street sweeper and smaller scale sweepers. So we're seeing that kind of movement. We currently do not have any decarbonized vehicles in our HSR bus fleet. >> Um and um certainly Hamilton's climate action strategy does identify the importance of ultimately seeing decarbonization of that fleet happen. You'll probably note from looking at our increasing corporate emissions that the good things that we're doing to expand transit to to improve frequency of service because we still have we're moving away from diesel and and we have almost completely um decommissioned diesel buses but we've transitioned to compressed natural gas which is still a fossil fuel. So so that is that is an issue that is that is something that we do need to deal with. Um and um I can't share details with you uh as far as how soon um and and how that might be funded into the future. Um but that certainly is a hope that we have in the climate office that we'll start to see planning happen soon for decarbonization of the HSR bus fleet. I I should mention, you know, one of the huge benefits of an LRT line is that that is a fully electrified system. So So that will that will bring some some electric transit in in that way. But the ideal would be a decarbonized bus system feeding into that uh that fixed up upper level transit line. Um on the facility side um I can tell you that we we have regular conversations with our friends in corporate and facilities and energy management. Um and it's an ongoing conversation and and they're doing their best to do more. We are on the brink working closely with them to to bring to you a net zero zero carbon uh standard and policy for new corporate facilities and that will help to push us in a better direction. I I think the challenge will be and we hope over time with the availability of technology we'll see that delta that additional potential cost for heading in that direction continue to shrink. Um but but we are having those conversations and and doing doing the best that we can in the leadup to the formalization of a of a policy um to to with new facilities to do better. >> I hope that starts to answer your questions. >> Thank you, doctor. You did well. You answered all my questions and I appreciate receiving the report. And that's my time, sir. >> Is that your final question? >> Yep. >> Okay. Thank you, director. We're going to councelor Tatison now. In short, the this report confirms the uh 2.5 million annual contribution, but it does not disclose the current year end spending total or your projections for that total. Um, last year we had a surplus of 800k that remained unused at the end of the year. Can you give us your estimated projection spend for this year? >> Director. >> Sure. Through the chair. Uh, thanks for the question, counselor. So that you're referencing the climate change reserve at the municipality. So, I can tell you we've got a balance sitting in that reserve right now of just slightly over $100,000. So, you'll be aware um with the the report that was in front of GIC in June that we allocated uh $3.26 million to 16 cityled initiatives this year. So, we we did a lot of spending this year and um it's a it's a I would say a solid list of projects that are receiving support through the reserve this year. Thanks for bringing that to light again. Thank you. >> Up next we have councelor Casar. >> Thank you deputy mayor and thank you very much director Lucas for the report. Just a couple of questions. First one sort of uh similar to councelor Clark's first question. When we started this term the city was leading initiative I think it was called the decarbonization hub which was to bring partners around the city including industry to the table to figure out how to decarbonize. Uh could you update us on any progress that's been made on to that end director? >> Through the chair. Thanks for the question, counselor. Um yes. So there were very active efforts to establish a decarbonization hub. And if you'll recall, we had a working partnership with the not for-p profofit transition accelerator and a request through them for some support through Fed Dev. Um we weren't successful on that front. So, we did have to step back and try to regroup and figure out a pathway forward. I I will say and and acknowledge one one helpful piece that has moved forward that's already been in front of council is a clean tech strategy that our our colleagues and in the economic development division have pulled together and and that will be an important help. Um, I can also add, I think just in terms of of decarbonization, um, the Office of Climate Change Initiatives, we're doing our best to stay tuned in to what's happening, particularly when it comes to some of our larger greenhouse gas emitters um, in the city. Um, so so we are now regularly attending community liaison committees for our two steel producers. um and with others were asking questions about the status of decarbonization efforts um and and and where where those plans are at. And and I'll be honest, it's it's not easy. There's not a lot of information out there and available for community or representatives from local government um on on where things are at and where the long-term planning is. So, so, so it is challenging and I think we do need to keep on thinking on the municipal side about um maybe new and creative ways that we need to be using to create levers and and create spaces to have those important conversations about what kind of change needs to happen and maybe why it isn't happening in the way that we've we've been hoping to see it happen if if that makes sense. >> Yeah. Supplemental to that, thank you. So specifically with AMD um have have there have been requests to meet with them to understand plans and has there been a response >> through the chair? Yes, there there have been requests. Um we've made very direct requests for them to provide formal updates to us on the status of the decarbonization project that that they had committed to back in 2022. I do have a very brief statement from the company that if you'd like I I can share with you. Um it's pretty quick. Um so so this this was provided to us by Angela Papin and she's the vice president of business integration and transition management and it reads the current market context and threat to the Canadian steel industry as a result of the US tariffs creates a very difficult environment for the company and the industry. So much so that every investment must be carefully reviewed and managed in order to continue to be a sustainable business and I would imagine reference to sustainability here is very focused on economic sustainability. >> Okay, thank you for that update and just one more question. Um in appendix B uh it talks about uh specifically one section about uh solar photovotayic on new and existing buildings and there's a long list of city facilities and I think the comment in there is there isn't funding to be able to execute those projects specifically I think a two megawatt project on top of our new uh US maintenance and storage facility. Are you able to enlighten us on any of the challenges and potential paths forward to get funding for those kind of projects especially given that the provincial grid has become dirtier which is also mentioned in the report >> through the chair. Yes. So, so there there does exist a long list of projects that we could be moving on and and the the challenge is in in funding those projects. Um, so we know through regular conversations with our colleagues in the Office of Energy Initiatives that we we do have a corporate energy reserve, but there's often not adequate funding sitting in that reserve to fund these larger projects. Um so I will say when you look at Hamilton's climate action strategy um the strategy in envisioned you know as an enabling action the city exploring some you know potential avenues for innovative approaches to funding. So so we are we have provided some update there on that front. One of those is a is green bonds and and our colleagues in in finance under the leadership of Mike Zageric have have been looking at this and we know that um you know there there have been some challenges for us right now um partly with cyber security and and um we're not quite yet up to date on audited financial statements but we're hopeful that in the not too distant future we'll be able to see some creative opportunities that will enable us to start to fund some of these shifts for the municipality. >> Great. Thank you very much for those answers. Thank you. >> Thank you, counselor. Up next, we have Councelor Crutch. Go ahead. >> Thanks for your report. I don't have a lot of questions about it and appreciate the delegations and your summary and other people's questions, but I do wonder about wildlife. When we talk about the climate action plan and the impacts of the climate action plan and the impacts it has on all kinds of different situations in our city and people has on the water and so on. One thing that I don't see on really focused on here is wildlife and birds and I'm wondering if you see that as a role for your department to have or division to have focused on or someone else because we don't have in the same way we have a biodiversity action plan we have all kinds of other plans we don't really have a plan specifically focused on wildlife and birds and I know as these things start happening as the temperatures start changing wildlife and birds are doing different things and they're being impacted pretty severely in some cases we're losing wildlife habitat habitats pretty quickly in places where we had trees and don't have them anymore and so on. So could you speak to that briefly? I'm not expecting an expert answer on that because I'm coming out of the blue with it, but I wonder if you could speak to where that work might go in the future. >> Director >> through the chair certainly and thanks for the question, councelor, and it's an important one and I agree with you. You know, on the face of it, it it does look like this this is a very anthropocentric sort of strategy, but but I will say that there are elements in there that are very directly linked. And I would argue that the good things that we do for people um and I'm thinking very specifically about greening up urban areas um you know greening up rural areas further as well with tree planting that that those kinds of measures ultimately help all living organisms. So I think that's a good thing and that's an important help. But I would also add you know we we are very connected to staff working on the biodiversity action plan and community partners who are helping with that piece. So I would say there is a there is a very close connection there between climate work and biodiversity. And I'll give you an example of a more tangible one. Um you'll know through council motion there was some funding directed to the natural areas inventory um update. Um so I serve on that steering committee. Um and I can tell you that um because there was funding through the climate change reserve for that work um the the team of professionals who were who are helping to steer that process are paying attention to climate within the context of the work that they're doing and how is climate change impacting on the the native flora and fauna that we find around us. So, so there's one very tangible connection and I think I'll add too that we did see some support to corporate facilities and energy management around uh bird friendly um measures for physical buildings in in the city partly acknowledging that you know as you've rightfully pointed out we we are seeing negative impacts on bird populations because of climate change. So any measures that we can take um to to reduce negative impacts that we might impose in human communities are that makes a whole lot of sense. So I I hope that helps. Oh, and one last thing too I'll say is um uh we also um the adaptation plan did call for an an open space management plan and our colleagues in environmental services will be proceeding with that part again partly supported by this round of climate change reserve funding. >> Thanks. So I guess my only follow-up question and briefly is just do you think the biodiversity action plan is all we need to be doing in terms of coming up with a strategy for this or do we need to have a wildlife specific master plan or a plan that specifically looks at uh wildlife in that way or do you think that we've captured enough of that there? You think we have enough tools in the OCI? I'm just trying to look at and make sure understand that we have enough things that we're looking at it. The reason I say this is because we've had parks in Hamilton forever. We just got a Hamilton parks master plan. And so I'm often mindful of the fact that that's going to have a significant impact on how our parks are prioritized, where we get green space, and where funding comes from, right? Do we do you think we need something more comprehensive with respect to wildlife and birds or or do you think the biodiversity action plan has got that in hand? >> Yeah, through the chair, good good question. Um, I'm not sure I know the answer, but one thing that I will say is, [clears throat] you know, as you know, we're we're in the process of of moving forward on reviewing and updating Hamilton's climate action strategy. So, I think we've got opportunity maybe to explore that a little bit more. And now that we've got a a biodiversity action plan moving into implementation, I think we can have some good conversations around, you know, between between our strategy and and the plan that's in place for biodiversity. H have we is it are they collectively comprehensive enough or do we do we need to be thinking about more? So, we'll certainly take that under advisement. >> Thanks. Appreciate your work. