Memoranda issued by Community and Social Services

Date: December 6, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Shanna Culhane, Interim Director Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations and Social Development, Community and Social Services

The purpose of this memo is to inform the Mayor and Members of Council about the allocation of a combined total of $1.5M in project funding for 2024. This funding represents a joint initiative between the Community Funding program and the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. Out of 193 applications received, 28 projects were approved for funding.

Background

On September 25, 2019, Ottawa City Council approved the new Community Funding Framework. Included under this framework is funding for Project Funding, used to build the capacity of the non-profit social services sector to respond to unmet, complex and/or emerging community needs and pressures.

On October 2, Ottawa City Council approved the report “Update to the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan: Incorporation of the former Crime Prevention Ottawa." Through this report the Community Safety and Well-Being Funding Stream was updated to include $700K that was used for Project Funding.

• One-Year Project Funding: One-year project funding is issued to time-limited or defined pilot projects that build sector service capacity or address an emerging need.
• Three-Year Project Funding: Three-year project funding can be provided to organizations not receiving Sustainability Funding.
• One-Year or Three-Year Programming Funding: Programming funding is provided to organizations to offer a new program or expand an existing one. The program should address an emerging or ongoing need and respond to the identified priorities and goals described in the City of Ottawa’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.

For 2024 Community Project Funding, priority was placed on projects and programs for children, youth, and priority neighbourhoods that address poverty reduction or social development initiatives.

Call for proposals and evaluation process

Funding was allocated through an open call for proposals for one-year or three-year project funding and one-year or three-year program funding.

193 applications were submitted through an open call for proposals launched on October 3, 2024, for a total requested amount of $27.5M in funding over the next three years.

The Allocation Committee members, comprised of City staff, and community experts including youth, reviewed the proposals and evaluated them in accordance with the selection criteria. Applications were ranked based on project information and strategy (alignment with funding priorities, the efficiency of collaborations, impact of requested funding on the project), population served, viability and reasonableness of the budget and outcomes.

Once ranking was complete, further adjustments were made using an equity lens which includes, but is not limited to, priority groups, impact areas, and whether resources are being targeted and aligned to areas of the city facing the greatest needs or inequities.

The Community Project Funding City Allocation Committee includes:

• 4 Community Experts, including 2 youths
• 2 Community Funding Specialists, Community Development and Funding
• 1 Business Consultant, Community Safety and Well-Being

For more specific information on the allocation process, please see the 2024 Project Funding Process.
Results

The City Allocation Committee approved a total of 12 projects and 16 programs for a total allocation amount of $1.52M. An additional $125K was added to the funding envelope from the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan, increasing the initial allocation budget of $1.4M to fund additional needs.

To ensure an equitable distribution of funds, some agencies will not be receiving the full funding requested. An assessment of viability was conducted when deciding the distribution of funding amounts. Agencies will be provided with flexibility to decide how best to redistribute their budgets based on the amount of funding they have received.

Next steps

Community agencies have been notified of the results of the allocation process. You will find attached as Table 1 and Table 2 the list of successful applicants. Should you have any questions or concerns about the process or results, please contact Shanna Culhane at shanna.culhane@ottawa.ca.

Sincerely,

Shanna Culhane
Interim Director, Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations and Social Development
Community and Social Services Department

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership team

Date: November 28, 2024
To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health, Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services, Ryan Perrault, General Manager, Emergency and Protective Services

Purpose

The purpose of this memo is to provide an update outlining the City’s actions when an extreme cold weather event is forecasted for the City of Ottawa.

Background

Extreme cold weather events can result in significant adverse health impacts. The City of Ottawa’s Heat, Cold and Air Quality Relief Strategy was developed to address extreme heat, extreme cold and poor outdoor air quality events. The strategy outlines the actions the City of Ottawa and community partners will take to prepare for and respond to these events.

The City’s Extreme Heat, Cold and Smog Planning Committee meets regularly and updates the Plan and information for partners and residents in preparation for the cold weather season. Cold weather response is a shared responsibility involving multiple City departments and community partners working collaboratively to lead actions in their respective areas. Committee members include representatives from Emergency and Protective Services; Community and Social Services; Recreation, Culture and Facility Services; Finance and Corporate Services; Ottawa Public Health; 3-1-1 Client Services; The Salvation Army Outreach Services; Home and Community Care Support Services; Ottawa Community Housing, and 2-1-1 Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario.

The extreme cold component of the Plan is activated when Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issues an extreme cold warning (temperature or windchill value of minus 35°C for Southeastern Ontario). The Plan provides the basis to guide preventative strategies for the City and service providers. For people experiencing homelessness, this includes ensuring access to warm indoor spaces, programming and services.

Preparing for an extreme cold weather event

Service providers who assist people at risk of experiencing adverse health impacts related to extreme cold receive pre-season information about services, resources and prevention strategies, and are encouraged to subscribe to the ECCC WeatherCAN app to receive weather alerts. This pre-season information is also shared with the Board of Health and City Council. OPH shares health messaging and ECCC extreme cold warnings (temperature or windchill value of minus 35°C for Southeastern Ontario) via social media to alert the public and community agencies that assist people at risk.

1. Communications

OPH is responsible for communications to raise awareness about how to prevent cold weather related illness, injuries and deaths. These communications are shared with the public, City Council and service providers who support priority populations.

OPH recommends that individuals subscribe to the ECCC WeatherCAN app to receive weather alerts directly. The OPH Cold Weather website is updated regularly with current information and resources.

The City’s Community and Social Services Department (CSSD), OC Transpo, and other City Services may also communicate specific information related to their services. Public Information and Media Relations (PIMR) shares OPH messaging and coordinates any joint communication required from specific City services. PIMR can amplify the reach of the other departments/services by posting messaging on the corporate social media channels.

2. Cold Weather Assistance to People Experiencing Homelessness

Each year, Community and Social Services, alongside its community partners, activates a Winter services response. This response provides additional capacity and services to support individuals experiencing homelessness during the cold winter months, when health and safety risks are higher than normal. These services and supports go beyond the regular capacity
available in the shelter system.

Planning takes into consideration operational data and feedback from past seasons.

In addition to the more than 900 community shelter beds for single adults and youth, over 300 temporary overflow beds are in operation. The City, alongside its community partners, offers the following supports/services:

• Up to 60 beds at a temporary emergency overnight centre
• A 24/7 overnight warming and respite service
• Extended operating hours on evenings and weekends at four day program locations
• During extreme cold weather events, outreach services operate on a 24-hour basis to
• Connect with unsheltered individuals and offer them transport to safe shelter.
• Distribution of winter supplies like sleeping bags, clothing and handwarmers

Residents can call 2-1-1 for information about community programs including a list of Out of the Cold programs, 3-1-1 to get referred to the best available shelter, or to get assistance for someone who needs transportation to get out of the cold, and 9-1-1 for life threatening emergencies.

3. Resources for all residents

The OPH Cold Weather webpage provides information about preventing cold related injuries, such as frostbite, as well as medical emergencies such as hypothermia, and includes links to resources in our community to help people access winter clothing, hot meals and other food, obtain assistance with home heating costs, and find emergency shelter (including transportation to shelter). The webpage also has an interactive map of places to warm up, including City of Ottawa operated community centres. These are places throughout the city where people are welcome to go to warm up. They are open during business hours throughout the year and access is free of charge. Locations included on the map are validated at the beginning of the season.

Based on recent feedback, OPH has updated the Cold Weather webpage to make it easier to navigate. Residents can call 2-1-1, the Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario, to obtain information about services and locations of drop-in centres, community and health resource centres, food banks and community food programs, and where to obtain winter clothing, and financial assistance for their utilities. Procedures for 3-1-1 staff related to extreme cold weather are regularly reviewed by OPH subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and consistency in 3-1-1 messaging. In addition to existing procedures, 3-1-1 staff receive up-to-date information via media advisories and public service announcements related to extreme weather to relay to concerned residents.

Next Steps
The City of Ottawa and partners will continue to plan, monitor, and respond to needs related to extreme cold over the winter.

Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation during this time.

Respectfully,

Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health,
Ottawa Public Health

Clara Freire, General Manager,
Community and Social Services

Ryan Perrault, General Manager,
Emergency and Protective Services

cc: Senior Leadership Team

Date: November 25, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager Community and Social Services Department

Purpose

The purpose of this memo is to provide the Mayor and Council an update regarding funding for the Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises Prototype in Centretown (‘the Prototype’).

At the July 12, 2023, meeting of City Council Councillor Bradley directed staff to report back to Council via memo no later than the end of Q2 of 2024, in advance of 2025 Budget discussions, on the status of funding requests or funds received from other sources or levels of government that would be used to fund the Prototype.

A report back extension was granted by Councillor Bradley in June 2024 while awaiting confirmation on a project proposal submitted to the Ministry of the Solicitor General as part of the Ontario-Ottawa Agreement.

Background/Decision History

In July 2023 Ottawa City Council approved the Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises Response (ACS2023-CSS-GEN-010), including the one-time funding of $2.46 million from the Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund for the first
phase of the program.

In September 2023, Centretown was selected as the geographic area for the first phase of the Prototype, which was later established and branded as the Alternate Neighbourhood Crisis Response (ANCHOR) in March 2024. For more information on the implementation of ANCHOR please refer to the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan and Community Report.

Status of Funding Request

As part of the Ottawa-Ontario Deal, the Community Safety and Well-Being Office, in partnership with the Ottawa Police Services, successfully submitted a joint funding proposal to the Ministry of the Solicitor General and was awarded $8.85 million over three years to deliver a City alternate response initiative.

The $8.85 million will fund the operations of the Alternate Neighbourhood Crisis Response – ANCHOR in Centretown until March 31, 2027.

With provincial funding secured for three years (2024-2027) the safer alternative response prototype can continue, which includes:

• A non-911 number that serves as an alternative call intake, triage and dispatch system for mental health and substance use crisis related calls; and
• A community-based civilian-led multi-disciplinary mobile crisis response that is a 24/7 trauma-informed and culturally appropriate crisis response service.

In addition, long term funding will allow for the collection and analysis of data to understand trends, assess service impact, and implement iterative improvements. Longitudinal data is essential for evidence-based decision making and will help inform opportunities and challenges related to service scaling.

Current Status

On August 15, 2024, ANCHOR launched in Centertown. A formative evaluation is in effect and aims to assess effectiveness and areas for improvement for the initial “soft launch” period of ANCHOR. The results of the formative evaluation will be shared with the Mayor and Council when available.

Next Steps

In 2025, an outcome evaluation will be initiated, focusing on the first year of the Prototype's operations. The Community Safety and Well-Being Office will continue to provide backbone support to facilitate ANCHOR service delivery in the Prototype catchment and work to inform opportunities for service expansion.

Should you have additional questions regarding the content of this memo, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or Sarah Taylor, Acting Director , Community Safety, Well-Being, Policy, and Analytics: sarah.taylor@ottawa.ca.

Sincerely,

Clara Freire
General Manager
Community and Social Services

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership Team
Chief Communications Officer, Public Information and Media Relations

Date: November 12, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public Health & Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department

The purpose of this memo is to provide Council with an overview of the provincial Homelessness, Addiction, Recovery and Treatment (HART) hub application process, and how the City of Ottawa’s Community and Social Services Department (CSSD) and Ottawa Public Health (OPH) are supporting the applications. This memo will also provide an overview of the impacts of the impending closure of Somerset West Community Health Centre’s (SWCHC) Consumption and Treatment Service (CTS) and partner efforts to collaboratively address these impacts.

Background

On August 20, 2024, the Government of Ontario announced new requirements pertaining to CTSs, and the introduction of HART Hubs.

New Provincial Regulations

The new requirements announced by the province will prohibit CTSs within 200 metres of schools and childcare centres. This will result in the closure of 10 of the 17 existing CTSs in Ontario, including the CTS operated by SWCHC. These requirements will come into effect March 31, 2025.

HART Hubs

The HART hub funding is a partnership among multiple Ontario ministries, including Health, Municipal Affairs and Housing, Children Community and Social Services, Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and Ontario Health. This three-year demonstration project includes a $378M investment to support the creation of 19 HART Hubs.

The expected provincial contribution is up to $6.3M per year per Hub with up to $1.3M per year earmarked specifically for supportive housing beginning in 2025-26 to 2027-28. The province has indicated that their intention is that HART Hubs will be operational by winter 2025 and that the priority will be given to proposals that demonstrate well-established partnerships and have access to existing infrastructure. Major capital expenditures (new or full building renovations), CTS, safer supply and needle exchange services are not in scope for this call for proposals and will not be funded through this initiative.

The stated goal of the HART Hubs is to provide integrated supports to people experiencing complex health and social issues related to substance use and addictions. HART Hubs aim to connect people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of losing their housing and/or people who have mental health, addictions and substance use health needs to treatment and
preventative services. These services could include primary care, mental health services, addiction care and support, social services and employment support, shelter and transition beds, supportive housing, and food. These Hubs are a demonstration project to assess whether several critical services, co-located in the same physical space, offering integrated referral pathways to other local and regional supports, can demonstrate better outcomes for individuals with complex service needs.

There are two streams for applying for a HART hub: 1) Existing CTSs, which are required to close in March 2025, must complete a transition plan from the CTS to a HART hub. These sites are not part of the call for proposals competitive process, instead they must demonstrate that their transition plan meets eligibility requirements; and 2) A not-for-profit Health Service Provider can submit a HART hub application, which is a competitive application process. These sites are eligible for up to $1.8M per hub in 2024-2025 to support one time start-up and implementation costs. Applicants for the competitive streams must be endorsed by the Municipal Service Manager.