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, councelor. Up next, councelor McMaken. Thanks, [clears throat] uh, Deputy Mayor. Um, I have a really, I think, a simple question. We talk a fair bit about climate change. Uh, everybody wants to do something about it. Uh, not very many people necessarily know what what that might constitute. Um, the LRT, for example, was uh often sourced as potential dramatic uh um reduction in greenhouse gases. So, I'm wondering, we're in public session and given the challenges of communicating around climate change, what what are the what sort of changes are we seeing around greenhouse gas and what what uh what would you say are the four leading causes of greenhouse gas right now in our city, please? >> That that's a good good and valid question. So I I would point to you you'll know from looking at our climate action strategy when you look at our greenhouse gas profile in this community. Um I would stay fair to say for Hamilton our leading source is industry right and industries that are using fossil fuels. Um so so that's the that's the first one. Um and then second and third for for us are are our buildings and and you know how mainly how we're heating and cooling our buildings. Um, that's another major source. And and transportation. Those those are the top three. Those are the three biggies. Um, when you compare Hamilton to other GTA municipalities, they would look very similar minus that that major contribution from industry because of our history as as a as a major center of heavy industrial activity. Um, so our our homes, you know, our existing buildings, um, and and how we move, you know, how how we're getting from point A to point B every day. Um, th those are critical contributors. And that's three. I'm trying to think of what a fourth might be. Um, I know we have waste and agriculture are on the list as well as as contributors. Um, but, you know, they're relatively minor in comparison to those those top three. So, does I hope that answers your question. That that's helpful. Let me focus in on the second one around buildings. Um >> is there a municipality that you're aware of that is leading the way in terms of uh green building standards? >> Yeah. through the chair. I would say in Ontario, it historically has been Toronto, the city of Toronto, just in terms of the the framework that they put in place and how many years ago that framework was established that required private sector developers to step up and be mandated to to do more, but also incentivizing them to push the envelope. Um and and again I think you know Toronto just like Hamilton is facing challenges because of provincial level changes but I would add to that Toronto as a municipality in the green building standards that they developed they concurrently set out rules for the corporation itself. So you're so so there there's lots of interesting stuff happening in Toronto around um moving on ensuring that new corporate facilities are higher performing. >> Chair, I'll follow up offline. I'd like to know a little bit more about that and I it I intuit it that it has a lot to do with both federal and provincial uh building codes and uh a reticence to be as bold perhaps as we need to be. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councelor McMe. Uh no other first time speakers. We'll go to Councelor Clark for a second time. >> Thank you, Chair. I just had one last question and it's really probably related to councelor McMakin's uh question. So the city of Hamilton, the planning committee first and then the city ratified it changed building standards in Hamilton. Although it was kind of outside the building code, we were requiring new homes to do certain things like uh put in the the the infrastructure for charging vehicles, etc. Um and then the province rolled it all back. Can you speak to that please, director? >> Through the chair. Sure. I'll I'll I'll do my best. Um so so my understanding with the changes that we've seen with Bill 98, the the interpretation that we're seeing out there is that municipalities a municipality's ability to mandate a lot of those sort of tier one elements that you would see um for instance in Hamilton's green building standard um the municipality would face difficulties trying to mandate those requirements. Now, um, so I know that there are a lot of municipalities sort of stepping back and trying to figure out, are there other ways that we could still put these kinds of requirements out there and encourage their adoption, but but I would argue that looks very different from uh, you know, a municipality. And I'm going to say, you know, as municipalities, we know we're on the front lines of many crises, um, including the climate emergency. Um, and I guess this is a challenging point point in time on this issue to to face those kinds of barriers. So, so that's my understanding is that we would have difficulty being able to mandate requirements at this point with the changes we've seen proincially. >> Thank you. We uh it appears to me at least in reading the legislation that the province has restricted our abilities to do many of those things. Basically prohibited us to do it. Let's say exactly what it is. Um and they've also changed the rules in planning so that we really can't study or ask our staff to study some of these things because again it now falls out of our purview. So it's frustrating. I know that the Hamilton Council and residents want to see improvements with greenhouse gas. Um, but we are being challenged with senior level of government changes that are really impacting our abilities to deliver on any of this stuff. So, thank thank you again, doctor, for everything that you're doing. >> Thank you, councelor Clark. There are no other speakers. I just have one question, director. Um, I know there was some conversation about electricity and making sure like future uh electrifying the bus fleet facilities. I know we've done some of that work. This question maybe is more for facilities, but I'll start with you and you can just tell me uh you're not prepared to answer, but what's our challenge going to be from a capacity standpoint when we talk about electrifying a fleet? Um, obviously you need to be able to charge those buses um or in the facilities if we wanted to go to a full green fleet. We got to be able to charge all those vehicles. So, I don't know if that's a question for you, maybe it isn't, but just ties into some of the conversation we were having today. If we are going to go down that route, what's the plan to get to a point where we can actually charge the machines we have? >> Yeah, through through the chair. Um, that's a good question. I'm probably not the best one to answer in terms of the technical details. Um I can tell you that um there are city staff including um members of my team actively engaged in conversations with the IEO at the pro provincial level about um Hamilton and future capacity needs. So, so there are active conversations um and the ISO is very aware of Hamilton's climate action strategy and where we're trying to go with that strategy. So, they're factoring in that need for more more support from from the grid potentially to to support the kind of electrification that we know needs to happen. So, that's one step, but I can certainly certainly commit to going away and getting more information for you, counselor, on, you know, some some of the challenges with um the corporation and and establishing charging stations and making those transitions. I know there have been there's been lots of progress. We see a lot more chargers at yards and right behind city hall. Um, but certainly more needs to happen. >> Appreciate the answer, director. Thank you. And I apologize if I put you on the spot there. Um there are no other speakers. Um so there is correspondence that we will um we will get to after uh we do 7.2 and then we'll uh vote al together. Uh 7.2 is HSC25022B implementation plan for residential care facilities subsidy program modernization. Um any questions? I do have councelor Clark. Please go ahead. Um, thank you chair. I'm looking at appendix A to the report on page 202 towards the bottom. It says attrition process begins. Can someone explain exactly what attrition pro I know what the definition is. What's your process going to look like given that it's going to begin in 2028? uh director bar >> uh through the chair uh Michelle Barrett director of housing services division um councelor with respect to that phrase and that terminology. So the issue with RCFs um is that individuals who live there they are tenants and have uh rights and privileges as per the RTA. So we are looking not to displace people but rather as individuals move from their existing home and that happens um that that's where the beds will be freed up as we transition to a new operating model. >> So the term attrition sounds like a reduction in beds. >> Is that what's going to happen >> through the chair? No, that's not what it means in this context. What we're talking about really is that the um I guess a better way to say it is as as as beds, units turn over and vacancies come up that those would be uh moved into the new operating framework. >> So will the number of residents currently existing in residential care facilities will that number be the same? Will it have increased or are we planning to decrease it >> through the chair? So, at this point in time, we're not planning to decrease the number of beds. We're not uh planning to change the funding envelope with respect to the total budget. The different levels of services will require different uh levels of support financially. That is the change that we're implementing is moving to a new funding framework. It is expected that what will happen is we won't necessarily have net new or lose beds but instead there'll be different numbers of beds at the different levels of services. >> Thank you. Can and I understand this is a long process chair but some of these things are noodling in my mind and I'm concerned about it. So we have in our residential care facility, we have residents that have a low acuity of care. They can really look after themselves. They go and come as they wish. And then we have residents who have a very high acuity of care that require much more support. in this new model, will the Ministry of Health um be involved and perhaps help fund the residents who really do have a high acuity of care because quite frank, the managers and operators do not have the ability to provide that care at the present time >> through the chair. uh counselor. So what you describe with respect to the different levels of care is that is what will happen. Uh this this program is moving from um the current model which is a per bed funding model for residential cares to become a housing with supports model funded through the uh housing the homelessness prevention program. And so it's not um a health support model per se but rather support model. We will. So you're right that in the lowest uh acuity homes for example, people need very minimal support with day-to-day activities and go about their activities. For those individuals of higher acuity and homes that need uh different levels of support, there will be both support provided in the home as well. We're partnering partnering with other uh organizations to bring supports in including um Ontario Health at home. >> Okay. So, um I'm interpreting from that director that the city, your staff are in discussions, um with the Ministry of Health and the health team in the Hamilton area to explore options to provide funding assistance for those that have a a high acuity of care. Now these are individuals to be fair that could be uh schizophrenics required to stay on their medication. They could be acquired brain injury patients. There's any number of reasons why they have a high acuity of care. But quite frankly, in visiting many residential care facilities in my time on council, I've not seen um the expertise present in those homes to assist these residents. Can you speak to that, please? >> Uh through the counselor, you're correct. And that is sort of that is some of the issues that we're grappling with right now in that all the homes are funded in the same way and there aren't expectations with respect to what levels of care um care services need to be provided. So we are working with our partners at Greater Hamilton Health Network. We're working with community health partners, hospital partners with respect to how do we put supports both in the home and bring supports to the home. For example, uh some individuals will need mobile uh mental health treatment, addiction services. Are there ways to bring that into the home for the period of time that the individual needs it? While other supports are going to be needed on an ongoing basis so it will be part of the staffing complement within the facility. >> Thank you. I look forward to the next report. >> Thank you, councelor clerk. Going to councelor Alex Wilson. >> Thank you. through you chair just asking some questions prompted by the delegations this morning. Um I think the first one just because we are on funding and there was a clear answer maybe just starting there. Um I'm hearing that overall there's not a change to the envelope funding but there's a rebalancing of the envelope funding to each home. Um making sure maybe funding is going to improve outcomes with the same dollars are getting to higher outcomes. One of the delegates um kind of key thrusts was that um regardless of any key uh rebalancing that existing rate is just objectively too low gave one of the comparisons or one of the pieces of feedback that for example someone transitioning from social assistance might have that differential impact to their income which would act as a barrier to entering um and RCF for example or through you chair I'm wondering would staff be able to comment on that specific tension between the funding assistance for say uh social assistance ODSP OW and an RCF and what that challenge is but also maybe more broadly why is the recommendation not to increase um funding levels as part of this retransition when does a analysis of funding come into that >> through the chair. Uh thank you for the question counselor. So as we go forward over the next uh approximately year and a half, the issue of individ so the the the piece uh that the delegate spoke to is funding that the individual gets. So it's their uh funding as opposed to funding to the operator specifically. So that part, the personal needs funding is going to be looked at through the next 18 months with respect to where are there opportunities, whether opportunities within our budget, opportunities through ODSP. And so that work um is underway in some cases on the ODSP front. Our case managers are already working with tenants to find ways to increase uh their um access to funds on an ongoing basis, but that work is underway already. Uh it's not to say that there wouldn't be a recommendation that comes back at the end that we do need to increase uh personal funding for uh clients, but we're trying to work within the envelope we have with respect to the overall operating budget for the RCF operators. >> Thank you, chair. So, it's a fair summary to say that, you know, the the staff are saying it's not that we reject those concerns as invalid. It's we're not at a point where we have an answer to those. So, understanding that answer, um they're going to be evaluated over the next 18 months. Uh speaking of that evaluation, I think that lends nicely, another delegate brought up the idea of consultation, feedback, engagement specifically with RCF residents. Um maybe in the context of that specific element of the program, the personal needs, but also definitely more broadly um through you chair. just wondering if there could be a response to some of the general concerns raised around engagement um as well as any specific opportunities or things that should be stressed in the coming months >> uh through the chair. Thank you counselor. So to date there has been engagement that has happened with tenants within RCFS and that engagement will continue and it will continue with operators as well. So there has been some opportunity for engagement to date but to date the engagement was very much around what that funding model looks like. I think as we get more to a place where it's a bit more I would say as opposed to a conceptual change that there is an actual understanding of what that looks like and where individuals are impacted on a day-to-day basis. We'll see a broader engagement happening there. >> Thank you. Um I believe uh the third delegate uh brought up in a potential um I might be using the wrong language here but the care coordinator in a regional model or a neighborhood model versus a sight specific model or a onetoone kind of pairing um through you chair just wondering if there could be um comments on the proposal understanding where it fits in our exploration did we consider that etc. a response to the suggestion that uh potentially neighborhood level coordination would be uh beneficial both to health outcomes and financing of the program >> uh through the chair. So, we haven't looked specifically at that type of model as of yet, counselor, but we are working with partners um on how do we bring those supports in and what does that look like again as opposed to having supports at every individual RCF? Some of these are very small facilities uh but rather using it in a more community way. >> Thank you. Last question for me is the delegate uh I believe it was Hamilton Health Sciences from this morning, apologies for just not having the specific institution in front of me. Are they on that list of partners when we say we're working with partners? Um, oh, sorry, St. Joe's. Thank you. Um, are they on that list of partners that we're working with >> through the chair? Yes, they are. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councelor Wilson. Anyone else? Okay, we have a mover and a seconder. Um, this is a show of hands to receive items 7.1 and two. All in favor? Hands. Yeah. Carried. Thank you. Moving on to actually just before we move on to 7.3 just to give everybody an update how we're going to do uh lunch. So we're going to try to get through items for information. If we don't obviously we're going to break for lunch at 1:00, come back at 1:30. Um if we do finish them before 1, then we will break as soon as we're done items for consideration. Okay. Um 7.3 HSC26051 homeless serving system transformation update. We have a presentation uh from our director of housing services, Michelle Baird, uh who's just coming down to the podium. We'll have a quick presentation then uh go to questions Director, are you ready? >> Okay, take it away. >> Good afternoon, Michelle Bear, director of housing services division. Uh, yes, there is a delay. Here we go. So the report before you today uh started with council direction to report back by the end of the term of council with respect to the planned windown of the temporary Tiffany Barton Barton shelter. As staff began looking at the windown process for Tiffany Barton, it became clear that this could not be treated as a one site replacement uh exercise, but rather it was connected to the broader shelter system. For that reason, the report before you today uses the Tiffany Barton report back as an opportunity to not only address the windown of Tiffany Barton, but also to provide a broader system transformation update. This broader update connects the family hotel overflow, which is addressed through the companion shelter report today. Together, they speak to the city's phased approach to reduce reliance on temporary emermergency responses, including the planned closure of Tiffany Barton temporary shelter by March 31st, 2028 and reducing reliance on hotel overflow by June 30th, 2027. Though the de through the development of this report and work underway over the past few months, we've really undertaken research, data, and financial analysis and consultation with sector partners and community partners to inform a path forward for the homeless serving system. The planning work is outlined, the planning work outlined is being advanced through existing staff resources and budget. Before moving into the specific areas of transformation work, this slide helps us ground today's discussion in the current data and pressures the homeless serving system is experiencing. During the previous fiscal year, 4,8 unique individuals were homeless for at least one day in the city of Hamilton. Of these, 1600 unique individuals were chronically homeless. 1,900 were new to homelessness in Hamilton and 236 returned to homelessness. All indicators on this slide are increasing from the previous fiscal report. We continue to see increases in homelessness, including chronic homelessness. This is not to say the programs we offer aren't working and that we're not seeing successes, but rather that the numbers of people newly experiencing homelessness are outpacing uh those that we uh are successfully housing. So this is the context for the transformation work. Temporary responses like Tiffany Barton, the family hotel overflow and winter winter response has helped address immediate pressures, but the data shows that we need to take a broader systems approach. Hamilton already has a broad range of programs across the homeless serving system. These include prevention and diversion programs, emergency shelter, drop-in, street outreach, housing focused case management, rapid rehousing, intensive case management, and permanent supportive housing. I wanted to share this with you because I think there continues to be a focus on shelters as being um perhaps the one and only uh solution that we offer. But in fact, shelters may be the visible piece of the work we do when in fact the majority of the work in the homeless serving sector doesn't happen within the shelter system. These programs are doing important work. They help people avoid homelessness where possible, meet immediate needs when homelessness does occur, and support people to secure and maintain housing. At the same time, demand remains high across the continuum. prevention, diversion, and dropin continues to see high volumes, and shelter demand remains high. Hamilton's homeless serving system has has important and effective components, but demand and complexity of client needs are exceeding what current resources can resolve on their own. High service volumes across prevention, diversion, dropin, and outreach continues to provide to pressure the system. That's why the transformation work is focused on strengthening prevention and diversion, improving coordinated access and intake, moving toward a more sustainable shelter design, and creating stronger pathways to permanent housing. The slide before you shows our housing support programs, programs for people that are experiencing homelessness and work with individuals and families to secure housing and stabilize their housing. Permanent supportive housing programs demonstrate the strongest housing outcomes in the system with very few returns to homelessness. Rapid rehousing and intensive case management programs show strong housing outcomes with over 40% of participate participants um having high housing stability rates. This highlights again what we already know that people are better off when they are connected with housing focused supports. We've said many times that shelters are not the solution to housing uh and homelessness. That in fact permanent housing is the solution and this continues to be demonstrated. This next slide shows the core system challenge that we have in Hamilton and beyond Hamilton. On on average, approximately 170 individuals exit homelessness to housing each quarter in Hamilton. At the same time, more than 400 individuals enter homelessness each quarter. That means the system is supporting people to move into housing, but those exits are being outpaced by the numbers of people moving into homelessness. Even where programs are achieving positive outcomes for individuals over overall homelessness is continuing. This is why the report's not just about replacing Tiffany Barton, but rather looking more broadly at what we offer and not necessarily increasing shelter beds, but rather looking at the different services we provide and how do we invest differently. The broader transformation work is focused on reducing avoidable entries into homelessness through prevention and diversion. In recent years, the city has increased municipal investment in response to local homelessness pressures. These investments have supported needed emergency shelter capacity, outreach, dropins, case management, housing supports, housing uh homelessness prevention, and other responses across the system. >> [snorts] >> Federal and provincial investments have remained relatively stable while local demand and