Current Developments

Given that Ottawa is the largest geographical city in Ontario, with a population of over one million people and growing, local population health data supports the need for multiple HART Hubs in Ottawa, to support the array of people in Ottawa who need wrap around, intensive mental health and substance use care, along with services that focus on housing stabilization. As such, two HART Hub applications have been submitted for Ottawa. These two HART hubs would deliver integrated care and people-centred services to support Ottawa residents with moderate or high acuity. By serving individuals with different levels of acuity, the two HART hubs will serve a range of needs - including prevention and early intervention for individuals with moderate acuity at risk of losing housing and/or precariously housed, as well as services for individuals with high acuity who require ongoing intensive stabilization supports to access and retain housing. Together, the two HART Hubs will serve a wide geography in the Ottawa region. Both HART hubs will be supported by expanded in-kind community partnerships, increased funding to partners and service coordination. Partnerships with existing community and supportive housing providers will also be leveraged.

SWCHC has submitted a transition plan to the Ministry of Health to establish a HART Hub, providing essential support to serve Ottawa residents in the downtown core facing homelessness, substance use challenges, and seeking a wholistic approach to substance use treatment. Designed in collaboration with individuals who have lived and living experience of substance use challenges, along with several community partners, the HART hub embodies principles of anti-racism, anti-oppression, integrating Indigenous and Afrocentric practices alongside anti-stigma work to foster a welcoming, compassionate environment. The hub will offer a full spectrum of services—including primary care, mental health and substance use supports, along with a direct pathway to supportive housing. Many of the services will be co-located or within proximity to the hub to streamline access. Working closely with many community partners, including but not limited to the Ottawa Health Team-Équipe Santé Ottawa, Ottawa Community Housing (OCH), Ottawa Salus Corporation and Ottawa Inner City Health, and the City of Ottawa, their proposed HART hub model aims to connect clients with long-term stabilizing services, ensuring sustainable housing for those experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges and substance use disorders. OCH and Ottawa Salus will provide housing for HART hub clients, in some of their existing properties, as many of their tenants could also benefit from these services.

Pinecrest Queensway Community Health Centre submitted the West Ottawa HART hub (WOHH) application on behalf of 25 collaborating partners. The WOHH is proposed to be located in West Ottawa and is expected to serve people from within the Ottawa West Four Rivers OHT geography, which includes urban, suburban, small town, and rural communities. The vision for the WOHH is to provide integrated supports to people experiencing complex health and social issues related to addictions and substance use. The services within the hub will be co-designed with community experts with lived and living experience and tailored to the specific needs of individuals facing these urgent challenges. The WOHH will also offer early interventions and critical supports that will prevent individuals from slipping into more severe crises, while addressing the unique needs of those facing housing instability and related challenges. Community-based addictions treatment, access to withdrawal management and stabilization services, and pathways to housing are key to this model. A core component of the WOHH is to act as an alternative destination location for paramedic services to support appropriate diversion from emergency rooms to a community-based program for people experiencing complex addictions and substance use health challenges.

Implications for Community and Social Services
The City of Ottawa’s Community and Social Services (CSSD), Housing and Homelessness Services and housing partners collaboratively informed the housing model options. The HART Hub model provides an opportunity to deliver wraparound supports in supportive/transitional housing spaces in the community through partnerships with established community and supportive housing providers in Ottawa. This proposed model aligns with the City of Ottawa’s 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan 2020-2030, particularly the goal of increasing access to supportive housing. This partnership also aligns with Ottawa Community Housing’s Complex Care Housing strategy which aims to help tenants with complex challenges stay successfully housed by formalizing the work between health and housing partners. Ottawa Salus will build on its existing City of Ottawa funded ACE Program and will significantly enhances the program’s capacity to serve individuals with more complex needs. There are over 2,800 people waiting for supportive housing on the centralized waitlist, nearly 400 of whom are experiencing homelessness, and these lists continue to grow. By adding units through the HART hub model, people will receive targeted, intensive support based on their medical and housing needs. In addition to housing supports, CSSD and community partners will collaborate to provide low barrier access to social services to HART Hub clients. These services may include employment and financial assistance and system navigation services.

Supporting people experiencing homelessness with substance use health issues
Since the provincial announcement in August, OPH continues to collaborate closely with the Overdose Prevention and Response Task Force, individuals with lived and living experience, mental health, addictions, substance use health and social services advisory groups, and key partners to advance Ottawa's Overdose Prevention and Response Strategy to prevent and reduce harms from substance use across the spectrum of use, as well as across the lifespan. Research demonstrates that providing prevention, early intervention, access to treatment and services, including harm reduction as well as collecting data to understand needs, along with a focus on community safety can help reduce harms from substance use, promote wellbeing and positive mental wellbeing. OPH is currently working with partners under Ottawa’s Strategy, and with residents and businesses in communities most affected, to identify gaps and potential solutions to mitigate impacts resulting from the CTS closure.

A key role of public health is to monitor the health of people in Ottawa and as such OPH recently provided enhanced surveillance during the service disruption of partner consumption and treatment services. This surveillance provided a unique insight into what the experiences were for the community during the service disruptions and have helped inform recommendations to address these impacts:

• ensuring people have access to necessities such as water, food, shelter and washroom facilities;
• an increase in outreach services to connect people to necessities, provide people with supplies that reduce harms such as naloxone and drug consumption gear, keep public areas free of drug paraphernalia, connect people to health and social services and to respond to an increase in overdoses in public spaces;
• monitor capacity with service providers to ensure they are not overwhelmed with an increase in clients and collaborate on a plan to manage increased visits;
• additional safe spaces, including outdoor spaces, where people can gather and connect; collaboration among local service partners, and engagement with service users, as well as neighbours and local residents;
• continued efforts with partners in a collective response to increase social and emergency services in affected areas.

Open substance use in public spaces in Ottawa will continue unless people have somewhere safer to use substances, whether inhaling or injecting, and unless people have access to mental health and addictions treatment when they need it. OPH will continue to advance our work in overdose prevention and response and will work with and alongside partners to address the toxic drug crisis. OPH is committed to ensuring that people who rely on supervised consumption and treatment services continue to receive the support they need.

Next Steps

Partners will continue to inform future work to better integrate health and housing system planning and delivery, with an aim to provide needed health and social supports to those who are transitioning into housing. These ongoing conversations will focus on inter-sectorial collaboration to optimize supports and enhance available resources and identify opportunities for system transformation. These conversations will also help inform future development of the City’s updated 10-year Homelessness and Housing Plan.

To learn more about the SWCHC HART hub, please contact:
Suzanne Obiorah, Executive Director 
Somerset West Community Health Centre
s.obiorah@swchc.on.ca

Monica Armstrong, Director
Ottawa Health Team
m.armstrong@pqchc.com

To learn more about the envisioned model for the WOHH, please contact:
Tamara Chipperfield, CEO
Pinecrest Queensway Community
t.chipperfield.pqchc.com

Nadia Prescott, Executive Lead
Health Centre Ottawa West Four Rivers OHT
nprescott@owfr.ca

Sincerely,
Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public Health

Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership team
Ottawa Public Health Leadership Team

Date: November 7, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department

This memo responds to the direction from the July 10, 2024, Council meeting where staff were asked to provide further review and analysis of lands, including federal parcels, as part of a broader effort to respond to irregular migration and to create a sustainable and permanent system of welcome, transitional housing and support services for migrants and asylum seekers arriving in Ottawa. The memo outlines the extensive process undertaken to identify land parcels for the development of a newcomer welcome and reception centre, as well as an analysis of different building methodologies used to determine the most feasible rapid-construction option. As a result of this extensive and phased analysis, the two sites selected for construction of the tensile membrane (sprung) structures are first 1645 Woodroffe Avenue and as required 40 Hearst Way.

Attachments

• Memo: Newcomer reception system update
• Appendix A: List of properties removed from consideration

Sincerely,

Clara Freire,
General Manager
Community and Social Services Department

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Department Leadership Team

Date: October 3, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager Community and Social Services Department

This memorandum is to inform Council that the Project Funding stream of Community Funding is now open for applications.

We are pleased to announce that the Community Safety and Well-Being team and the Community Development and Funding team have combined resources to offer a $1.4M Project Funding stream. The Funding Priorities for 2024 are children and youth and priority neighbourhoods.

All organizations who receive funding under this joint funding stream must offer programming that supports poverty reduction or social development. Organizations can now apply to two funding categories:

• Capacity Building Project Funding: Capacity Building Projects are initiatives taken on by organizations to improve efficiency for the organization or build capacity within the sector. The focus can be on improving the organization structure, capacity, workflow, or partnerships.
• Programming Funding: Programming funding is allocated to organizations to offer a new program or expand an existing program. The program should address an emerging or ongoing need and respond to the identified priorities and goals as described in the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.

Organizations can apply once for the project funding category and once for the programming funding category. Funding will be allocated in a one or three-year contribution.

For more information and to apply, please visit ottawa.ca, and select Project Funding.

• Deadline for application: Thursday October 31, 2024, at 5 pm
• Maximum funding per agency: $75K per year for Capacity Building Project Funding and $75K per year for Programming Funding
• Funding available: $1.4M
• Applicants are advised of the results: November 28, 2024

Information sessions will be hosted on October 9, 2024, to outline the process to apply for Project Funding, as follows:

English session:

• Wednesday October 9, 2024, from 1:30 to 2:30pm - Click here to register

French session:

• Wednesday October 9, 2024, from 3:00 to 4:00pm - Cliquez ici pour participer

Agencies who are interested in having a discussion about their application with a Community Funding and Development Specialist or would like to request the material and the recording of the information sessions can contact communityfunding@ottawa.ca.

All applications will be assessed through an allocation process. An applicant’s success in obtaining funding depends on the allocation committee’s final evaluation and the funding available in the envelope. Should you have any further questions about the application or allocation process, please contact Cinthia Pagé at cinthia.page@ottawa.ca.

Sincerely,
Clara Freire,
General Manager
Community and Social Services Department

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Departmental Leadership Team, Community and Social Services

Date: August 15, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Jason Sabourin, Director, Children’s Services

The purpose of this memorandum is to advise the Mayor and Members of Council that on Thursday, August 15, 2024 the Province released information related to their new cost-based funding approach for the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system to be effective January 1st, 2025. The sector has been eagerly anticipating this announcement as the Province is bringing forward much needed funding certainty for both municipalities and licensed child care service providers across Ontario. Under this new framework, funding will be responsive to how child care is delivered across Ontario and based on the true costs of providing care to eligible children under the CWELCC system.

Along with implementation of the new funding approach, many families with children in programs enrolled in the CWELCC system will see a further fee reduction effective Wednesday, January 1, 2025. Child Care base fees will be capped at $22 per day to support the transition to $10 per day average fees by the end of 2025-2026.

Background

The phased implementation of the CWELCC system establishes a welcomed path forward in providing a system of high-quality, affordable, and inclusive early learning and child care services for over 29,488 children in Ottawa to date. Families have been benefiting economically, seeing a reduction of 52% in their child care fees. As a result, demand for child care services has increased city-wide and across the province over the past two years with families wanting affordable licensed child care options under the CWELCC system. Growth in the system is limited and making new CWELCC-funded child care spaces available for families is a top priority for Children’s Services.

Service providers that opted-in to the new CWELCC system were required to freeze their fees in March 2022. The previous funding formula was based on those frozen parental fees to reduce the cost to families and replace the revenue lost. With rising costs and ongoing workforce pressures the initial funding approach was not sustainable and created concern for long-term viability for some service providers. The sector is welcoming the announcement of the new Provincial CWELCC cost-based funding approach to better reflect the true costs of providing care and give stability and certainty for those who deliver child care services.

Current Status

On Thursday, August 15, 2024, the Province released supporting documents to implement a new cost-based approach to Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) funding starting January 1st, 2025. Supports included cost-based funding guideline, preliminary 2025 child care funding allocations and incremental 2024 administration funding to support set-up costs associated with implementing the new cost-based approach.

The City’s role as service system manager for early years and child care services is to administer this new Provincial framework and provide supports for the sector around this significant change, in our local context.

This is an important next step in the phased Provincial approach to providing a national system of high-quality, affordable and inclusive early learning and child care services for families.

Cost-based funding guideline

As part of the Province’s phased approach within the CWELCC system the new cost-based funding will supersede the previous revenue replacement approach. Going forward in 2025, the funding formula for CWELCC enrolled service providers will be based on typical (representative) costs of providing high-quality licensed care in Ontario.

The new funding formula is designed to be transparent and representative of how child care is delivered across the province, with more simplified administrative processes and heightened accountabilities to ensure equitable distribution of public funding. The Province has developed benchmarks to be better representative of costs typically incurred for the delivery of licensed child care, including legacy top-up funding to fully cover historic costs above the benchmark allocations and a growth top-up for new providers. In addition to covering eligible costs, the funding formula provides an amount in lieu of profit / surplus to recognize service provider’s opportunity costs and the risk of running a business or to reinvest in child care. To ensure accountability over public funds, funding allocations only become confirmed at the time of reconciliation where eligible costs incurred are assessed.

Preliminary 2025 child care funding allocations

The City of Ottawa’s preliminary allocation for 2025 is approximately $443M. This includes $375M for the CWELCC cost-based allocation, $4.6M for start-up grants to support the City’s directed growth plan, $6M for service system managers administration allocation and $57M for local priorities which includes supports to school-age programs, fee subsidies, workforce strategies and special needs resourcing. Staff are currently assessing the allocation and awaiting further contractual information from the Province. Any service adjustment or financial implication would be identified through the City’s budget process.

The Province is also providing $1.9M in incremental administrative funding in 2024 to support set-up costs associated with implementing the new cost-based approach.