complexity have continued to grow. This has placed increasing pressure on the municipal tax base and on the emergency shelter system. While overall investment levels have increased, outcomes are still being shaped by the broader market. limited affordable and supportive housing supply, stagnant income supports, rising rents, and increasing complexity among individuals experiencing homelessness. Moving forward, the question is not only about how much is being invested, but how those investments are aligned. The transformation work is intended to support a more sustainable system by shifting toward prevention coordin uh shifting toward prevention, coordinated access, more consistent shelter service models and operating expectations as well as stronger pathways into permanent housing. [snorts] The principles on this slide uh respond to the pressures and trends presented earlier. They also align with the housing and homelessness action plan and the housing stabil sustainability investment roadmap. The transformation work is one way the city is putting the broader plans into action within the homelessness serving system. It connects to the action plan themes of aligning investments supporting better housing fit and embedding equity in system planning design and access to supports. So now I'm going to go through some of the work streams that we're working on already and working on as we move forward through this transformation work. This particular work stream is focused on reducing avoidable entries into emergency shelter and improving how people access support when they are in crisis. Right now someone seeking shelter may need to contact individual shelters directly and each provider has different intake processes. diversion approaches and referral pathways. This makes the system difficult to navigate and can lead to inconsistent experiences for people seeking help. A centralized intake model would help create a more consistent front door into the shelter system. It would support consistent and equitable diversion assessments, improve information about shelter availability, and help connect people to prevention supports, shelter, or other community resources based on their circumstance. This is not only an administrative change, but rather the goal is to make it easier for people to access the right support, reduce duplication across providers, and provide more consistent referral pathways. This presents a significant shift for us locally. It doesn't increase the number of shelter beds but rather changes how people access the services. [snorts] The emergency shelter remains an essential part of the system and the system city recognizes the significant work of shelter providers and frontline staff in responding to the demand. At the same time, the current system is a mix of permanent and temporary responses. hotel overflow that was set up very quickly to address immediate need. However, we need to look at this system more broadly. The same ex issues of inconsistency occur across the system including within the family hotel overflow. There's a call for application processes process that will proceed and that's a key part of informing how we move from temporary unsustainable response to more stable and appropriately scaled shelter capacity. We'll launch these in Q3 2026. Our goal is not an abrupt reduction in services but rather a transition and a phased approach to a new way of operating. Trying to go quick now. Winter response work uh recognizes that seasonal and weather related pressures continue to create additional risk for people experiencing homelessness. We did a call for applications with respect to a winter response for this year. Although we don't yet have a secured proponent, we have a good plan in place and I think we'll have an announcement shortly. And then moving forward, exits from homelessness. This is a long-term solution side of the transformation work. Emergency shelter can provide safety and essential immediate support, but it can't resolve homelessness without permanent housing options. The city is advancing uh this work through alignment with affordable and supportive housing developments you heard a bit about earlier today through rent supplements, housing benefits, coordinated access, and housing focused case planning. Moving ahead, this work is about phased implementation and the report before you is not recommending an immediate systemwide change or abrupt reduction in service. However, it provides an update on the planning work underway and how staff are moving forward in a more coordinated, sustainable, and housing focused service model way aligned with uh the housing and homelessness action plan. We'll continue to engage along the implementation journey and through the TBTS windown as well as the family hotel transition. >> Thank you. >> Right on time. 10 minutes I promise. Or the clock just stopped. One or the other. Um we will start uh with questions I guess. Councelor Crutch, would you like to start us off? >> Of course. >> We'll do. Thanks for your presentation. Right now, we're dealing with a number of complex kinds of issues. As questions are trying to get at some answers, then I'll have a comment at the end. We know addictions are related to homelessness in some ways. Yeah, it's not referenced in the report. So, broadly speaking, I think one of the gaps I see as the chair of the board of health is that we're playing at this game in a bit of a peacemeal way. talk about a winter response in here, not a heat response because a heat response is the subject matter for the board of health, but our medical officer of health isn't participating in this discussion. And so, how are we going to address that issue? Because it seems to be for me hard because this has reported missing a lot of gaps or has a lot of gaps, I should say, and those are captured by public health. But if that's happening somewhere else now, like I I just don't know what to be doing here to try to have a comprehensive conversation about this >> through the chair. That's an excellent question. It's one we grapple with all the time that when we look at homelessness and the experience of homelessness, uh the primary driver continues to be income, but it is a complex interplay of um mental health and addictions as well as uh lack of income supports quite frankly. And uh despite the innovative solutions that we try to put in place and we do try to put supports in place for individuals, the issue of addiction in the city continues to worsen. And I can't say that I do have a solution for you other than we do work with partners both in the community, within public health agency partners, but that continues to be a significant pressure um within the homelessness system and beyond at this point. Do we have a sense of how long folks are staying in emergency shelters? So [snorts] what I hear anecdotally from people with respect to shelters is sometimes they have experiences in shelters that are not good. They're not wanting to go to shelters because things have been stolen from them. There's violence. There's exposure to drugs that they're trying to recover. Other kinds of safety concerns. Do we have a sense of how many people are leaving shelters for those reasons? Do we track how many like do we track all that and have an understanding of that? I know hus tracks it like at a very anecdotal level, but do we have any data that we can can share that says this is what that movement looks like and these are the reasons why. >> Um, thank you counselor through the chair. I'm going to start that question. I'm going to turn it over to the program manager Rob Mastriani to elaborate. So we do track how long people stay in shelter. This is an interesting way to look at it. Often we look at it from the other angle of duration of time in shelter. We want it to be as short as possible, as brief as possible because people are seeing success in securing housing elsewhere. I see that the way you're asking it is more about do we understand the barriers to shelters being a success? So, people are leaving before they're connected with the necessary supports. And we've certainly seen improvements there. Tiffany Barton is actually excellent example of that where people are choosing to stay and people are using uh the shelter at Tiffany Barton who have not used shelters in past or have used shelters in past for only a day or two because they're having the experiences you're talking about and that they're finding is when they are in a secure space able to close and lock their door and have privacy and security um that they do tend to stay and connect with the services available. But I'm going to turn it over to Rob with respect. Do we know that? >> I think that's a good answer for me actually because I want to follow up with another part of this and I recognize that we're up against the time. So I just want to be respectful of that for everybody here. So >> when I think about that though, right, I think about that [snorts] issue of of people coming in and out of shelters and the reasons they're doing it. We're also always looking at acuity here. And so we're looking at people with low, medium, and high acuity based on a way of evaluating that. Is there a specific me measures we're using based on acuity to track folks to understand what their outcomes are basically to protect them inside shelter systems because that seems to continue to be an issue. So I'm wondering if how we address that specifically for low acuity individuals. Do we have a different kind of system we use for them or do we we acknowledge that that's the reality but don't necessarily have a way to assist them differently >> through the chair. I am going to turn that one over. Rob, do you want to answer that? uh through the chair Rob mastery, manager of homelessness system operations. So if I'm understand if I'm answering the the question correctly, um part of our assessments at at intake and when we're working with individuals in the system, we would look at their acuity levels to try to triage to the appropriate level of supports. So if somebody is experiencing or or uh presenting with lower acuity, there's different programs that we would um that refer to based on what we understand to be their needs and the programs that are set up to best suit them. So depending on whether it's um it's uh diversion practices that might be a quick solution or a quicker solution to help support that individual whether or not it's it's intensive case management or rapid rehousing um and different programs that uh we we understand to be best suited for them for that individual need is where we would refer those individuals and try based on um their acuity. >> Okay. Okay. So, that's how we're trying to protect those specific individuals is by referring them to programs we think they're most most suited to be. Uh, one very last quick question and then a comment which is that we're saying if I read this report and I may be reading it wrong. In fact, I hope I am that we're projecting having 50 spots for winter warming. Is that a a right reading of this? A wrong reading of this? >> Uh, through the chair that is a correct reading of this. My concern just going to say my concern with that is that there are more than 50 people who require winter warming. We know that to be a fact from just our eyeballs in war two. And I'm really concerned about that as a standard here that that's what we're doing here that that we're not doing more than that here. We're literally setting ourselves up as far as I'm concerned for for a crisis again like last year. And we don't have the capacity as a city to manage crisis as well as we do to have be more proactive about it. So that's something I'm just flagging. I think ultimately for me there's two things missing in this discussion. Number one is we just need public health at the table and if it means that we have to get motions to the board of health and and figure legislatively how it works uh you know you have the the virtue of at this moment in time anyways having the chair of the board of health be a counselor. So let's do it because if they're not part of this conversation like this is a public health emergency. I understand they're doing things. I'm over there. I know exactly what they're doing right but they have a different approach to everything than we do at the city. They have a very constructed work plan. They have a legislative mindset. Public health has run very differently in the city than than the city runs. And if we continue to go at this from two different directions, we're not going to get anywhere as far as I'm concerned. Secondly, we don't have enough data to to better understand this. Here's the problem. I think everyone around this table will understand and share this point of relative to the size of the population of Hamilton, our overall poverty index and the amount of funding provided by the city and every other level of government. We should have a kind of formula we can use to look at every municipality around us and actually quickly determine what's going on. So if we say that um based on census data or whatever data we have, this is how many people are experiencing poverty here, this is how many people are experiencing homelessness, this is what we're contributing at a municipality level, and this is the funding we're getting from other levels of government, we should be able to come up with a number that says Hamilton's being disproportionately impacted in some way, and the provincial government should be providing more based on these other measures. And we look at another city nearby and we say, "Oh, wait a minute. St. Thomas, they're receiving X number of dollars based on their population and based on their poverty levels." actually what we show is that they're receiving much much more and and we're not then we could make a case to the government by looking at this across different cities and say hey so I think that work needs to be done I'm not going to move that motion today but that's the missing piece in every conversation I have with everyone is we don't have a comprehensive understanding of where we sit with everybody else relative to because Hamilton has poverty and we have risks here and the reason why that number is climbing is because there are real issues here in our community with respect to homelessness and housing and we also also recognize that we're a regional hub. So, how do we contend with that? I know Grace wanted to answer, so I'm going to stop talking. >> That's my last comment question. >> He gave you a little bit of latitude there. Seatmate, go ahead. Uh GM >> uh through the chair, Grace Mater, general manager, healthy and safe communities. So, to councelor Crutch, so first off, on the public health thing, absolutely. What we can do is to facilitate a discussion. We have been working very closely with our partners. Not to say we're not. I think we can grow that and make it more robust for sure. On the second part that is a discussion that we've been having exactly is about those comparators for many around this um room would remember years ago we used to talk about the disproportionate number of people on Ontario Works and we used to get equalization payments from the provincial government. We are having that exact same conversation as it now relates to um homelessness as well. So we are absolutely moving in that direction. [snorts] Up next, councelor Jackson. >> Thanks, Deputaphora. Uh, director Barrett, thank you. Uh, director bear, just a couple of simple questions and tying in from uh, chair of Hamilton is home. Cubit's uh, presentation earlier. And I know in your heart of hearts, I think I know your DNA. You want to solve this homeless thing, homeless homelessness uh issue permanently for all Hamiltonians. Um Cher Cubitt gave me hope. Um your slide opening up is bleak. Um, I'm trying to again rationalize what you've presented where we've got a serious issue still upon us and it seems to be based on this slide growing and I listen very carefully to chair Cubit. Can you help me rationalize please where there's the hope and what seems to still be a bleak situation. I'm asking this deputy mayor very respectfully because you know I'm very supportive overall of what you and your team do >> through the chair. Thank you, counselor. And there's absolutely both that that there is concern and there's concern being highlighted here that we have uh risks in front of us. We also know what works and we can we can demonstrate that uh supportive housing um that Indwell and Hamilton is home speaks of is the solution that we need and it's the solution that we are trying to move toward. Uh we're supporting long-term solutions such as that. So in Hamilton right now, including within our housing with supports program, there's approximately $16.5 million that's being invested in support of housing. And so these are long-term solutions, permanent housing solutions for folks. The challenge that we have is that income supports simply are not keeping pace with um costs of living, the cost of rent in Hamilton. And so when we look at individuals that are on social assistance, whether it's OW, ODSP, what have you, uh there are more people that are are falling behind that are experiencing poverty and finding themselves homeless at a faster pace than we can invest within that permanence those permanent solutions. What we're trying to do is is take that balance that right now we know we need emergency uh solutions. So shelters are the emergency sort of, you know, last point of resort for folks that are experiencing homelessness. We also know that the cost to invest in shelters is not different than long-term solutions. With long-term solutions, once we fill the beds we have, we have to continue to build more. So we need to keep investing and we need to do that. So we need to be doing both at the same time. We need to have an emergency system so people have a place to fall back but we also have to be looking uh at those permanent solutions and I would say we're doing both. So what you're seeing before you with respect to the numbers increasing you're correct but at the same time we are successfully housing people and we're housing people on a permanent basis. >> Uh supplementary just one supplementary deputy mayor spaphora any uh cursory comment on the St. Thomas model that I heard about today. Are you aware and any comment? >> So through the chair, yes, absolutely aware of the St. Thomas model and they are using uh that good combination of supportive permanent housing. The challenge for us is that um although there are parallels with respect to solutions, Hamilton is a very different community than St. Thomas for the po the points made by the counselor earlier that we we are a hub municipality if you want to call it that. We do have individuals that come here for different reasons. We're a larger municipality overall and issues uh around poverty continue to uh be a problem. So, we can definitely learn from St. Thomas and I think we need to use those solutions and it's not just St. Thomas, there's other communities across the province, too. But at the same time, recognizing we do have some unique complexities. >> Thanks, Director Barrett and Deputy Mayor Spataphora. I can gain more support, I think, from my East Mountain community if that needle is going downwards. Otherwise, it's going to be more difficult from a taxpayer standpoint. Thanks, Deputy Mayor Spaphora. >> Thank you, councelor. Up next, Councelor Moren Wilson. >> Uh, thank you, Deputy Mayor. Um, I try to reset and remind myself that in the absence of considering uh housing within a system, we're always going to perhaps uh look at when we look at it in isolation, divorced from all the real life things that are going on. In my opinion, that's not an effective way to measure success and to evaluate it. So I think what I've heard today from our delegates and you previously is um you've said uh prevention and diversion is critical uh in speaking to the inflows. We have to reduce the avoidable entrances and the outcomes are still being shaped by the larger market. Those are your words. Um and that market in that system consists of stagnant supports, rising rents and higher acuity. And therein lies my frustration. Those numbers are being affected within a system of things beyond what we consider to be homelessness solutions and measures. Um, so I just want to put that on the table um and speak to the issue that was raised about the data. Are you able to tell us through your programs? What is causing people to inflow? Like do we have direct evidence? It used to be years ago I saw on a city of Toronto site that uh people who were recently homeless 31% of them just came from uh an apartment. So they were not chronically housed. Do we have that data through the chair? >> Director, do you want to take that or >> uh through the chair? I'm going to start, but I I'm might be calling on one of the managers to help with this. So we have some of that information with respect to are they coming to an from an apartment house or otherwise. We do know that um over 25% of people that are that are coming into homelessness are um losing their housing simply because of incomes. They can't uh their income is not sufficient. And we have about another 25% I believe that they just can't continue to afford their rent. So incomes are stagnant and I I will see if Rob has more information about where exactly they're coming from, ownership versus tenency, what have you. But the reality is they're falling into homelessness in Hamilton unfortunately because incomes are not um they're not able to afford rent >> uh through the chair. Excuse me. I think uh Michelle covered that well. Unfortunately, that's not information that we collect at this time. So, we wouldn't uh be able to answer that specific question. >> Okay. Thank you. Have you ever would you have the capacity um through the chair to produce a graphic which depicts um income levels part income levels um transfer support levels uh rent levels um anything that would maybe again try to make the point that when we divorce looking at this crisis is from all the other factors that are at play. We're we're going to maybe have some challenges through the chair. >> Uh through the chair. Yes. So I think um we have information like that right now that we can produce and share after this meeting. Basically that would indicate um the reasons that people are losing their housing. So that would lay that out. how many of them are related to income, lack of income supports, lack of um available housing, what have you. I think we could do that fairly easily. >> Thank you. If we had a depiction, I I'd like to still on the theme of of data um because I do think it affects our outcomes when the ministry is making a decision about funding. Um what do they use in their calculation to do so? Because I think the emerging emerging theme here is that um we have a uh we have an income crisis in Hamilton. We have a greater proportion perhaps compared to some of our neighbors of people who are dependent on government transfers. To councelor Crutch's point, we have um higher than uh higher than provincial averages of PE with some health uh challenges. like [snorts] what do we supply and how do they determine through the chair >> through the chair. So that's a very good question and it's one I unfortunately cannot answer. So we have asked for that information as well from um a provincial perspective. We have just over $28 million annually that we receive through the house the homelessness prevention program. We report to the um to MMA to the Ministry of Municipal Housing um and Municipal Affairs on a monthly basis with respect to our homelessness information uh what people's experiences of homelessness look like, where we're having increasing trends. Basically, the information I shared with you today, they will see annual information. So, the increases that we're seeing year-over-year are shared and reported uh to the province. We also report those numbers federally. However, annually, we have not seen an increase in funding tied to that. We don't know um necessarily what we we just don't know what the funding uh the equation looks like. What is the funding formula to inform the homelessness prevention program? We don't have an answer to that. >> Counselor, >> thank you. That that's quite remarkable. Um, if I could ask through the chair to GM Ziggger. Um, GM Ziggger, in yourstead in finance, was were there was there has there ever been an occasion um where perhaps the city of Hamilton was deemed the the local needs and conditions were accounted for in any of our um the analysis provided by the province or um in their calculations or it seems to me that we're going to forever be frustrated in our intergovernmental relations work if we do not have the capacity to really highlight the local needs and conditions and why ours are different than perhaps some neighboring municipalities through the chair. >> GM just before you answer that I just want to let everybody know I I don't we have a day and a half for GIC for a reason. I don't want to speed people through things. We have a number of people on the list. We're going to finish with this question. We're going to break for lunch. We'll come back and start again on the list. Okay. GM Zigar. Go ahead. through the chair. Uh Mike Sakar, general manager, finance corporate services. Yes. In the context of Ontario works going back 20 plus years ago uh when the GTA had a GTA pooling uh financial solution whereby the city of H or city of Toronto were able to recover some of their social services, more specifically Ontario works related costs from other GTA municipalities. City of Hamilton uh would argue that that pooling arrangement should have gone beyond those