Next Steps

In the coming months, staff will work quickly to review and interpret the Provincial guidelines and will prioritize the development and implementation of the new Provincial funding formula to meet local needs by January 1, 2025. The summer and fall months are a busy time for service providers as they navigate operational pressures, prioritizing daily service, staffing and integrating new children into care. Staff recognize this is a significant transformation, within short timelines and competing demands. Supports will be provided to all sector partners to assist with the successful implementation of the cost-based funding allocation, including leveraging our local System Planning Advisory Group (SPAG) to help support implementation.

Children’s Services continues to proactively adapt our service delivery approach to meet the evolving needs and changing landscape of child care and early years services to best position the service area within available Provincial funding. The one-time funding in 2024 will support implementation of the new cost-based funding, but staff also need to develop a plan to adapt to the Provincial funding reductions previously noted by January 1st, 2025. Service System Managers are provided a limited amount of funding and must prioritize provincial requests which often leaves less capacity to address local priorities. The combination of the continued system transformation, increased responsibility required to build a public system / safeguard public funds and limited funding are concerning at this pivotal time.

While Ontario will continue to undergo significant transformation over the coming years to strengthen a publicly funded system, the City remains committed to working collaboratively to ensure the best possible outcomes for children and families in our community. Through collective efforts our community is leaving a legacy with many positive outcomes for children, families, the overall community and economic well-being.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Jason Sabourin
Director, Children’s Services

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public Health
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership Team

Date: August 13, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Sarah Taylor, Director (A), Community Safety, Well-Being, Policy, and Analytics, Community and Social Services Department

Purpose

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an update on the launch of the implementation of a safer alternate response for mental health and substance use crises prototype in Centretown on August 15, 2024.

Background

The Ottawa Guiding Council on Mental Health and Addictions was established in 2021 to provide an opportunity for the City of Ottawa to examine responses to community members experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis with particular focus on models that do not engage the police. Concurrent with the efforts of the Guiding Council, City Council approved Ottawa’s first Community Safety and Well Being Plan in October 2021 (ACS2021-EPSPPD-0003). The Plan includes six priorities identified through comprehensive community engagement, one of which is Mental Well-Being. One of the strategies within the Mental Well-Being priority is to work with partners to explore safer alternates for mental health crises response.

Throughout 2022, the Guiding Council undertook a thorough approach to inclusive and equitable engagement and consultations culminating in the “Transforming Mental Health and Substance Use Crisis Response in Ottawa: The Report”.

As a result of the Guiding Council’s work, in July 2023, Ottawa City Council approved the Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises Response (ACS2023-CSS-GEN-010). Council approved the one-time funding of $2.465M be funded from the Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund for the first phase of the safer alternative response program, and directed staff to implement the first phase of the safer alternative response program for mental health and substance use crises, as described in this report, including:

• A non-911 number to establish an alternative call intake, triage and dispatch system for mental health and substance use crisis related calls.
• A community-based civilian-led multi-disciplinary mobile crisis response that is a24/7 trauma-informed and culturally appropriate crisis response service.
• Direction to the General Manager of the Community and Social Services to undertake the necessary work to set-up the required project governance, infrastructure, and resources to develop and implement the first phase of the safer alternative response program by Q32024.
• Request that the Ottawa Police Services Board seek grant funding through other levels of government to support the strategies and actions described in this report to establish a safer alternate response program.

In December 2023, Staff updated Council on the Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises Prototype and selection of Centertown Community Health Centre in collaboration with Somerset West Community Health Centre to lead.

In addition, and upon completion of a separate procurement process, Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario (CNEO/211 East) was established as the non-911 intake/dispatch diversion number.

Implementation Status

Since February 2024, the Community Safety and Well-Being Office has provided backbone support for designing and implementing in Centretown. This includes coordinating among partners agencies, providing resources and expertise, ensuring alignment with Council direction, and supporting capacity for community-based solutions to deliver non-police interventions for mental health and substance use crisis.

In March 2024, the Safer Alternative Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Prototype was named the Alternate Neighbourhood Crisis Response (ANCHOR) by the Guiding Council based on a voting process.

ANCHOR Testing Launch

ANCHOR is set to launch in Centretown on August 15, 2024. As of this date residents in Centertown can call 211 for mental health and substance use crisis supports. The boundaries include North: Ottawa River, East: Rideau Canal, South: Trans-Canada Hwy/ON-417, and West: Preston Street.

This launch represents the start of a two-month period demo. This demo testing period will provide a crucial opportunity to collect detailed data on ANCHOR’s performance and crisis interventions. By defining specific live demo parameters and establishing metrics and expectations, an evidence informed structure will be established to collect the information that we need to make any needed changes to ANCHOR that will improve the service.

This live demo period is essential for service quality and continuous improvement, which will contribute to ANCHOR’s effectiveness and positive impact on community safety and well-being. It is anticipated that the testing period will end in early October with ANCHOR then shifting to standard service delivery and data collection.

Post launch, the Community Safety and Well-Being Office will continue to provide support to implementing partners throughout service delivery to monitor early success and address challenges, maintain service integrity, and ensure long term success and sustainability.

Evaluation Framework

The Community Safety and Well-Being Office has a robust evaluation framework in place to track, monitor and report on key indicators over ANCHOR’s lifetime and demonstrate whether progress was made towards the expected outcomes and intended results. The evaluation will include mix methods and be structured in phases:

• 6-month: focus on the first 6 months of ANCHOR operations, the activities and outputs, and opportunities for quality improvement and sustainability.
• 12-month (1 year): focus on the first year of ANCHOR operations by which time there would be robust data on the experience and outcomes for the service users, service providers and the community at large.
• Years 2 & 3: will build upon the lessons learned from above for continuous quality improvement.

Status of Funding Request

As part of the Ottawa-Ontario Deal, the Community Safety and Well-Being Office submitted a funding proposal to the Ministry of the Solicitor General for $11.5M over three years for the delivery of a safer alternate response initiatives. The proposal is currently with the Provincial government for final sign off and approval. The Community Safety and Well-Being Office will report back to Council through a memorandum once final approval has been received.

Next Steps

Staff will continue to report to Council via memorandums with the change to standard operations in October 2024 as well as when additional key milestones are met. Staff will also work with implementing partners to explore the feasibility of extending the ANCHOR prototype to more geographical areas in the near future.

To find out more about ANCHOR, please refer to the ANCHOR Community Report, and the ANCHOR website: centretownchc.org/anchor.

Should you have additional questions regarding the content of this memo, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Sincerely,

Sarah Taylor
Director (A), Community Safety, Well-Being, Policy, and Analytics Community and Social Services Department

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership Team

Date: July 25, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Jason Sabourin, Director, Children’s Services

Purpose

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the Mayor and Members of Council an update regarding Children’s Services directed growth strategy following the completion of the 2023-2024 Request for Expression of Interest.

Making new CWELCC-funded child care spaces available for families is a top priority for Children’s Services. Staff acknowledge that families continue to experience challenges finding affordable, accessible licensed child care because of the increased demand and limited spaces within the CWELCC system to-date.

In total, 1733.5 new CWELCC-funded spaces have been assigned to licensed service providers to increase access for families, which exceeds targets at this midpoint and represents 60% completion of the total provincial allocation of new CWELCC-funded spaces for growth in Ottawa until 2026.

Background

Local demand for CWELCC-funded child care spaces is high and growth in additional CWELCC-funded child care spaces is limited. As previously shared with Council, the total provincial allocation of new CWELCC-funded spaces for growth in Ottawa until 2026 is 2,903 spaces. Of these, 713 have been assigned in new schools by the province, leaving 2,190 spaces for community-based allocation in licensed centre-based and licensed home child care. Using the Council-approved Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan (2019-2023) and provincial guidelines, Children’s Services used an equity and inclusion lens and an evidence-based approach to identify:

1. Priority populations: Prioritizes Indigenous and Francophone children by protecting a portion of the new spaces for these populations. Remaining spaces will be allocated to support families who face various barriers including Black and other racialized residents, newcomers, sole support parents, families living with low income and children with special needs.
2. Priority areas: Increase access to affordable child care in neighbourhoods that are both underserved and experiencing lower socio-economic status.

This will advance Ottawa towards its child care target of 40 per cent in each priority neighborhood and for each population group (Indigenous, Francophone and general)

Current status

In spring 2023, Children’s Services launched a REOI process to identify service providers interested in creating new or expanding their current offering of CWELCC-funded, licensed, child care spaces between 2023 and 2026. Interest in only community-based spaces were sought, given that new school-based spaces are prescribed by the province.

This REOI process was developed in alignment with provincial guidelines, Children’s Services’ Directed Growth Strategy, and the Council-approved Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan (2019-2023). This process also incorporated a requirement for municipalities to reach provincial targets related to maintaining or improving its proportion of not-for-profit licensed child care spaces. Ottawa’s proportion of not-for-profit spaces is 88%.

2023 – 2024 Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) Outcomes

Children’s Services assessed all REOI applications and allocated community-based spaces for 2023-2024. Local requests for community growth far exceeded the available local allocation of CWELCC funded spaces. In total, 87 local service providers expressed interest in creating new or expanding their current offering of CWELCC-funded child care spaces between 2023 and 2026.

As per provincial guidance and the local Directed Growth Strategy, Children’s Services allocated 697.5 community-based spaces to 16 service providers that requested CWELCC-funded child care spaces through the REOI process for priority populations and in neighbourhoods that are both underserved and experiencing lower socio-economic status. All eligible, not-for-profit service providers, located in designated priority neighbourhoods, demonstrating high levels of readiness, and who applied through the REOI process were allocated new CWELCC spaces. These service providers also receive provincial Start-up Grants to support their space creation.

Table 1 illustrates the 2023-2024 community-based allocation results, which is on target at this midpoint and represents 47% of the community-based space targets for priority populations and priority areas. A complete list of service providers selected through the REOI process to receive new and/or additional CWELCC-funded spaces in 2023-2024 are listed in Appendix One.

* Notes: Home child care spaces are distributed proportionally to the target for each service area as information on their exact location is not currently known. In accordance with the Ministry directive, all allocated kindergarten spaces were counted as 0.5 of a space.

The REOI process demonstrated a high demand for CWELLC growth in Ottawa. Recognizing that child care services are essential to the social and economic well-being of families and the community, Children’s Services submitted a request for additional CWELCC-funded spaces to the province. The provincial response is still pending and Children’s Services will continue to demonstrate to the province the need for additional CWELCC-funded spaces in the community.

Eligible applicants that were not selected to receive new CWELCC-funded spaces as part of the 2023-2024 REOI allocation have been informed that their application will remain on file and that they will be contacted with information on the process should additional spaces become available.

Floor plan approvals and additional flexibility

Based on provincial direction, spaces were to be allocated for licensees who had previously enrolled in the CWELCC system and had received provincial floor plan approval prior to January 1, 2023. In addition, some flexibility was required at the time of development of the directed growth strategy given there were many unknowns as the City continues to follow the latest provincial guidelines and build the new system in phases. 301 spaces were required for floor plan approvals and 437 spaces were required to predominantly assist with other school strategies such as schools with projected openings before 2022 and kindergarten spaces.

In total 738 spaces were required to increase access for families in Ottawa. Children’s Services has identified to the Ministry this school-based growth and requested additional community CWELCC funded spaces. Staff will continue looking for ways to address these concerns to ensure the spaces for priority populations and priority areas are maximized.

School-Based (Capital) Spaces

Of the 713 spaces assigned directly to new schools with projected openings from 2022-2026, 298 spaces have been submitted and approved as CWELCC spaces by Children’s Services.

Making new CWELCC spaces available to families

Through this initial 2023-2024 space allocation process, Children’s Services has learned that it can take service providers longer than originally anticipated to operationalize new CWELCC spaces. The related administrative processes, licensing considerations, site logistics, as well as workforce considerations amidst a general child care workforce shortage, are some of the challenges faced by the sector. As a result of these challenges, some service providers are delayed and determining if they can operationalize these new spaces. Children’s Services continues to advise the province of these concerns and we are working with child care and early years partners to help reduce barriers and to ensure they can access all funding available to accelerate operationalization of new spaces.

As new CWELCC funded spaces become available to the community, updates continue to be made to the Child Care Registry and Waitlist (CCRAW) to inform and help families seeking licensed child care service providers participating in the CWELCC system. Children’s Services encourages families to keep their information and preferred provider selections up to date on the CCRAW.

Next steps

The remaining spaces identified within Children’s Services CWELCC Directed Growth strategy will be allocated as part of the 2025-2026 process. Children’s Services will soon begin this work and will continue to follow the directed growth plan and processes currently in place.

The implementation of the CWELCC system continues to be a period of transition across the province. Children's Services remains committed to working with families and the child care sector as part of this significant system transformation.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Sincerely,
Jason Sabourin,
Director Children’s Services

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department
Senior Leadership Team
Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public Health
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership Team

Appendix One

Date: July 9, 2024

To: Mayor Sutcliffe and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department

This briefing note is to provide Council with a more detailed understanding of Sprung Structures that are being explored to provide emergency welcoming and additional transitional housing capacity to accommodate the unprecedented levels of irregular migration in Ottawa. Further, the note outlines the factors that were considered in identifying Sprung Structures as the preferred rapid construction option. Not pursuing the development of Sprung Structures could result in continued and expanded use of community centres as Physical Distancing-Emergency Overflow Centres. Not pursuing the Sprung Structures could jeopardize up to $185 million of provincial and federal funding which is critical to support the City’s response to homelessness until 2026.

Background

On July 12, 2023, Ottawa City Council approved the Integrated Transition to Housing Strategy (ITHS). The ITHS is comprised of short, medium and long-term initiatives to support single adult shelter clients to transition to housing, while addressing immediate pressures in the shelter system, and exit the operation of Physical Distancing-Emergency Overflow Centres (PD-EOCs) in City-owned recreational facilities.

On November 22, 2023, City Council approved a motion brought forward by the Emergency Shelter Crisis Taskforce directing staff “to actively pursue the option of a Sprung Structure or other semi-permanent facility.” Further, at the June 26, Community and Social Services Committee meeting, staff were directed to provide more information about Sprung Structures, including examples of interior designs for these buildings.

Each Sprung Structure features aluminum arches that are integrally connected to an all-weather outer architectural membrane. These semi-permanent structures are not like emergency tents used in disaster response. Interiors and exteriors are customizable. Exteriors come in a variety of colours with different accessories, including doors, windows, canopies, vestibules, covered walkway systems, connecting corridors, glazing walls, and graphic enhancements. The interiors are column free, allowing for flexible interior space planning that can meet a variety of operational requirements. Interiors can be constructed with washrooms, offices, kitchens and sleeping space. The structures are designed to be fully compliant with local building and fire codes.

Sprung Structures have been utilized locally and across North America for many different uses, including recreation centres, hospital emergency wings, banquet halls, office buildings, churches, and concert halls. For pictures and videos of example interiors and exteriors, please consult:

• Compilation of photos from various Sprung Structure projects
• Sprung Structures: Homeless Navigation Centres
• Sprung Structures: Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus
• Sprung Structure: Homeless Navigation Centre Solutions

Analysis

To identify the preferred model to pursue, staff completed an options analysis that considered a number of rapid construction techniques, and evaluated them based on a series of construction, maintenance and operating criteria. These considerations included the following:

1. Rapid construction: Time is of the essence for this initiative to meet the unprecedented inflow of newcomers into the City. Sprung Structures were prioritized as they can be constructed quickly. Following building approvals, Sprung Structures can be constructed at a rate of 500 to 2,000 square feet per day, depending on customized options, complete with finished interior.
2. Purpose built for operational needs with required amenities: Sprung Structures are fully customizable and would be designed to provide the required capacity, with ability to scale up for overflow, as well as provide the amenities required under the Ottawa Transitional Housing Program Standards. The result is a comfortable, safe and client-friendly space. It can also be adjusted to conform to land parcel dimensions and potential constraints.
3. Flexibility and ability to repurpose: Needs change over time and may require that spaces be reconfigured to meet evolving demand. With the clear span interior, the space could easily be reconfigured in the future. For example, sleeping pods could be reconfigured to open space to adapt to different operating models. Similarly, if no longer needed for transitional housing, the structures could serve other City needs such as a community centre, library and/or emergency response.
4. Cost effective: Overall costs including construction costs, operating and lifecycle costs were also considered. The initial project costs are anticipated to be comparable to other rapid construction models and lower than traditional construction. The ongoing maintenance and lifecycle costs are anticipated to be lower due to centralized core building systems. Sprung Structures come with a 25-year pro-rated warranty, and the aluminum substructure has a 50-year pro-rated warranty.
5. Proven experience locally, and in serving vulnerable populations: Sprung Structures are used in Toronto for four respite centres, and in Ottawa by the Civic Hospital for an Emergency Response Centre. Sprung Structures have been used by over 80 communities in the United States to provide homeless navigation centres. This supports the design and creation of spaces that apply best practice and industry specific considerations.

Conclusion

Ottawa’s single adult shelter system is operating over capacity with more than 360 single men and women staying in temporary Physical Distancing-Emergency Overflow Centres operating out of City owned recreational facilities. Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has indicated that they anticipate the inflow of newcomers seen throughout 2023 will continue.

Housing & Homelessness Services and the Realty Initiatives & Development unit have been actively exploring private market opportunities for facilities that can be purchased and/or leased and have found that feasible, available options will not be sufficient to meet the required demand in the necessary timelines. In addition to Sprung Structures, the City and partners are currently pursuing the conversion of an office to transitional housing at 230 Queen Street, and the purchase of a former convent at 1754 St. Joseph Boulevard.

Without the additional flexibility and capacity provided by Sprung Structures, the City will need to continue, and expand its use of recreation and community centres across the city. As stipulated in the Integrated Transition to Housing Strategy, one of the criteria used to identify City facilities for emergency use is the prioritization of facilities across the City that have not previously been used for Physical Distancing-Emergency Overflow Centres to integrate these services into neighbourhoods where they have not previously been located.

Further, the timely development of an option such as Sprung Structures is a critical step in unlocking significant federal and provincial funding. In March 2024, the Government of Ontario announced a new agreement with the City of Ottawa which includes $120 million of new funding over 3 years for shelter services. This funding is contingent on the receipt of federal funding to address the shelter needs of newcomers.

The City has been in active discussions with the Federal Government for approximately $105 million to fund the development and operations of a Newcomer Reception Centre model over 2 years. This funding would satisfy the conditional provincial funding requirement, however, the City is required to apply the funding quickly and for the strict purpose of newcomer transitional supports. It cannot be used for permanent housing. The installation and operationalization of Sprung Structures is considered the best and most viable option to fulfill the requirements for both the provincial and federal funding within the required timelines and is the most cost effective considering those timelines.

Staff continue to actively move forward with project planning. An in-depth assessment of three potential City parcels for Sprung Structures is underway, and staff are exploring procurement processes and facility requirements. Staff will work with community partners to inform the design of the buildings, including internal set-up.

Sincerely,
Clara Freire
General Manager
Community and Social Services

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership team

Date: June 28, 2024

To: Mayor Sutcliffe and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department

The purpose of this memo is to update members of Council on the 2023 Progress Report - 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan.

On July 15, 2020, Council approved the updated 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan 2020-2030 and its recommended actions as the strategic framework to guide the City’s efforts over the next 10 years to address local housing and homelessness needs. Under the Housing Services Act, 2011, Service Managers must report on the progress made in relation to the implementation of their housing and homelessness plans for the previous calendar year to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the public by June 30 each year. Furthermore, as part of Council’s approval of the updated 10-Year Plan, staff were directed to update the Community Services Committee annually on how we are achieving the targets set out in the Plan, and to provide a status update on the current situation within the housing and homelessness sector.

Progress was made on achieving the targets set out in the 10-Year Plan despite a number of challenges faced by the housing and homelessness sector in 2023, including a 4.3 per cent increase in the average market rent (as reported by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation), higher interest rates and steep inflation, increased construction costs, impacts from the continuing opioid crisis, and an unprecedented demand on the shelter system by asylum seekers and refugee claimants. Through a combination of new affordable housing units and housing benefits, in 2023 over 700 new affordable housing options were created for low- to moderate-income households, over 300 households were housed through the Housing First program, and over 380 individuals with a history of chronic homelessness were housed.

Increased collaboration between the City and community partners led to the creation of several new strategies and initiatives that will help us achieve our goals, including the Integrated Transition to Housing Strategy, the Rapid Rehousing Pilot, and a Housing and Homelessness Leadership Table. In addition, Mayor Sutcliffe and Chair Dudas formed an Emergency Shelter Crisis Taskforce to assist in advancing initiatives/actions over the winter.

Below is a summary of the key outcomes related to the investments, strategies, and tactics that were utilized in 2023 to support the goals and objectives of the 10-Year Plan:

Goal 1: Everyone has a home

This goal is the foundation of the 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan and reflects the understanding that housing is a key social determinant of health and well-being. This goal includes strategies to ensure people have access to housing options that meet their needs over the stages of their life, that the supply of affordable housing increases over time, housing affordability is increased, and that the existing affordable housing stock is preserved and maintained in a good state of repair.

Objective 1: Preserve the existing affordable housing stock:

• $16.6 million was invested in 79 social housing capital repair projects through the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) and Housing and Homelessness Investment Plan (HHIP) capital allocations.
• $1 million from the COCHI transitional operating funding program was allocated to support 13 projects from 11 housing providers, with the aim of enabling them to tackle pressing operational issues, while ensuring long-term viability.
• $600,000 was allocated to benefit 36 households under the Ontario Renovates program.

Objective 2: Increase the affordable housing supply and increase access to housing affordability by creating between 570 to 850 affordable housing options (new units and housing benefits) for low- to moderate-income households:

• 716 new housing options created in 2023.
• 106 affordable and supportive housing units completed.
• 610 new housing benefits created.
• 831 affordable and supportive housing units were under construction and an additional 849 were in the predevelopment stage.
• 56% of the units completed and under construction in 2023 were affordable to moderate-income households while 44% were affordable to low-income households.
• Households on the Centralized Wait List (CWL) increased by 12% from 2022 and as of December 31, 2023, there were 12,447 active households.

Goal 2: People get the support they need

This goal recognizes that any housing system must have adequate services and supports available for people in need in order to achieve housing stability and long-term housing retention. Special focus is placed on women and children fleeing violence, Indigenous peoples, youth, seniors, newcomers, people living with addictions and mental illnesses, people with physical and development disabilities, and people leaving institutions with no permanent housing.

The housing system must include a variety of housing types, ranging from emergency shelters, transitional and supportive housing, private market rental and homeownership. Ensuring people have access to safe shelter and the support they need in times of crisis is an integral part of the Plan.

Objective 1: Prevent the occurrence of homelessness and ensure people are supported to achieve housing stability and long-term housing retention.

• 641 new matches to Housing Based Case Managers and 1,085 case load spaces.
• 301 individuals housed, and 241 families supported through Housing First.
• $106.5 million total investment in homelessness programs from all three levels of government. This funding supported contracts with 32 non-profit agencies.
• With unprecedented demand on the shelter system from newcomers to Ottawa, the City provided funding to onboard Matthew House, Stepstone House, and Carty House. These agencies work to divert refugee claimants from the shelters system through the operation of transitional homes.
• There were three pilot projects initiated to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness:
  • Large family pilot: nine families totalling 65 members were successfully housed using the large family pilot. The average monthly cost of housing was $3,131 and the average benefit provided was $2,288.
  • Rapid rehousing pilot: working together with multiple internal and external partners, over 120 people secured housing by the end of 2023 and of those, 57 moved into their new units.
  • Bridge funding: 294 people, comprised of 54 families, 112 singles and 6 couples, were supported to keep their tenancies.

Objective 2: Ensure experiences of homelessness are brief and nonrecurring.

• Increased capacity in the shelter system by 34% between 2022 and 2023.
• Continued City operated overflow facilities to maintain adequate space in the shelter system. The need for overflow space was necessitated by an unprecedented inflow of newcomers to the city.
• 36% of total shelter beds in the adult shelter system were provided by overflow facilities.
• The City ended 2023 with three overflow facilities with a total of 398 beds.
• Goal: new people entering homelessness is reduced by 25 per cent:
  • Inflow into the shelter system for newcomers increased by 25% between 2022 and 2023, while inflow for non-newcomers decreased by 19.7%.
• Goal: overall homelessness is reduced by 25 per cent:
  • The number of clients served in the shelter system in 2023 increased by 13% but the average length of stay in days decreased by 3%.
• Goal: chronic homelessness is reduced by 100 per cent:
  • While the percentage of single men who met the criteria for chronic homelessness increased by 4.5% in 2023, the percentages of families, women and gender diverse people, and youth who met the criteria all decreased in 2023.
• Goal: unsheltered homelessness is eliminated:
  • There has been ongoing growth in the number of unsheltered individuals over the past few years, and in 2023 Ottawa saw some of the highest numbers to date. The number of reported encampments was also the highest it has been in the past four years.
  • 591 individuals served, and 108 housed into permanent housing through the Salvation Army Outreach Team

Indigenous Housing & Homelessness

Indigenous community members are disproportionately represented in shelter systems compared to the general population of Ottawa due to historical traumas, and systemic and structural discrimination and barriers.

• 694 Indigenous people used the overnight shelter system in 2023
• 10.4% of single Indigenous men accounted for all single men in the shelter system
• 14.1% of single Indigenous women accounted for all single women in the shelter system
• 9.8% of single Indigenous youth accounted for all single youth in the shelter system
• $2,969,411 was the total investment in Indigenous agencies in 2023.
• 164 people were matched to Indigenous Housing First in 2023, and 57 households were housed through Indigenous Housing First.

Goal 3: We work together

Housing and Homelessness Services works collaboratively with the housing and homelessness sector and other partners, including other City departments to discuss emerging issues, consult on program design and delivery options, new funding allocations, and strategize around solutions for improving the housing system. Working collaboratively with sector partners and the provincial and federal governments ensures that services and programs are responsive and effective to address people’s needs.

Integrated Transition to Housing Strategy

In July 2023, Council approved the Integrated Transition to Housing Strategy to help single people experiencing homelessness find housing and to address the pressures in the shelter system towards the vision of ending chronic homelessness. Collaboration with the housing and homelessness sector was foundational to the development and success of the Integrated Transition to Housing Strategy. Below is a summary of the short-term goals that were achieved in 2023:

• 120 clients secured housing through the rapid rehousing pilot.
• Advanced the creation of a supportive housing hub through the purchase of 1245 Kilborn Place.
• Implemented a winter strategy including increased overflow capacity of 325 beds/warming spaces, the opening of two overflow facilities, and the opening of overnight low-barrier respite services at Centre 507.

The timing of these advancements was supported through the Emergency Shelter Crisis Taskforce established in October 2023, by Mayor Sutcliffe and Chair Dudas.

Housing & Homelessness Services Governance Review

In 2022, Housing & Homelessness Services undertook a review of its relationship with external partners. The culmination of this work was the recommendation for a 16-member Housing and Homelessness Leadership Table. In 2023, an interim Leadership Table was put in place to review the consultation summary report, guide the drafting of a Terms of Reference and the recruitment process for permanent membership on Housing and Homelessness Leadership Table. The City will Co-Lead this Table.

Community Capacity Building Training

The City’s Community Capacity Building Training program (CCBT) has provided training and support for homelessness service agencies in Ottawa since 2005. In 2023, 1,881 individuals benefitted from training. There was also an increase in the number of training courses and the number of frontline workers utilizing the website, with a 13% growth rate and trending upwards.