boundaries to include the city of Hamilton because of uh just the transportation of citizens across geographic areas. There was a study uh undertaken uh some years ago, I can't recall the exact year uh whereby the city of Hamilton demonstrated that there was uh inequity and a lack of fairness with respect to how the city of Hamilton uh was was bearing the cost relative to the city of Toronto in the context GTA pooling. Furthermore, uh, City of Hamilton did receive funding at a point in time, uh, general manager Mater made reference to Ontario, uh, OW equalization. uh in the context of Ontario Works prior to the uploading of OSB and Ontario Works Exclusive Ontario Works Administration, City of Hamilton was successful in arguing that the city of Hamilton was bearing a higher burden relative to other municipalities uh as it relates to the ability to pay and our high reliance not on earned income in this municipality but on income from transfer. payments. And there was a point in time uh leading up to I believe around 2013 2014 when the city of Hamilton was no longer recipient of uh funding through the Ontario municipal partnership program. So there were points in time uh over the last uh number of decades where the city of Hamilton demonstrated and in one case where we were successful in leveraging some provincial funding as it relates to then Ontario works in the context of ability to pay. >> Thank you. I guess my closing remarks and I'm going to be pursuing this is if we cannot get a daylight on how these uh funding is allotted then I think it's in our self-interest intergovernmental rel in terms of intergovernmental relations in terms of our relationship with the corporate community here and the not for profofit that we bring and amass as much data as possible to make our own model and that we use those previous um funding um models to to make that point because otherwise we're going to continue to hit our head against the wall of uh why what we're receiving is not in is not in keeping with our particular needs and it's in this province's self-interest to ensure that we succeed in that regard. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councelor Wilson. So, at this time, uh we will recess for lunch. We will return at 1:45 p.m. and we'll continue on the speakers list for this item. Thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon. Welcome back to the GIC meeting for July 29th. We are going back to item 7.3, HSC26051, homeless serving system transformation update. We already had a presentation on this item. We've had some speakers. We are going to go back to the speakers list. Starting with councelor Nan if she's online. If not, I will go to the next speaker and go back to councelor Nan. Is she online clerks? Uh councelor Nan. If not, I'll move on and go back to her. >> Okay, we'll go to councelor Clark and then we'll get back to councelor Nan. Councelor Clark, uh whenever you're ready. >> Thank you. Um, I'd like to take this moment to ask a few questions about the funding that that we are receiving and the funding that we are spending as it relates to homelessness and housing. Um the current numbers that I believe we have still shows that the province is sitting around 28 to $29 million while the total funding is exceeding $190 million for everything. Can I get the director to speak to that please? >> So councelor, we're going to get specific numbers. Director Bear, do you have those from the province and our spend and everything? Thank you. >> Yeah. Uh through the chair. Thank you for the question, counselor. So, you are correct that the total amount of money that's spent on housing overall and that is is not just homelessness but um housing support, social housing, RGI supports, those kinds of things is approximately $190 million. We continue to receive just over $28 million annually from the province in uh homelessness prevention program funding. >> So that number represents about 15% of what we're spending on housing and homelessness. Is that a fair assessment? >> Through the chair, that is correct. We also receive federal funding in the amount of approximately well it's just under $10 million in our reaching home program. Thank you. And so when we're breaking down the amount of money that we're spending um my chart here, it looks to me that shelters and that by that I would mean emergency shelters, right? Um about 40 $54 million and then encampments are about $5 million. Then we have our social housing costs at 89 million. Tenant supports which is 26 million and then our affordable housing at 17 million. So that's the investment that we have been putting into, the city of Hamilton has been putting into, council has been putting into for housing and homelessness. Um, and it's a staggering amount of money that's coming from property taxpayers on a program that for all intents and purposes should be funded proincially and federally. Um, I'm not going to ask the director to speak to that because those comments are more political, but it's still incredibly frustrating and I know our staff are doing everything they can and we keep hearing from advocates asking us to spend more. We're spending $191.6 million and the province gives us 29. That's that's just unbelievable. and and it's holding this community back. Uh it's affecting the property taxes for residents in this community because the city is stepping up while this is me saying it very clearly as a counselor. The province and the feds are abdicating their responsibility to this municipality. So I just want to put that on the record. It has not improved. It's gone backwards. Thank you. I >> think those numbers should be switched, councelor clerk. We should be the 28 million. They should be the 160. >> Sorry for adding that in there. I just thought it was important. Um, councelor Nan is not back yet. So, we'll go to councelor McMakin for a first time. I have councelor Wilson for a second time. I have councelor Nan. So, anyone else that's going to speak to this, please uh indicate. Councelor McMakin, go ahead. >> Thanks, uh, Deputy Mayor. I appreciate it. Um ju just uh a couple of observations. Um we heard from Carl Andress today about um uh some broader thinking that needs to go into this whole uh issue and uh specifically he was quite complimentary about the um transitional work uh that is connected with the Tiffany Barton site. a very good article today in the spectator which I was pleased to see. Now sometimes we tend to focus on the fiscal side of things far too much. I mean there were some issues with that and they've been well chronicled. Um but I was excited when I heard uh chair um the good folk from good sheepardd come and talk about uh from their perspective and they've been engaged in the work for a long time how how the Tiffany Barton site um I'm not sure if they said it or we said it was something that was clearly working that and that was evidenced by the figures we saw today. And then earlier today we also had uh some discussion which highlighted the fact that the funding from the senior levels of government is stable but it's not increasing even though we're adding 400 uh forget the exact figures. I left my notes in my office. The people who are coming out of a non-house situation into an onhouse situation is is not a not a good u good narrative through through you chair. So something's worth some something's done. We we we to be frank, we paid a price for that. There were some things that if we had to do over again, we'd do it differently. Clearly uh and we've acknowledged that the system is working. Uh um according to the good sheeperd and some of the anecdotal stuff that we heard today, um the funding is stable. It's not increasing although we're adding 400 people. um you know as contrasted to what 150 going the other way. So given all of that I'm having a little bit of trouble understanding why we appear to be racing towards closing the Tiffany Barton site if it's working. The transition is happening. Um as I repeat again a great article today. Um, you know, there's there's no um evidence that's been uh provided this morning other than I think somebody called it pretty I think councelor Clark said pretty bleak. Um, yeah, he's right. And uh, in the midst of the bleakness, why would we close the one project notwithstanding the difficulties we've had with it uh that seems to be working? That's that's my comment and my question I guess >> I think staff staff would appreciate an answer on that. I think it's just based solely on that was the direction but we'll let uh GM Mater give us some clarity >> uh [snorts] through the chair um to the counselor. So thank you very much for the the commentary. Um and yeah, we've been uh it was a it was a rocky road, but I think we got there in the end for sure and we've been seeing some really great outcomes. And uh just as the um deputy mayor has indicated that the original direction was that it was a temporary site and we went into it with temporary temporary mindset and with an end um plan in place. However, you know, as we've come to see the outcomes, we've come to see what the opportunities may be. That may be an opportunity that we would be coming back for some further direction in the future. We would absolutely be doing that in consultation with you know um everyone around this table as well as the community and our partners as we've indicated that we need to do this in conjunction with this is not just a housing issue. This is um something that is done with our partners in public health with our greater health greater Hamilton health network with our the social agencies. So that could be something that uh if there is some direction that we would you know pursue. I'm I'm through you, the chair. I'm pleased to hear that. Um, some of you may have heard me say this before. I think it was Winston Churchill who once said, "If you can't change your mind, you can't change anything." And I think this uh this warrants taking a second look. I'm not withstanding uh the challenges that we face and some of the comments historically that have been made about the challenges we've faced. I'm I'm not anxious to jettison something that clearly is working and in the interest of recognizing again and again and again that we were serious when we declared uh the issue of uh people being unhoused a crisis. And um so I appreciate the general manager's comment that uh a reflective comment that she and her team are prepared uh in consultation with us perhaps the to take a take a second third look at at the possibilities that might still prevail there. Thank you. >> Thank you councelor McMakin. Just uh checking again if councelor Nan I don't see her online. So, we'll go to second time speaker, councelor Moren Wilson. >> Thank you, chair. Just a quick question following up on councelor Clark's um question through the chair. I heard from director Baird we're spending $190 million and that includes rent subsidies and the like. Could I just want to make sure I got that before I ask my next question. >> Director, if you can uh lay that out again, the funding. >> Yeah, through the chair. Uh thank you for the question counselor. It's $190 million and that's the total investment in housing. So it includes the affordable housing that's happening through the housing secretariat. It includes things like rent subs. We do a lot of work around tenants supports to keep people housed. Um that would be shelter administration costs for example. So that whole envelope of work is within the $190 million. >> Okay. Thank you for clarifying that. If I could ask then through the chair to perhaps GM Ziggger um the amount uh of DC exemptions as a uh that we are granting for affordable housing. Do we have a an annual total for that through the chair? GM Ziger >> through the chair. In uh 2025, I believe it was $75 million uh as relates to development charge discounts and exemptions and I believe 80% of that was tied to residential and uh a significant amount of that was tied to affordable attainable notfor-profit housing, long-term care housing. Uh so the statutory development charge exemptions. >> Okay. So presumably is it fair in terms of a methodology? I'll go to perhaps the director of director Baird. Would would that be a fair inclusion if we included the DC waiverss because it is or maybe to GM Zagaric that is what we are spending by not um receiving through the chair. I think it is fair that uh that uh in terms of municipal contribution towards affordable and attainable housing that the inclusion of development charges specifically for those purpose-built uh housing developments. Uh again, uh in part because there is no offsetting funding source for that. Those have to be borne by local taxpayers and uh water rate payers. And so, uh, I would agree it is fair to include that into the city's investment towards affordable affordable and attainable housing. >> Thank you. Appreciate that