Data Improvements

The success of the Plan is dependent on having quality and timely data to ensure that both the City and service providers have the right information to make decisions around investments, programming, and resourcing.

• In 2023, the Homelessness Individual and Family Information System (HIFIS) was expanded, allowing the City to:
  • Onboard 26 new programs
  • Have 8 new community agencies reporting into HIFIS
  • Increase the number of programs reporting into HIFIS to 108 and the total number of agencies using HIFIS to 32
• The expansion of HIFIS contributes to a system-wide support network that ensures clients can access services through a “no wrong door” approach. Community agencies, including Indigenous service providers, can refer clients for Housing Based Case Management services and track progress directly from HIFIS, creating a more efficient coordinated access process.
• Community partners can report statistical data directly in HIFIS, making it easier for the City and the community to analyze and interpret real time and accurate housing and homelessness data.

Next Steps

Under the Housing Services Act, 2011, Services Managers must review their local housing and homelessness plans at least once every five years and extend for at least 10 years after the review. As the City of Ottawa undertook the last review of the 10-Year Plan in 2019, we must commence the review in 2024 to meet the requirements under the Housing Services Act.

In Q3 2024, Housing & Homelessness Services anticipate beginning the update of the 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan in collaboration with the housing and homelessness sector. Staff are awaiting further information from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing regarding the guidelines for the upcoming update. The update will revise the goal setting framework and actions on which the annual 10 Year progress report is delivered.

Sincerely,

Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership team

Date: June 26, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department

This memo is to provide the Mayor and Members of Council with an update on the allocation of the $200K Emerging Community Need Fund and the $100k fund for Black-Led Initiatives for Youth. 18 applications were approved through the one-time funding.

Background

Emerging Community Need Funding supports activities that address a specific emerging need in a community and contribute to community capacity building, well-being, and resiliency. Funding is intended for priority neighbourhoods defined by the Neighbourhood Equity Index and/or the Ottawa Neighborhood Study. City staff work alongside agencies and neighbourhoods to address the specific need based on the application.

For this funding, an emerging need is defined as a new issue facing the community, a great and unmet need, or an issue that is growing in importance because of external factors such as economic changes, toxic drug supply, or the lasting impact of COVID-19, as examples.

The Community Funding Framework and the Anti-Racism Secretariat also made funding available to support Black-led initiatives for youth in line with the City’s Anti-Racism Strategy. The funding was integrated into the Emerging Community Need fund. This funding is specifically designated for programming and services that offer culturally appropriate approaches and responses to Black youth by Black-Led organizations.

Call for Proposals and Assessment Process

In May 2024 the Emerging Community Need Fund was opened and applications were accepted on an ongoing basis until the budget depleted.

The City of Ottawa Allocations Committee reviewed and rated all the applications based on the alignment of the applicant organization’s profile, target community and demographic, emerging community need, proposed outcomes, sustainability plan, support/partners to the objectives of the Fund, and its budget.

The Emerging Community Need Fund City Allocation Committee included staff and management from the Anti-Racism, Women and Gender Equity, Social Development and Funding units, and the Integrated Neighbourhood Services team.

Results

To date, 50 applications were submitted requesting a total of $1.2M.

Following the allocation committee process, 12 applications were recommended for one-time funding under the general Emerging Community Need Fund priorities, totalling $239,500, and six applications were recommended for one-time funding under the Black-Led Initiatives for Youth priority, totalling $112,500.

Once the Emerging Community Need Funding Allocation Committee finalized their recommendations, they were reviewed and approved by the Director,
Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations, and Social Development.

In 2024, a total budget of $300,000 was originally available. Considering the high demand, Community Funding allocated an extra $52,000 from unallocated funds from the Sustainability Fund.
The fund will replenish in January 2025, contingent on 2025 Budget approval.

Next steps

All applicants will be notified this week of the results of the allocation process.

You will find attached as Table 1 and Table 2 the list of successful applicants.

Should you have any questions about the process or results, please contact Cinthia Pagé at Cinthia.Page@ottawa.ca.

Sincerely,

Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership team

Date: June 11, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department

The purpose of this memo is to provide an update on Ottawa’s Older Adult Plan (OAP) and to outline the renewal of the plan to address the evolving needs of the city’s growing senior population.

Background

Ottawa’s population is growing, changing, and aging. According to the 2021 Census, 37% of Ottawa’s population is over the age of 50 and represents the fastest-growing age group, with those over 85 and over 100 showing particularly significant increases. There are now more older adults than children under 15, and by 2030, six years from now, it is estimated that one in five adults will be aged 65 and over.

With this growth, Ottawa’s population of older adults are becoming increasingly more diverse and needs vary greatly between sub-groups of seniors. While seniors face many challenges as they age, some contributing factors such as low income and living alone are most associated with increased vulnerability and, in turn, a heightened risk of poor health outcomes. Some older adult groups, such as Indigenous, Black and other racialized seniors, women, 2SLGBTQQIA, newcomers and older adults with disabilities, are more vulnerable to poor outcomes due to inequities within the social and health systems, in comparison to the general population.

The COVID-19 pandemic also had a significant impact on older adults, resulting in an increased mortality rate, increased health risks, social isolation, and food insecurity. These impacts are magnified for seniors who identify with equity-deserving groups.

Like many large municipalities in Canada and around the world, the City of Ottawa is responding to these demographic changes and has been implementing an Older Adult Plan since 2012.

The latest iteration of the Older Adult Plan of 2020 committed to 24 actions organized around four (4) strategic areas that are consistent with the provision of City services for older adults: Aging with Choice, Transportation and Mobility, Well-being, and Communication. The OAP assigned responsibility for each action to a City Department, which has committed to its implementation within the stated timeline. The Community and Social Services Department provided the overall coordination and monitoring function for the OAP.

The Senior’s Roundtable was created in 2012 to provide feedback to City staff on the City’s Older Adult Plan. This forum allows us to engage residents and identify emerging issues affecting older adults. The Senior’s Roundtable is made up of representatives of community agencies serving diverse populations of Ottawa’s older adults and is the City’s primary mechanism for engaging residents on issues affecting older adults.

Evaluation

In 2023, staff undertook a review of the accomplishments, lessons learned, and impact of the OAP with respect to mainstreaming an older adult lens in City planning and operations, through consultations with City staff, the Seniors Roundtable, and community stakeholders.

The evaluation of the OAP had the objectives of identifying the successes and lessons learned through the years of implementing the OAP and sharing ideas and suggestions on how to improve its design and delivery in its future iterations.

The findings of the evaluation and a list of accomplishments related to the City’s infrastructure, programs and services, accessibility, communication, and access to relevant supports for older adults are included in the Evaluation Summary Report.

The evaluation confirmed that that the OAP was essential in making Ottawa an age-friendly community and increased staff understanding of older adults’ key issues and opportunities.

OAP Funding 2024

In 2024, the Community and Social Services Department invited City Departments to submit proposals to fund 2024 initiatives that align with the priorities of the OAP. This process allocated $350,000 to initiatives and projects that were both responsive to the changed environment imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, reflective of the diversity of Ottawa’s older adults, and consistent with the priorities identified in the OAP.

An OAP Funding Allocation Team comprised of City staff and members of the Seniors Roundtable ranked the proposals and made recommendations for funding. Fifteen proposals were received, with a total request of $547,910, with fourteen proposals having been approved for funding.

Renewal of the OAP

Older Adult demographics, needs and resources have changed considerably since 2012. The evaluation of the OAP in 2023 highlights several areas where the OAP will need to be updated to meaningfully address current expectations.

Staff will be revising the approach and the structure of OAP to ensure that representation of community members is meaningful and impactful, that priorities are monitored and addressed in a timely fashion, and that actions include the development of programs, services, and policies that support the needs of older adults within the city.

The renewed plan will be developed through ongoing engagement with residents, community agencies serving older adults, staff, and elected officials, including leveraging the role of the Council Liaisons for Older Adults.

The renewed OAP should be nimble enough to evolve in conjunction with the changing needs, priorities, and expectations of this generation of Older Adults.

Staff in Community and Social Services Department will lead the work needed to develop the new iteration of the City’s OAP. The new iteration will align with best practice and the Ministry’s Creating a More Inclusive Ontario framework.

The development of a new plan will commence this month with a fulsome engagement strategy which will include consultation with residents, community agencies, and City staff to determine the priorities and structure needed to facilitate the implementation of a new plan.

The data collected through the engagement will be analyzed and reported back to the community in the fall of 2024.

Staff will report back to Council in early 2025 with an updated approach that will provide a broad range of opportunities and initiatives that are responsive to the diverse needs and choices of Ottawa’s older adults.

Sincerely,

Clara Freire,
General Manager,
Community and Social Services

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership Team

Date: June 11, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department
Dan Chenier, General Manager, Recreation, Cultural & Facility Services

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the Mayor and Members of Council an update on the progress of the Community Garden Action Plan Review as directed by Council Motion (File No. ACS2023-OCC-CCS-0122) approved on October 25th, 2023.

This update is in addition to the Memo previously distributed in March 2024.

The Community Garden and Community-led Green Initiatives Review is proceeding in two distinct phases:

• Phase 1: The consultant firm Hoffman Hayes will provide recommendations for a functional Framework and Governance for Ottawa, considering budget implications for community gardens and similar green projects on City-owned land. These suggestions will be shaped by internal and external assessments and community engagement analysis. Anticipated recommendations cover potential scope expansion, resource needs, governance structures, and partnerships. A report to Council is planned for Q4 2024 with proposed recommendations and to identify any potential staffing and budget implications.
• Phase 2: Hoffman Hayes will develop and refine operational standards, processes, and internal and external structures to support the implementation of the governance recommendations for community gardens and similar green initiatives on City-owned land. This phase aims to be complete for the 2025 growing season.

As part of this review, public engagement with key community partners, community groups, and residents will seek to inform on present community needs and challenges, as well as benefits and opportunities. Public engagement will also seek input into existing community gardens and similar green community-led initiatives to determine their goals and outcomes, as well as the purpose and overall impact to the participants and their communities.

You are invited to share these opportunities with your constituents.

Engagement Opportunities

An Engage Ottawa Live is scheduled for June 10 to July 7, 2024, and will serve as a pivotal platform for gathering resident feedback.

Additionally, two (2) focus groups will be hosted in June by the consultant firm Hoffman Hayes, in collaboration with community partners: the first session to be centered around community gardens and the second one on other community-led green initiatives. The sessions will aim to further community involvement in the Action Plan development process. The targeted focus groups will provide residents with an opportunity to share their perspectives and ideas and contribute to the creation of a more inclusive and comprehensive plan.

• Event 1: Community Food Gardens on June 20, 2024
• Event 2: Community-led Green Initiatives on June 25, 2024

If anyone is interested in attending any of above events, they can register on the Engage Ottawa platform or contact communitygardens@ottawa.ca for the details.

Additional community engagement events will be hosted in the Fall 2024 to inform the implementation of the framework, for the second phase of the review. More information will be circulated to Council prior to the events.

The City is committed to ensuring the review of the Community Garden Action Plan reflects residents' needs and promotes sustainable urban agriculture. Collaboration between departments, consultants, and community partners drives progress toward our goals.

For any inquiries, contact us at communitygardens@ottawa.ca.

Thank you for your ongoing support in enhancing Ottawa's community green spaces.

Sincerely,

Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services
Dan Chenier General Manager, Recreation, Cultural & Facility Services

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership Team
Recreation, Cultural and Facilities Services Departmental Leadership Team

Date: May 21, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Shanna Culhane, Interim Director Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations, and Social Development, Community and Social Services Department

This memo is to inform you that the Community Funding Emerging Community Need stream is now open for applications.

Emerging Community Need Funding supports activities that address a specific emerging need in a community and contribute to community capacity building, well-being, and resiliency. Funding is intended for priority neighbourhoods defined by the Neighbourhood Equity Index and/or the Ottawa Neighborhood Study. City staff will work alongside agencies and neighbourhoods to address the specific need based on the application.

For this funding, an emerging need is defined as a new issue facing the community, a great and unmet need, or an issue that is growing in importance because of external factors such as economic changes, toxic drug supply, lasting impact of COVID-19, etc.

• Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
• Funding available: $200,000
• Applicants can apply for a maximum of $30,000 per application.
• Applications will be accepted continuously throughout the year until the budget is depleted.

Emerging Community Need for Black-Led Initiatives for Youth

We are also pleased to announce that the Community Funding Framework and the Anti-Racism Secretariat are making an additional $100,000 available to support Black-led initiatives for youth in line with the City’s Anti-Racism Strategy. Applications will be accepted continuously throughout the year until the budget allocation is depleted. This funding is specifically designated for programming and services that offer culturally appropriate approaches and responses to Black youth.

Information sessions will be hosted on May 23, 2024, to outline the process to applying for the Community Funding Emerging Community Needs funding, as follows:

English session:
Thursday May 23, 2024, from 10:30 to 11:30am - Click here to register

French session:
Thursday May 23, 2024, from 2:30 to 3:30pm - Cliquez ici pour participer

Agencies unable to attend these sessions can contact communityfunding@ottawa.ca to request the material and the recording of the information sessions.

Should you have any questions regarding the Emerging Community Need Funding allocation, please contact myself at Shanna.Culhane@ottawa.ca.

Sincerely,

Shanna Culhane
Interim Director, Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations and Social Development
Community and Social Services Department

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership team

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Paul Lavigne, Director, Housing & Homelessness Services, Geraldine Wildman, Interim Director, Housing Solutions and Investments Services
Date: May 7, 2024

The purpose of this memo is to provide an update on the results of Housing Services’ 2024 Housing Accelerator Fund Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) process to allocate pre-development and capital funding towards affordable housing projects in the development pipeline.