clarity. >> Okay, we'll go to uh, councelor Crush now. >> Just very briefly on the Barton Tiffany outdoor shelter. A couple things I think are important to mention. Sure, we can change our mind. That's not a thing that people shouldn't do. We make decisions. But two things that are important to remember here. [snorts] Nobody was consulted about this project before it was presented to us here. Myself included, the residents of W 2 included, the residents of W one included, the W one city councelor included for one moment before that was brought forward as a proposal. So when it was proposed, the idea that it was temporary was a big part of the conditionality around that. It was the idea that this is going to be for a short period of time and we're going to try doing this. And hopefully what we've learned from it is okay, this is a barrier free model. We've allowed couples and pets. We've found a way of doing all this kind of stuff. And those things have ended up helping us to let people get comfortable in a place where we can assist them better. That doesn't have to happen in only one place, only one modality. There's many ways to do that. So, we need to be building permanent affordable housing. You know what a great place to build permanent affordable housing would be? Bart and Tiffany. We can't build permanent affordable housing there if we don't have a plan to do it. And we can't do that if we don't have a plan to transition this out. We also need to make sure that we're not losing something in the balance because right now we're providing homes to about 80 people. Those are temporary transitional homes, but they're places people can be. We can't just stop doing this suddenly. Also, it's not actually a sustainable model model to have outdoor temporary shelters. It's not seen as a best practice of any kind by anyone. And there's a reason why the first word in all that and every time every report is temporary outdoor shelter because it's not a best practice to be doing this kind of thing. It's it's meant to be that way. Also say to you that downtown there are really two big pieces of land left that don't have either plans or owners or these kinds of things. Uh, one is the Sir Johnny McDonald lands and the second is the Barton Tiffany lands and neighbors there have been waiting since the city's debacle of a stadium fiasco that leveled all the homes in the area and then didn't do anything with the land, left it contaminated as a kind of cesspool for about a decade or more. They want to see something happen with those lands. So, we have to do something with those lands and we can't those both things at the same time. So, we need to have this sorted out in a way that respects everybody in the community, respects the desire to do something with these lands, meets our housing goals, and finds a permanent place for people to be. So, I I hear you. I just think we have a lot of things happening in the space, and we have to honor the fact that we said we do it. If we want to change our mind, let's change it by consulting the public and everybody else first. Thanks. >> Thank you, counselor. Um, just checking. I don't see counselor Nan online. Is there anyone else that would like to speak to this? Councelor Clark, please go ahead. >> So, I know that we're not proceeding with any development at the moment, but do we have a record of site condition for that property? There's lots of anecdotal rumors about what's in the ground if it is going to be used for residential housing. The environmental cleanup bill is going to be rather significant. So, not sure if we have that yet or if staff can look into it and provide us an update on that. I don't see anyone here from real estate. I'm sure we could do that if we don't have it, but I will um go to GM Mater for an answer >> uh through the chair to the councelor. That is something I just spoke with um GM Haulingworth and that is that is something that we can um review with uh planning and economic development. I know there had been some information available in the early days, but I think we can go back and investigate that and report back. >> Um I'll leave that as direction to staff. I don't think it's necessary to move a motion, but we do need that information before we can do anything. >> Both GMs are nodding their heads, councelor. Okay. Uh, no one else on the uh speakers list. I just uh will make a a brief comment. Um, obviously we don't need to talk about the capital part of this project uh Bart and Tiffany, but we definitely need to talk about the success that it's had. It's housed 50 people. I don't know how many other services are able to say that. Maybe there's 27 different social services in the city that are going to be able to say that. I don't know. But I think we need to tie our funding model to results. And putting aside the temporary part of this equation, let's just talk directly about what's been done there. In a pretty short period of time, with the money that the city's given this group, they've housed 50 people. Those are results that should be tied to funding. And if we were basing it strictly on results, they deserve the money. And I think moving forward, the other services in our city when we're spending, you know, if we'll take the province money out, the $28 million, we're spending $160 million of taxpayer money. There should be data that they provide with results and their funding should be based on that. I know a lot of people don't like that. They might think it's uncompat. At the end of the day, you want to have compassion for people and you want to have compassion for taxpayers. Every dollar we spend should be tied to results. You house 50 people, I can sell that to my residents that, hey, we spent this kind of money, but guess what? 50 people went from a temporary shelter to permanent housing with supports. I can sell that. I can't continue to sell the emergency part. I think it's been told here, someone said it this morning, the delegation. I I for me the biggest thing I just I think the service provider at Barn Tiffany has done a great job and I think the proof is in the data and I think the rest of the groups need to uh need to do the same. That's it for me. Uh mover and second or do we have one? We do not. Anybody want to move and second this? Councelor Wang, Councelor Crutch, uh show of hands, please. That carries. Thank you. We're moving on to 7.45 and six. We are gonna move and second that to put all three on the floor and we will go through them. Uh councelor Wang, Councelor Tison. Thank you. 7.4 ACPD26-007 Accessibility Committee for Persons with Disabilities. No quorum minutes dated July 14th, 2026. Looking around anybody? 7.5 CM250007C Build Back Better Project Portfolio update revised. Any questions on this one? Excuse me. Councelor Tatison, start us off. >> So just in reading this 7.5 basically it says change management best practices. It talks about stakeholder assessments, impact analysis, engagement, communication plans to support smooth transitions. It goes on and goes on. For example, the planning, permitting, licensing, bylaw projects, some change some some change tactics that are being utilized include completing a change story, stakeholder assessment, utilizing change management agents, communication plans, and provide change management training for all applicable staff. So I see that there are projects in various stages of development like there's 50% 65% 75 even 100% some places after we're I see that we're tracking our progress through that development and implementation. But after we complete those programs my questions are what about the next steps and and how are we reviewing if these processes are being successful? So are managers building portfolios? Do they have dossas that they can present to staff um regarding the efficacy of these change tactics? How are we going to measure whether we're being successful? >> Director Leeman. >> Uh yes, good afternoon. Pat Leechman, uh director of enterprise portfolio management and transformation. And thank you councelor very much for the question. uh we have a change plan for each project and in that change plan it speaks to the metrics that are important to be able to understand uh in order to ensure success. Those are project metrics but they do carry over into bo post project once the project is complete and implemented. So it's things like process adoption understanding uh understanding the metrics of of how a process is working and is it meeting the intent of the process. Uh so some of those as I mentioned are project metrics but some of them will carry on afterwards and it's those metrics that are key to understanding adoption. >> Okay, thanks for that. So is the leadership of the city are they are they going through a review process or are they getting together having mediation time with other managers to collaborate so that there's consistency built across the system? Um, I get that we shouldn't as counselors seek personal information, but will we be have will we have access to those templates that you guys are using to ensure that consistency and and improvement >> uh through the chair? If you're talking uh templates on in terms of how we're managing change, yes, we're happy to to share the workbook that we use. Uh that that it walks through what is our our approach to change and what are the the um proposed metrics. Uh depending on the project, they may select different metrics, but the whole idea is that there is a comprehensive change plan that drives it for each individual project. Uh there is regular governance. There's enterprise governance that has been put in place on all of these projects that speaks to uh review not only at a steering committee meeting at the project level. Uh but we also have a monthly project review uh meeting where the transformation office meets with all these project leads and and looks at their monthly updates and ensures that things are on track. And then we also have what's called the port portfolio leadership team which is a subset of senior leadership uh where risks and and things get escalated uh if if need be. So that governance that enterprise governance structure is alive and well and and uh and it has a regular rhythm to it now for the build back better portfolio of projects. >> Okay. Thank you very much for that wholesome answer. I uh I think that things are moving in the right direction. I feel very confident with those answers. Thank you. Thank you, Councelor Tatis and Council Clerk. >> Thank you, Chair. Um, I'm looking at page two of 10. At the very bottom, it speaks to the number of FTEES. It indicates to support accelerated delivery, the project requires 47.75 FTEES over 2025 to 2027. Then it says additional staffing includes eight FTEEs approved in the 2026 budget and 19.5 FTEES reflected in the 2027 tax budget forecast. So what's the total number? Am I to take all of those and add them up and that's 75 or are you counting some FTEEs twice in that paragraph? Just one second. Counselor >> director. >> Thank you for the question through the chair. Uh I'd like to get back to you on that. I'm questioning that myself now that I read it. >> Thank you. I'd appreciate that. >> Thank you, counselor. Up next, Councelor Wang. >> Thank you. I also appreciate this update. I appreciate all the work that uh the team has been doing. I just had a small question about in appendix A, uh, looking at the CRM, the customer CRM. I love that it says 98% complete. What does that mean? Like, shouldn't it be closer to 100, especially when we're in like essentially we're up at quarter 3, 2026 now? So, what does 98% mean? >> Thank you for the question through the chair. There's just a few tiny pieces that we need to close off before we can formally say the project is complete. And then as part of enterprise portfolio governance, we do follow a project stage gate process that says in order to confirm a project complete, it has to come back and and present all of its closing documentation and prove to us that it's complete. So going back to uh the previous counselor's question around metrics, have those been met? Do we understand what's going on? Can we all agree that the project should be closed? And so, uh, the project team is just finalizing that documentation and bringing it back to the portfolio review team for those final closing conversations before we all sign off that it's closed. >> Excellent. I think that for me that CRM system is something that I'm hotly anticipating. Uh, mostly because we do get a lot of service service requests not only through a ward counselor offices, but also through the customer the customer service portal, but the ward offices and the customer service portal don't necessarily talk to each other. then there's a lot of challenges when it comes to closing that loop for residents. So I am hotly anticipating this particular um project getting to 100% and then ideally seeing