Background

Subject to meeting housing targets, the City has been awarded $176.3 million from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) which aims to create more housing supply at an accelerated pace. The Council-approved Spending Plan (ACS2024-PRE-EDP-0035) allocates 90 per cent of HAF funds to the Affordable Housing Pipeline Strategy (“Pipeline”).
The objective of the Pipeline Strategy is two-fold: (1) reduce the backlog of supportive and affordable housing developments prepared to proceed, but-for capital funding availability, and (2) review the process used to manage, advance, and prioritize affordable housing projects in the development pipeline. The former will put HAF funds to immediate use for the delivery of affordable units and contribute to meeting HAF targets, while the latter will improve existing processes, in consultation with non-profit partners, to help address any gaps and/or barriers to getting projects shovel ready as part of a sustainable process.

Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI)

The intent of the REOI issued in January 2024 was to advance the HAF Pipeline initiative and the objectives of the City’s 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan by facilitating the creation of new affordable and supportive rental housing units for low- and moderate-income households and to identify projects that could achieve the City’s HAF affordable housing targets. In particular, the City was seeking submissions for:

1. Projects that require funding for pre-development activities to progress to the stage of permit issuance (“Pre-Development”); and
2. Projects that are prepared to proceed to construction, but-for capital funding availability, therefore reducing the existing backlog (“Capital Funding”).

The REOI was open to 26 projects identified in Documents 2 and 4 of the City’s 2023-2026 Affordable Housing Capital Strategy Report (ACS2023-CSS-GEN-011), in recognition of applicants that had previously responded to City funding opportunities and/or had been working closely with the City to progress their development projects to shovel-readiness.

Project Selection Process In accordance with the delegated authority granted through the HAF Spending Plan report (ACS2024-PRE-EDP-0035), projects were recommended to the Director, Housing Services for approval for Pre-Development or Capital Funding on the basis of whether, in the opinion of the City, they could achieve the development timelines, demonstrate good project design, readiness and financial viability, meet the goals of the City’s 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan and therefore contribute to meeting HAF building targets. Submissions were evaluated by a Selection Committee comprised of City staff from the Community and Social Services Department (Housing Services), Planning, Development and Building Services Department (Development Review and CREO), Infrastructure Services Department (Design and Construction – Buildings), as well as a representative from Legal Services who acted as Fairness Commissioner. A sector representative with subject matter expertise in finance, residential construction, development approvals, and non-profit capital and operating agreements also participated in the review process.

The Committee used a consensus- based approach to score and ultimately rank projects to be recommended for funding. Project rankings were presented to the Director, Housing Services with delegated authority through the HAF Spending Plan to allocate the first three advances of HAF, being up to $119 million, in a manner that will best achieve the deliverables of the HAF, taking into consideration the recommended projects identified through the REOI.

Funded Projects

Staff recommended a total of 14 projects have been selected for Pre-Development and Capital Funding. The Capital Funding allocation totals approximately $117.4 million and is anticipated to result in permits being issued for 558 units by December 2024. The Pre-Development funding allocation totals approximately $4.6 million and is expected to result in permits being issued for 364 units by December 2026, for a total of 922 permits. The approved Pipeline strategy targets a total of 1270 permits to be issued for affordable units by the end of 2026. The additional units will be achieved through future allocations of 90% of the final tranche of HAF (up to $39.6 million), City affordable housing capital through the 2025 and 2026 budgets, and any new funding from other levels of government. Projects to be funded with any new funding that becomes available will be selected through a similar REOI procurement process.

The Director of Housing Services has authority to allocate HAF and may also use their authority delegated under the 2023-2026 Affordable Housing Capital Strategy report to allocate some of the available 2024 City capital funds to ensure the selected projects are funded. On April 3, 2024, a Council motion established that the Director of Housing Services must consider the cumulative effect and community impact of approving recommended supportive housing projects before allocating HAF capital construction funding to such a development. At this time only affordable housing projects are recommended for capital funding. Two supportive housing projects will receive pre-development funding. The projects selected for capital and pre-development funding are outlined below.

Capital Funding:

1. Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC) (933 Gladstone Ave – Ward 14 Somerset)

OCHC is the largest affordable housing provider in Ottawa, with properties located in various communities throughout the city. Their portfolio includes over 15,000 homes for seniors, families, individuals, and people with disabilities. They are proposing to construct two high- and mid-rise apartment buildings, totalling 338 affordable units.

Funding request: $60,129,390

2. Interval House of Ottawa (Ward 10 Gloucester-Southgate)

Interval House is an organization that empowers individuals who identify as women and their dependents, in partnership with the community, by providing safe shelter, support, intervention and prevention services to break the cycle of violence. They are proposing to construct a 2-storey, 10-unit transitional housing apartment building to provide housing for women and their dependents fleeing violence.

Funding request: $5,650,000

3. St. Patrick’s Home of Ottawa (2865 Riverside Dr – Ward 16 River)

St. Patrick’s currently provides long-term care to 288 residents at their existing facility at 2865 Riverside Drive. Over the past three years, they have been working to evolve the services and supports provided at the St. Patrick’s campus. They are proposing to construct a 133-unit seniors apartment building, including a range of social and health supports, adjacent to the existing long-term care home on site. Of the 133-units, 67 will be affordable and funded by the City.

Funding request: $13,000,000

4. Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (3405 Uplands Dr – Ward 16 River)

OCHC is the largest affordable housing provider in Ottawa, with properties located in various communities throughout the city. Their portfolio includes over 15,000 homes for seniors, families, individuals, and people with disabilities. They are proposing to construct a 6-storey apartment building containing 45 affordable units.

Funding request: $9,691,265

5. Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (212-216 Carruthers Ave – Ward 15 Kitchissippi)

Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation is Ottawa’s largest private not-for-profit affordable housing provider. Their mission is to create, maintain and promote housing for low- and moderate-income people. They are proposing to construct a 3 and a half storey, 10-unit apartment building.

Funding request: $1,650,000

6. Wigwamen Inc. (2040 Arrowsmith Drive – Ward 11 Beacon Hill-Cyrville)

Wigwamen is Ontario’s largest urban Indigenous housing provider and recently celebrated 50 years of developing, owning, and managing rental housing projects. They are proposing to construct a 6-storey, 50-unit seniors housing apartment building.

Funding request: $17,786,170

7. Ellwood House (2262 Braeside Avenue – Ward 18 Alta Vista)

Ellwood House is an existing affordable housing development for independent seniors located at 2270 Braeside Avenue. The existing facility includes 30 apartments for seniors, a portion of which are rent-geared-to-income units. Ellwood House is proposing an extension of the existing facilities with the construction of a 3.5 storey addition containing 38 new units, also intended for seniors.

Funding Request: $9,500,000

Pre-development Funding:

1. Rideau Non-Profit Housing (5581 Doctor Leach Dr – Ward 21 Rideau-Jock)

Rideau Housing operates seniors housing at Hyfield Place, offering a mix of rent-geared-to-income and market-rent apartments in Manotick Village. They are proposing to construct a new two-storey, low-rise apartment building with 38 affordable units on their existing site.

Funding Request: $356,400

2. Tamir (881 Broadview Ave – Ward 7 Bay)

Tamir supports people with developmental disabilities and people with Autism to live their best life by promoting individuality, independence, dignity, and community inclusion. They are proposing to construct three, 3-storey supportive housing apartment buildings containing a total of 51 units.

Funding Request: $205,900

3. Ottawa Salus (56 Capilano Dr – Ward 9 Knoxdale-Merivale)

Ottawa Salus offers a range of supportive housing options for adults with serious mental illness and concurrent challenges. They are proposing to construct 4 supportive housing townhouses focused on communal living.

Funding Request: $9,700

4. Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (214 Somerset St E – Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier)

OCHC is the largest affordable housing provider in Ottawa, with properties located in various communities throughout the city. They are proposing to construct a 4-storey, 24-unit supportive housing apartment building, replacing a vacant former rooming house on site.

Funding Request: $530,250

5. Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (200-201 Beausoleil Dr – Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier)

OCHC is the largest affordable housing provider in Ottawa, with properties located in various communities throughout the city. They are proposing to construct a 20-storey apartment building containing a mix of 159 affordable units.

Funding Request: $2,964,000

6. Better Living Residential Co-operative (1360 Ogilvie Rd - Ward 11 Beacon Hill-Cyrville)

Better Living Co-op operates a 50-unit stacked townhouse complex in east Ottawa. In April 2022, they experienced a devastating fire which resulted in the loss of 13 units. They are proposing to construct a 4-storey apartment building containing 32 units, 13 of which will replace the units lost.

Funding request: $100,000

7. Shepherds of Good Hope (1083 Merivale Road – Ward 16 River)

Shepherds of Good Hope is one of the largest not-for-profit registered charitable organizations serving the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Ottawa. They are proposing to expand their supportive housing portfolio with a 6-storey apartment building containing 56 units.

Funding request: $457,000

Next Steps

Developments selected for funding will need to sign a contribution agreement with the City, which will include details of the project, the contribution being provided, and the terms and conditions for the funding allocation. Projects approved for capital funding will also need to secure their own financing. Funding allocated through an agreement will be secured in the form of a mortgage on title.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Lauren Reeves, Manager, Strategic Housing Projects by phone at (613) 868-5143 or by email at Lauren.Reeves@ottawa.ca.

Sincerely,

Paul Lavigne, Director, Housing and Homelessness Services
Community and Social Services

Geraldine Wildman, Interim Director, Housing Solutions and Investments Services
Strategic Initiatives

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services
Ryan Perrault, Interim General Manager, Strategic Initiatives Department
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership team
Strategic Initiatives Departmental Leadership team

Date: May 3, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department

The Community and Social Services Department (CSSD) works with community agencies and partners to provide and contribute to equitable and inclusive human and social services that respond to the needs of the people in Ottawa.

CSSD is dedicated to improving the lives of tens of thousands of individuals, families, and communities by putting people at the center of everything we do, and by striving to create an Ottawa that has affordable housing and is more liveable for all. This memo will provide an update on some of our department's priorities for 2024.

Children Services

As Service System Manager, Children’s Services is responsible for the planning and management of licensed child care and early learning programs and services for children aged 0 to 12 years old in Ottawa. This includes ensuring that these essential services are responsive to the needs of families and align with Provincial guidelines.

The child care and early years sector has been undergoing a significant transformation, modernization, and growth. Demand for child care services has increased over the past year, with families wanting affordable licensed child care under the new Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system. Given rising costs, inflation and other pressures on household incomes, the CWELCC system affordability benefits have been life-changing for families. In Ottawa, they have allowed us to reduce child care fees for more than 24,553 children, and that number is growing. In 2024, approximately 700 new child care spaces will be created for priority populations and areas of the city to benefit more families. Children’s Services plays a key role in implementing the new program and, in 2024, we will continue to prioritize supporting sector partners and families to navigate the CWELCC system and recover from the prolonged impacts of the pandemic.

In 2024, Children’s Services will implement provincial guidelines and funding changes and will continue to work with the Province to address pressures and community sector concerns. Additionally, in 2024, we are updating the City’s Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan (2019-2023), with community engagement initiatives underway ahead of Council consideration later this year. The updated service system plan for 2024-2028 will serve as a roadmap to inform local service improvements, resulting in meaningful changes that respond to the diverse needs of children and families in Ottawa.

Housing and Homelessness Services

Housing and Homelessness Services is the Service System Manager responsible for the housing and homelessness service system planning and funding. This system includes shelter, support housing-based wrap-around case management, and stabilization services. The following are priorities for 2024:

Integrated Transition to Housing Strategy (ITHS):

outlines short, medium, and long-term initiatives to assist single adults experiencing homelessness to transition to housing while addressing immediate pressures in the shelter system. As part of the ITHS, an Enhanced Housing Allowance Benefit (EHAB) pilot was launched and supported over 161 single individuals to move from temporary emergency shelters into long-term housing. This work was done in collaboration with Employment and Social Services, our Rent Supplement team and community partners, such as the Alliance to End Homelessness. We have already begun planning for next winter, with a focus on permanent and sustainable shelter options. This includes working closely with other levels of government and community partners on plans to create a permanent infrastructure in Ottawa to welcome asylum seekers and newcomers. Housing and Homelessness Services continues its work on other strategies outlined in the ITHS, including the creation of a Supportive Housing Community Hub at 1245 Kilborn Place and will provide an update to Committee and Council later in 2024.

10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan (10-Year Plan) Refresh:

Housing and Homelessness Services is undertaking several activities that will inform the delivery of a refreshed 10-Year Plan in 2025. Refreshing the 10-Year Plan (2020-2030) will consider new challenges and solutions that have emerged since it was approved by Council in 2020. It is expected that the Province of Ontario will release the guidelines for the Plan refresh this Spring. In the interim, staff are planning key initiatives that will inform the new 10-Year Plan, including:

• A Housing Needs Assessment to review current housing needs
• The first Point in Time Count since 2021
• Consultations with internal and external partners including the newly formed Housing and Homelessness Leadership Table

The refreshed 10-Year Plan will be brought to Committee and Council in early 2025.

Indigenous Housing and Homelessness Plan:

In September 2022, the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition (OAC) entered into an agreement to develop an Indigenous Housing and Homelessness Plan. Since 2022, staff have been accompanying the OAC and their partners as they develop their Plan.

Through the development of their Plan, the OAC has identified priority projects (Inuit Transitional Shelter, Family Healing Lodge, Aging Out Initiative, Indigenous Hub and Ceremonial Space) and has proposed utilizing surplus City owned land as a means of supporting their priority projects. Further details will be presented to the City through the Indigenous Housing and Homelessness Plan in Q3 2024.

Housing Services Long Range Financial Plan Refresh:

The first Housing Services Long Range Financial Plan (LRFP) was approved by Council in 2021, and outlined the funding required to maintain existing services and to meet the housing targets set out in the 10-Year Plan. Since the LRFP was approved, economic conditions have changed, resulting in the need to revisit the plan. Working with the Financial and Corporate Service team and the newly formed Housing Solutions and Investment team, Housing and Homelessness Services is contributing to the refreshed LRFP for Council consideration in Q3 2024. The refreshed LRFP will showcase several key initiatives and funding opportunities to address current gaps, specifically in relation to retaining and delivering new affordable and supportive housing.

Community Safety, Well-Being, Policy and Analytics

Community Safety, Well-being, Policy & Analytics (CSWBPA) Services is committed to enhancing community well-being through social development initiatives that strive to increase service equity in communities and neighbourhoods through data, analytics and best practice research. This includes supporting the department with evidence informed decision making, and funding key interventions that are pivotal in contributing to public safety and crafting policies leading to systemic change. This team’s work is guided by the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan's overarching goal to create a sustainable community where everyone is safe, has a sense of belonging, and has access to services. The following initiatives are prioritized for 2024.

Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises Prototype:

The Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Office is a member of the and is working in partnership with Centertown Community Health Center, Somerset West Community Health Center, and the Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario (CNEO/211 East), to implement the Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises Prototype. The Prototype is due to launch in Centertown this year. Upon implementation, this program will offer a significant alternative for residents experiencing mental health and substance use crises, allowing them to call 2-1-1 instead of 9-1-1. This approach offers a more tailored and compassionate response, connecting individuals directly with civilian professionals. These experts, available 24/7, will deliver culturally appropriate assistance, focusing on the specific needs of each individual and facilitate connections to additional services for ongoing support. An evaluation will be conducted following the initial launch and implementation of the prototype in Centertown. This evaluation aims not only to assess the program’s effectiveness and areas for improvement, but also to gather insights that could support the expansion of the program to other neighbourhoods in the future.

Poverty Reduction Strategy:

Staff are working with a broad range of community agencies and sectors to finalize a Poverty Reduction Strategy, focusing on key areas such as financial security, economic development, employment, food security and system-level change. This strategy aims to build unified community actions to address the impacts of poverty in Ottawa. The approach is designed to bring tangible improvements to those affected by poverty in the city.

Gender-Based Violence and Violence Against Women:

The CSWB Office is collaborating with key sector partners and leaders to create an action plan to address gender-based violence and violence against women in Ottawa, including intimate partner violence (IPV). This Spring we facilitated a sector forum to work towards this action plan and confirm priorities. This initiative will build on the insights gained in 2022 regarding the strengths and pressures on the sector. These efforts aim to enhance support systems for victims of gender-based violence, ensuring more effective and accessible resources for those in need.

Long-Term Care

Long-Term Care Services (LTCS) priorities will focus on increasing the number of hours of direct care provided to residents in the four City-operated homes, as well as continuing to develop a person-centred approach to care.

Increase in Resident Care:

The Ministry of Long-Term Care is providing long-term care homes across the province with additional provincial funding to commit to an average of four hours of care per resident per day by March of 2025. LTCS has implemented an HR workforce group to support the recruitment of staff to leverage Ministry of Long-Term Care funding and increase the average hours of direct care in our long-term care homes. This allowed the four City-operated homes to meet the target of 3.75 hours of direct care per resident per day by March 2024.

The homes will be adding more staff to the service delivery model this spring, in anticipation of additional provincial funding that will allow the City homes to meet the 2025 target of four hours of care.

Person-Centred Care:

Extensive consultation with staff, residents, families, and sector partners, has underscored the need for transformative change, and a person-centred approach to care. In 2022, LTCS began to move forward with the development of a customized approach to care based in person-centred care, which includes the best practices from several established models of care.

LTCS has partnered with uOttawa LIFE Research Institute to develop a customized, hybrid approach to care and a comprehensive evaluation framework. In addition, a Person-Centred Care Steering Committee and home-specific Project Advisory Committees have been established to guide the development and implementation of the model. Long-term care residents, their families, and staff are actively involved in co-designing the approach.

In 2023, pilots began on one neighbourhood (unit) at two City homes: Peter D. Clark and Garry J. Armstrong. We look forward to the expansion of this approach to additional neighbourhoods within current homes, and across all four City-operated homes.

Quality Initiatives:

As part of LTCS’ commitment to nursing excellence, the City of Ottawa long-term care homes are in the pre-designation phase of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) Best Practice Spotlight Organization designation. The City’s homes are embarking on a three-year initiative that will focus on establishing and implementing specific best practices, and implementing guidelines that are shared across the sector to promote improving the quality of life for residents. There are three areas of focus: preventing falls, promoting oral health, and providing person-centred care.

In addition, this year, Centre d’accueil Champlain has applied to the Ministry of Long-Term Care for an official designation of the Home as a public service agency under the French Language Services Act. Centre d’accueil Champlain has been providing long-term care services to the French-speaking community for over 50 years.

Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations and Social Development

The Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations, and Social Development Service (GREIIRSD) advances equity and Indigenous reconciliation initiatives at the City of Ottawa. This is accomplished by incorporating principles of equity and self-determination into corporate-wide policies, practices, programs, and organizational strategies. Additionally, this service area contributes to a strong social infrastructure of community services and community well-being through its Integrated Neighbourhood Services Team (INST) and Community Funding Framework, which includes sustainability funding for approximately 100 agencies and several other non-profit agencies through various funding streams.

Older Adult Plan (OAP):

Following a 2023 evaluation of the OAP, staff has engaged the Seniors Roundtable, community agencies and internal City colleagues to inform a new Older Adult age-friendly plan to be launched in 2024 following Council approval. A report to Council is planned for the fall 2024.

Corporate Diversity and Inclusion Plan:

In 2024, staff are conducting a thorough evaluation of the Corporate Diversity and Inclusion Plan's (CDIP) implementation from 2019 to 2023. Collaborating with an external consultant, the evaluation aims to review the corporation's achievements and areas for enhancement. Departments will be engaged to gather insights on their experiences in aligning with CDIP goals, generating recommendations for best practices and focus areas for the future. A report will be presented to Council in late 2024.

Anti-Hate Campaign:

The Anti-Racism Secretariat (ARS) is committed to fulfilling Council's direction, recognizing the real impact of racism, particularly Anti-Indigenous racism, Anti-Black racism, Anti-Asian racism, Antisemitism, and Islamophobia. The Secretariat acknowledges the urgency highlighted by a 23.5 per cent increase in hate and bias-motivated incidents in 2023.

The ARS has dedicated resources to an anti-hate campaign working together with partners like the United Way/United for All and the Ottawa Police Service. The ARS is exploring opportunities to enhance and develop specific anti-hate initiatives, focusing on community engagement, training programs, and promoting awareness to address hate crimes and the negative impact of racism.

Evaluations:

GREIIRSD is currently initiating an evaluation of the Anti-Racism Strategy identifying accomplishments since endorsement by Council in 2022, as well as opportunities for the path forward. At the same time, GREIIRSD is currently finalizing a mid-term review of the accomplishments of phase 1 of the Women and Gender Equity Strategy. Updates will be brought to Council in the fall of 2024.

Learning and Development Strategy on Anti Racism, Women and Gender Equity and Indigenous Relations:

Two Learning and Development strategies for the corporation are in development, focusing on Anti-Racism, Women and Gender Equity, and on Indigenous Relations. These initiatives will focus on building organizational knowledge of systemic barriers while growing leader capacity across the organization on anti-racism, women and gender equity and Indigenous relations and reconciliation.

Indigenous Relations:

The Indigenous Relations branch has spent significant time soliciting feedback and identifying priorities that reflect the voices of the Anishinabe Algonquin Host Nation communities and urban Indigenous communities. In 2024-2026, Indigenous Relations will explore the impacts of adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as the framework for reconciliation. Indigenous Relations will also co-develop service and policy initiatives with the community and City departments. This includes an Indigenous ceremony policy in collaboration with the Host Nation, the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition and other urban Indigenous communities and organizations and various City departments. Each of the priority areas identified by Indigenous Relations and community partners will inform and support our long-term goal of creating an Indigenous governance and engagement framework through ongoing relationship building and dialogue.

Employment and Social Services

The Social Assistance System in Ontario is undergoing the most significant transformation in more than twenty years, as described in the update report provided to Committee and Council in the fall of 2023. The Province’s vision is to create an efficient system that will focus on people’s unique needs and address barriers to employment. This includes realignment of Provincial-Municipal roles and responsibilities in the delivery of Social Assistance. In 2024, Employment and Social Services (ESS) will focus on the implementation of key Provincial transformation initiatives as well as enhancing elements of the local service delivery model.

Employment Services Transformation:

Implemented in Ottawa on January 2, 2024, this Provincial initiative creates an integrated employment model where all employment services in Ontario are delivered by Employment Ontario. By the end of 2024, all recipients in receipt of Social Assistance will have completed an assessment and action plan with ESS staff that identifies their readiness for employment and referral to Employment Ontario and/or where person-centred supports are needed to increase employment readiness. Integrated Case Management and collaboration between Employment Ontario, ESS, other City services, and our community partners is key to providing wrap around services to residents to help them achieve their employment goals and increase self-sufficiency.

Integrated and Simplified Access to Programs and Services:

ESS’ delivery model continues to evolve to align with our role in the delivery of social assistance, with the person at the centre of the approach. This is done by ensuring programs and services are easy to access and navigate, coordinated with both internal and community partners, considers local needs and priorities, and provided when and where people need them the most. A few highlights for 2024 include:

Catherine St. Community Service Hub:

Expanding partnerships at the Hub to include Settlement Services and Mental Health Services. In addition to the other services provided on site, these new partnerships will enhance the wrap around and coordinated access to services and support for residents who access the Hub.

Outreach and Mobile Services Team:

Currently the Team provides services at 15 partner organization locations in the community. In 2024, the Team will focus on increasing their capacity to provide service by identifying where they need to be strategically situated in the community to maximize residents access to the programs and services they provide.

Coordinated Access to Emergency Housing Pilot:

Housing and Homelessness Services and ESS will pilot an initiative that will see a Shelter Support Worker join the ESS team at each of the four ESS locations to provide immediate housing assessment, support, and resources for residents who present as homeless or precariously housed. This initiative will simplify access to services for the resident and reduce the number of touchpoints to have their urgent needs addressed.

Supports for Older Adults Receiving Social Assistance:

Using a person-centred lens, staff will pilot an initiative directed at older adults receiving Ontario Works Assistance. This initiative will focus on removing barriers and coordinating access to financial resources (e.g., Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement), community and municipal programs and services and other supports needed to help with aging well in our community.

Human Service Integration

Human Services Integration is a CSSD and Council-priority strategy to achieve simplified access to social services supporting individuals in need, including housing, employment and child care services. In 2024, the focus will be on:

• Working towards an integrated first point of access to social services reducing the number of times clients/ applicants have to tell their story, and simplifying access to the wrap around services and benefits that they need.
• Fostering an integrated connections to services and enhanced partnerships in the community (food banks, mental health, shelters, library, recreation, child welfare, developmental services, supportive housing, etc.).

Human Services Integration is in direct response to resident feedback and aligned with service review efforts by adopting a continuous improvement approach that delivers effectiveness of service and positive outcomes for residents.

CSSD is committed to providing client-centered care and integrated programs and services to support the community's social, economic, health, safety, and well-being needs. If you have any questions related to the above, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Sincerely,
Clara Freire
General Manager
Community and Social Services

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership team

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager Community and Social Services Department
Date: April 19, 2024

The purpose of this memo is to provide the Mayor and Members of Council with information on the allocation of the 2024 Civic Events Funding. Forty-one applications were approved through the one-time event funding for a total amount of $63,705.

Background

On September 25, 2019, Ottawa City Council approved the new Community Funding Framework.

Included under this framework is funding for Civic Events, which will be used to deliver family-friendly events in local Ottawa communities and priority neighbourhoods (maximum of $3K per event).

The Civic Events fund is used to support the Council priority of a city that is more livable for all.

The purpose of Civic Events funding, as approved by Council, is to fund events that:

• Promote neighbours meeting neighbours in their local, geographic community;
• Include multiple activities, family entertainment and attractions;
• Appeal to residents in a specific geographic neighbourhood/district or ward;
• Promote community well-being by welcoming all community members; and
• Promote equity and inclusion.

Civic Events funding prioritizes events that are directed towards the priority populations specified in the Community Funding Framework Policy Statements, including Francophones, immigrants, Indigenous people, 2SLGBTQ+ community members, older adults, people living in poverty, people with disabilities, racialized people, rural residents, women and youth. Priority neighbourhoods, as defined by the Neighbourhood Equity Index, are also a priority.

Call for proposals and evaluation process

Funding for the Civic Events Fund was allocated through an open call for proposals for one-time event funding. The call for proposals was directed towards small community organizations hosting community events that build relationships among neighbours. The City of Ottawa Allocations Committee reviewed every application, using an equity lens, and provided a rating based on the organization’s alignment with the goals of community funding, the goals and objective of the event, the financial position of the organization, and the viability of the event budget.

The Allocation Committee then reviewed the applications to ensure an equitable dispersion of funds to priority groups, priority neighbourhoods, wards, and whether resources are being targeted and aligned to areas of the city facing the greatest needs or greatest inequities. For more specific information on the allocation process, please see the 2024 Civic Events Funding Process.

Results

A total of $196K was requested from 76 agencies through the open call for proposals launched on March 6, 2024.

The City Allocation Committees approved 41 applications for a total allocation amount of $63,705.