that at some point uh in the future in terms of like some sort of training or a communications update just to let ward counselors know how that CRM system is being rolled out and how we are facilitating better customer service for our residents. Thank you. >> Thank you counselor Councelor Cooper. Thank you, chair. Um, realizing that once you close out a project, it becomes operationalized, it's during the operationalization where you actually achieve benefits. So, how does the reporting come back to council about the benefits that have been realized once these projects are operationalized? >> Director, >> yes, thank you for the question and through the chair. Um, councelor, you know how much I love benefits. I live and die for them. they bring the value to our city and it's so important that they get captured. Uh so not only is it investment stewardship but benefits realization that the transformation office can really bring value to the city and ensuring that that gets uh identified where there's actual hard cost reductions uh identified where there's cost avoidance or revenue generation opportunities and included in these reports as we go forward and realize those. So it is our goal to be fully transparent and include all those hard savings in these reports. >> Thank you through your chair. So what I'm hearing you say is when we get these reports in the future, you're going to be reporting on benefits realized >> through the chair. There is a column in the in the appendix now that identifies potential benefits as those come to realization. Absolutely. We should be sharing those. >> Thank you through you, chair. So once the project is operationalized the project team rolls off who's responsible for harvesting the benefits. >> Thank you for the question and through the chair. Uh so the goal of enterprise portfolio management and transport transformation is to ensure that there are no gaps or drops in that. So we would be keeping an eye and monitoring that and and ensuring things get across the finish line. That's part of the mandate of our team uh working with the different business units to make sure that things get incorporated where need be in budgets etc. So if I understand you correctly through you chair the idea would be is the project team stays around after operationalization to ensure those benefits are realized >> through the chair not quite uh the project team would close off and uh the small team very small team in enterprise portfolio management and transporta and transformation would be there to uh monitor and ensure things cross the finish line. >> So it's a monitoring exercise but but you need to manage it. So who is managing the benefits realization >> through the chair the transformation office uh enterprise portfolio management and transformation office has taken the lead on that and we will ensure that it happens. >> Thank you. and through you chair. How how long do you stay in operations, you know, monitor, managing it in order to harvest those benefits? Like is there a rule of thumb you use or how how long would you be still actively engaged and involved that >> through the chair? It depends on the benefits and depends on how quickly they'll be realized. It varies by project. >> So maybe a range. Uh I've uh through the chair I've seen from my past experience happen very quickly in in in the phase of like a uh a quarter to to two quarters. I've seen it been up to a year to a year and a half. >> Okay. Thank you. So we'll we through you chair. So we'll just look to kind of continue that if you want to say reporting cycle through however long you've established for that uh period of I'll say management. >> Yes. Absolutely. >> Thank you >> through the chair. >> Thank you, councelor. Um, anyone else? I just have one question, councelor Casar, if you want to take the chair. I don't know. I might get in trouble if I don't pass it. Um, through you, chair. Um, I've asked this a few times. Just want to ask again about the money that we've allocated over the years. So if we don't get to a point where we feel we have the capacity to use that money in year because we're just not going to get there for whatever reason. So 2027 I I don't remember what's in the budget now. But will there be consideration to maybe not ask for as much money if we don't think we're going to be done all the 2026 money? The reason I asked that is why tax the taxpayer if we just don't have the capacity to get there and maybe we you know maybe we asked for half the 2027 money through the 2027 budget because we realize we just aren't going to be able to use it all through you chair. >> Yeah. Through the chair. Absolutely. We want to make sure that we're being prudent in in uh the spending and and the ask for the funds as well. So uh councelor 100% agree that that we need to make sure that our alignment with our execution supports that. Uh we also need to make sure we're balancing that though with our ability to execute contracts and and make commitments to vendors uh that obviously once we make a commitment we need the money available to us even though we may not spend it all that year. So it's just finding that right balance. >> Perfect. Thank you chair. And I will take the chair back. I don't uh see any more questions on that. 7.6 6 SBPC26-002 schoolboard property subcommittee minutes dated July 20th, 2026. Anyone? No takers. Okay, I think I have a mover and a seconder. Um, show of hands, please. And that carries. Thank you. We are moving on to Oh, sorry. >> One sec, counselor. >> Go ahead. >> Thank you. >> Sorry about that. I'd like to be opposed to uh 7.5 since I didn't have the information in terms of the FTEES so I can't receive the report. >> So what we'll do is uh we'll vote on 7.4 and 7.6 together and then we'll uh do 7.5 on its own. Is that okay? >> Would be helpful. Thank you. >> So 7.4 7.6. We do have a mover in seconder. All in favor and that carries. And then 7.5 we'll use the same mover in seconder. All in favor? Hands up. This >> does it need to be electronic? >> Oh, okay. Sorry. Electronic vote. Uh mover and seconder is councelor Wang and councelor Tatterson. And we are going to go to our first electronic vote of the day. So might need some patience. And yes, it's all councelor Clark's fault. It should be coming up momentarily and it's up. Please vote accordingly quickly. Everybody's voted. >> Councelor Francis, >> Councelor McMe. >> Okay. Are we all >> We're good. >> And that carries 13 to1. Thank you. Moving on to 8.1 items for consideration. AUD26006 audit of HR investigations process citywide. May I please have a mover and second to defer consideration of 8.1 until after close session. Council crutch councelor Moren Wilson. Show of hands and that carries. Thank you. We will now be moving into close session for item 11.3 the confidential appendices for 8.1 as well as items 11.7 and 11.8 as there are external consultants involved. The meeting will proceed with the rest of the agenda items when the committee comes out of close session. [gasps] I'm going to take a motion now to move into close for items 11.3 7 and 8. I think I already got a mover in second. >> Did I? No, we'll do it again. Councilor Crutch, councelor Moren Wilson for committee to move into close session. Is that okay? I didn't even ask you guys. You're good with that? Perfect. Pursuant to section 9.3 subsection BE and F of the city's procedural bylaw 21-021 as amended and section 2392 subsections BE and F of the Ontario Municipal Act 2001 as amended as the subject matter pertains to personal matters about an identifiable individual including municipality or local board employees, litigation or potential litigation including matters before administrative tribunals affecting the city or a local board and advice that this is subject to solicitor client privilege including communications nec necessary for that purpose. Show of hand. Nope. Uh, show of hands, please. Sorry. And that carries. Thank you. I also need a mover in a second to allow Karen Gordon, an external consultant from Gordon Strategy into close session for item 11.37 and 8. Council Morson, Council Crush Show. Oh no, there's an electronic vote everyone. So, this is to let the consultant into close session. That um mover was councelor Morin Wilson and councelor Crutch. Yep. The vote is about to show up. There it is. The vote is up. Thumbs up from councelor Nan. >> Has everybody else voted? >> We're good. That carries 14 to zero. Thank you. And uh members of the public are advised that during close session portion of this meeting, the live stream will broadcast a close session in progress screen. The broadcast will resume when the close session portion of the meeting is complete. As we are now moving into close session, I would ask that all members of the public, delegates, external participants to please now exit the WebEx meeting. As well, any staff that are not directly related to the inc camera items are also now asked to please exit the WebEx meeting. Also a reminder to council that per section 8.7 of the bylaw, the use of personal electronic devices during closed minutes or meetings is strictly prohibited. However, the use of city electronic devices during closed meetings are limited to text communication only. City electronic devices not being used as a telephone recording device or camera. Staff from the office of the city clerk are exempted from section 8.7C when using electronic devices for recordkeeping purposes. Can I now ask that all members of council please ensure they are in private room and area are wearing headphones or some other type of hearing equipment and are in the closed portal of escribe. A note to staff that are included in this Okay, welcome back uh to the general issues committee meeting. Um we are back in open session. Before we get started, I will ask for a motion from councelor Cooper and councelor Tatison to extend the meeting to 6:30 p.m. Uh that's moved and seconded. Uh show hands please. Thank you. So we are have our extension. Uh we are on 8.1 AUD 2606 audit of HR investigation process item 8.1. It says here again uh we are going to require a electronic vote to approve the recommendations. So do we have a mover and seconder? I don't think we do. Uh mover and seconder please. Councelor Cooper, somebody else. Anybody takers? Councelor Tatison, sorry I didn't see you there. And we're going to go to the electronic vote >> on >> 81 >> 81 >> and the confidential is 113. Yes. Yes. >> Yep. >> Thank you. I know. I'm sorry. >> Just waiting for the vote to uh calculate. Just having some technical difficulties with the escribe. If you can just bear with us for a moment. >> Sorry. >> Are we doing another one? Okay. So, uh, clerk, you can, uh, tell me, uh, and stop me if I'm doing something wrong, but on item 8.1, our movers were councelor Cooper and Tatter, and we will go around the room and ask each counselor how they'd like to vote. Is that okay? >> I'm going to Okay. Councelor Jackson in favor. Councelor Tatterson in favor. Councelor Clark in favor. Councelor Cooper in favor. Councelor Mor Wilson is in favor. Councelor McMaken is in favor. Councelor Casar is in favor. The mayor is in favor. Councelor Nan is in favor and myself. I believe there's 10 of us. So that carries 10 to zero. We're moving on to 11.7 CM26015 city housing Hamilton litigation update. Um there is no discussion on this item. May I please have a mover and seconder on the following that a the report CM26015 be received and remain confidential. Mover and seconder please. Councelor Casar. Anyone else? Councelor Cooper. Um show of hands vote please. And that carries with everyone in favor. Thank you. 11.8 8 CM26016 uh legal opinion regarding HR investigations process. Um I need a mover and seconder uh for the following that report CM26016 be received and remain confidential and then I will uh go to the city manager as well. So first I'll need a mover and seconder for this item please. Councelor Casar, councelor Tatison. Uh again, this is to receive the report and remain confidential. It's a show of hands vote and then after the vote, we'll go to the city manager. Uh everybody's in favor. Anyone opposed? No. Everybody's in favor. Thank you. City manager, if you can please um provide your statement. >> Uh thank you, chair. And I just want to state that the city takes this matter very seriously and the auditor's report findings will be released following ratification on August 5th. Thank you, Chair. Thank you uh city manager. Um so we are done those three items. At this time we are going to recess uh this GIC meeting. We will return uh for the remainder of the agenda uh tomorrow which is July 30th and the meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. Uh so we will adjourn for now and uh we'll see everyone tomorrow. Thank you for all uh staff, media, and uh members and clerks that were able to stay and get us through today. Have a good evening.