To ensure an equitable distribution of funds, most agencies will not be receiving the full funding requested. Agencies can decide how best to redistribute their budgets based on the amount of funding they have received.

Next steps

Community agencies have been notified of the results of the allocation process. A full list of successful agencies is attached. Should you have any questions or concerns about the process or results, please contact Shanna Culhane at shanna.culhane@ottawa.ca.

Sincerely,
Clara Freire
General Manager Community and Social Services

cc.  Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager Community and Social Services Department Vivi Chi, Interim General Manager Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Department
Date: April 4, 2024

This memorandum aims to provide an update on the recently established Interdepartmental Task Force on Affordable Housing. The Task Force will facilitate a coordinated, collaborative, and Team Ottawa-focused response to the housing crisis in Ottawa. This includes responding to provincial legislation and regulatory changes, the 2023-2026 Term of Council priorities related to affordable housing and housing supply, as well as implementing the Housing Accelerator Fund initiatives and recommendations from the Audit on Affordable Housing. The internal Task Force will work for an initial three-year term.

Background
In July 2023, Council approved its 2023-2026 Term of Council Priorities, which include the priority to create an Ottawa that has affordable housing and is more liveable for all by “Investing in services that affect the lives of all residents, including those most in need, is a key priority for the City. This strategic priority focuses on supporting individuals by increasing access to a range of housing options, including affordable housing.” Strategic priorities also include efforts to support intensification.

Additionally, the government of Ontario’s enacting of Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 and Bill 109, the More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022, include extensive changes to several Acts and regulations, including the Development Charges Act, Planning Act, and Municipal Act. The compressed timelines for development approvals as well as potential financial penalties underscore not only the prioritization of increasing the housing supply, but also the need to ensure continued collaboration and focused effort amongst Community and Social Services and Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development staff.

Further focused effort will be needed to respond to the findings of the City of Ottawa Audit on Affordable Housing which was tabled on March 8, 2024. This Audit provided recommendations on the policies, programs, tools, and structures within the control of the municipality to increase the stock of available affordable housing units within Ottawa.

Recommendations included the establishment a formalized governance structure to oversee the affordable housing portfolio which would include the establishment of a cross-functional oversight body with the authority to prioritize and expedite key projects.

Objectives and Deliverables
The Interdepartmental Task Force on Affordable Housing will enable the strategic alignment of the Community and Social Services (CSSD) and Planning Real Estate and Economic Development (PRED) departments towards housing goals. This Task Force will ensure timely consultation, expertise, and decision-making within the staff’s delegated authority on advancing affordable housing options and provide a formal opportunity to engage elected officials, as necessary, to advance priorities and opportunities, as well as resolve barriers to achieving the Task Force’s goals.

The main areas of focus for the Task Force will include:

• Housing Accelerator Fund implementation, and
• Affordable Housing Audit recommendations.

The initial meetings of the Interdepartmental Affordable Housing Task Force have focused on formalizing the internal governance structure. The Task Force will work with the Public Information and Media Relations (PIMR) department to develop an effective communication strategy that will include quarterly updates to Council.

The structure of the Interdepartmental Task Force on Affordable Housing includes the City Manager as the Executive Sponsor with overall authority on all decisions arising from the Task Force. This position is also responsible for resolving any escalated and unresolved issues.

The Interdepartmental Task Force on Affordable Housing will include the following members:

• City Manager
• General Manager, PRED (Co-Chair)
• General Manager, CSSD (Co-Chair)
• General Manager, FCSD (Finance and Corporate Services) and Chief Financial Officer
• Chief Communications Officer, (PIMR)
• Manager, Business and Technical Support Services, PRED
• Program and Project Management Officer, Business and Technical Support Services,PRED
• Manager, Strategic Initiatives, Housing Services, CSSD
• Specialist, Strategic Programs & Project, Business Support Services, CSSD
• Senior Legal Counsel, PRED
• Legal Counsel, Housing Services, CSSD
• Director, Housing Services, CSSD
• Manager, Affordable Housing, Housing Services, CSSD
• Director, Transportation Planning, PRED
• Director, Corporate Real Estate Office, PRED
• Director, Economic Development and Long-Range Planning, PRED
• Director, Planning Services, PRED
• Director, City Manager’s Office

We look forward to providing quarterly updates to Council on the work of the Task Force in achieving our overall housing goals.

Sincerely,
Clara Freire
General Manager Community and Social Services

Vivi Chi Interim General Manager Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development

cc. Senior Leadership Team
Andrea Lanthier-Seymour, PIMR
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership team
Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Departmental Leadership team

Date: March 14, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department;
Dan Chenier, General Manager, Recreation, Cultural & Facility Services

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the Mayor and Members of Council an update on the progress of the Community Garden Action Plan review. This includes updates to the timeline to provide formal recommendations on future governance, scope, internal and external processes, and the necessary resources for community gardens and similar green community-led initiatives on City-owned land.

Background

On October 25th, 2023 Council approved motion (File No. ACS2023-OCC-CCS-0122), which directs Recreation, Culture and Facilities Services (RCFS) to work with Community and Social Services Department (CSSD) on a thorough review and update of the Community Garden Action Plan in partnership with the Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development (PRED) and Public Works Departments (PW). A review and update to the current Community Gardens Action Plan is required as residents’ requests to access City-owned land for community food gardens and similar green community-led initiatives is steadily increasing, with a focus on City-owned parkland. Community food gardens and other similar green community-led initiatives have implications for several different City departments. Residents would benefit from a clear process through which the City may consider requests for access to City-owned land for the purposes of community food gardens and similar green community-led initiatives, ultimately reducing barriers to residents.

Planning for a Review

After assessing the project's scope and complexity and following successful completion of the procurement process, the City has selected an external consultant, Hoffmann Hayes, to conduct a Review of current Community Garden Action Plan, including an extensive internal interdepartmental review, public engagement, and review the best practices from other municipalities.

Hoffmann Hayes is a leading consultancy firm in urban agriculture and community development, with 30 years of experience driving transformative community garden projects across the GTA, Ontario, and Canada. Their collaborations with municipalities like Toronto, Mississauga, London, and Charlottetown are extensive. Notable achievements include co-developing Charlottetown's Community Garden Program, City of Toronto’s Community Garden Action Plan, and leading collaboration in the Community Engagement and Entrepreneurial Development Garden Program. They've also been pivotal in shaping urban agriculture policy, contributing to essential documents such as Mississauga’s Urban Agriculture Strategy and GrowTO: An Urban Agriculture Action Plan for Toronto.

Hoffmann Hayes will provide the City with recommendations for consideration in developing a future Community Garden Framework for the City of Ottawa. Recommendations will include considerations for future governance, scope, internal and external processes, and necessary budgetary and staff resources required for implementation of a framework for community gardens and similar green initiatives on City-owned land.

The decision to hire an external consultant aims to ensure our action plan is not only thorough, but also responsive to the needs of the residents. Our commitment remains unwavering, and we are dedicated to having an improved plan in place for the 2025 growing season.

Timelines

Given the scale and scope of the review required to develop a new Community Garden Framework for the City of Ottawa, staff will not be able to meet the timelines laid out in the original Council motion. Instead of being ready in time for the 2024 growing season, staff will bring a report to Council for approval in the fall of 2024 in time for the 2025 growing season.

To mitigate the impacts of these delays on the 2024 growing season, active collaboration between RCFS, CSSD, and community partners is currently ongoing. Efforts include identifying improvement strategies to existing gardens on City owned land, and land planning for a new Albion Heatherington Community Garden.

Next steps

The consultant, Hoffmann Hayes, will begin their work in March 2024. Further updates will be shared with the Community Services Committee and City Council as the project progresses in 2024. While under development, residents may continue to share their questions and ideas with communitygardens@ottawa.ca.

Sincerely,
Clara Freire
General Manager, Community and Social Services
Dan Chenier
General Manager, Recreation, Cultural, Facilities Services

cc.
Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership Team
Recreation, Cultural and Facilities Services Departmental Leadership Team

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services Department, Cyril Rogers, Interim General Manager and Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Corporate Services Department
Subject: City of Ottawa named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers (March 5, 2024)

I am very pleased to announce, in partnership with Cyril Rogers, Interim General Manager of the Finance and Corporate Services Department and Chief Financial Officer, that the City of Ottawa has once again been named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. The City Manager will be sharing this information with employees later today.

This award recognizes the City’s ongoing commitment to improving equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging in our service to residents, in our workforce and workplace. This year, the City was recognized for its efforts in focusing on employees’ psychological safety and well-being in the workplace, as well as offering various training and learning opportunities to help employees at all levels understand anti-racism principles and identify barriers.

Examples can be found in the Council approved Anti-Racism Strategy and Women and Gender Equity Strategy, the launching of several staff-led workplace Affinity Groups, and the development of wellness plans and strategies in response to staff input.

Equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging continue to be a priority for our City. We have come a long way and recognize that we still have much work to do. We are committed to this work and to fostering a thriving workforce where employees feel recognized and valued to bring their authentic selves, skills and experience to work each day.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or Cyril Rogers.

Sincerely,
Clara Freire
General Manager
Community and Social Services

Cyril Rogers
Interim General Manager
Finance and Corporate Services Department and Chief Financial Officer
cc.
Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Elizabeth Marland, Director, Human Resources
Community and Social Services Department Leadership Team

Date: February 8, 2024
To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager Community and Social Services Department

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the Mayor and Members of Council with an update on the impact of the recently announced 2024 Child Care, Early ON Child and Family Centres, and Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Provincial Guidelines and funding allocations.

Background

The last few years have presented significant pressure on the early years and child care sector, navigating through a pandemic, workforce pressures and the phased approach of building a new and transformational public child care system. In alignment with the City’s Child Care and Early Years Service System plan’s vision to unite as a city and make progressive improvements, Ottawa’s sector has truly come together to adapt, often on short timelines, to deliver these essential services in Ottawa through many lingering challenges to support families and give children the best possible start in life.

In 2019, the province announced a phasing-in of program delivery funding reductions provided to municipalities as Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) responsible for the planning and management of programs and services. Specifically, the requirement was to cost share the majority of provincial CMSM program delivery funding at a rate of 50/50 with a plan to reduce the allowable funding threshold from 10% to 5% to be fully implemented by 2022. To support CMSMs while they found efficiencies and adjusted their cost structures, a one-time transitional grant was provided in 2020. The pandemic related responsibilities for service system managers drastically increased in 2020 (ACS2001-CSS-GEN-0009). While no additional funding was provided to reflect the increased responsibilities, the province continued to provide the one-time transitional funding through these challenging years. In March 2022, the province announced the implementation of the CWELCC system. (ACS2022-GEN-0013) In April 2022, the province advised through a memo that “Administrative funding will be restored, as we recognize this is not the time to implement the previously announced funding cuts.” Adjustments were immediately made in the 2023 budget to re-establish the funding and resources needed to navigate both the backlog from pandemic impacts and the increased responsibilities under the new CWELCC system.

Current Status

On Thursday, November 30, 2023, the province provided an update on the 2024 Child Care, EarlyON Child and Family Centres, and Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Funding. Investments from the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada in the child care and early years system will total more than $3.9B for 2024 and will continue to support the implementation of previously announced fee reductions, workforce support and other measures. Ottawa’s total allocation for 2024 is $308M. The following are key updates for 2024.

Expiry of the one-time transitional grant for Municipal Program Delivery

The province advised that after three years of funding to help stabilize the system during exceptional circumstances, the one-time transitional grant will be discontinued effective Monday, January 1, 2024 and funding reductions will proceed.

This represents a reduction of $4.7M or 37% of the total program delivery budget and will result in workforce implications and programming funds which have been pivotal in quickly implementing pandemic supports and the first phases of the CWELCC system. To mitigate the impact to CMSMs in 2024, any unused funds from previous years’ one-time transition grants can be used until Sunday, March 31, 2024. For Ottawa, it is anticipated this will allow staff to mitigate any immediate financial, workforce and service implications until a plan to adjust can be developed and implemented throughout 2024.

The combination of the continued system transformation, increased responsibilities required to build a public system and safeguard public funds, and limited program delivery funding are concerning at this pivotal time. The City continues to manage two parallel systems, will be implementing a new funding model, continued implementation of the directed growth and workforce strategies, a further planned fee reduction and a new provincial IT modernization initiative. Implementing the funding reductions now will risk the successful implementation of the national system and is expected to result in negative outcomes for families and service providers.
Staff will continue to advocate together with our partners at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association to request a delay of these funding decisions to provide the needed time and resources to fully implement system improvements / efficiencies while allowing the sector to stabilize through significant transformation.

Value for money audit

The province is requiring CMSMs who directly operate child care centres to do an independent value-for-money audit of their programs, with no additional program delivery funding to complete this work. Audits must determine whether provincial funding is being used efficiently and effectively by directly operated centres and whether the child care services could be offered by a third-party provider instead. The audit report, recommendations and management responses should be posted publicly.

The City completed a Municipal Child Care review in 2021 (ACS2021-CSS-GEN-0008) which included a full cost benefit analysis and ensuring the services align to the City’s mandate to serve families who face various barriers and systemic challenges in areas of the city where there is insufficient child care spaces to meet demand. The City is sharing this information with the Province and will comply with any audit requirements.

Cost Escalation & Emerging Issues funding

The province acknowledges that child care service providers may face unavoidable cost increases beyond their control. To support providers, an increase of 2.1% has been allocated. In 2023, the province provided an increase of 2.75% resulting in a total compounded increase of 4.91% from 2022 to 2024. Many providers find this insufficient and worry about the impact on their participation in the CWELCC system. To address this, the province has provided an extra $5.9M for emerging issues. The City will develop a fair and transparent process to allocate these funds to providers who demonstrate that their revenue for eligible spaces is insufficient to support the service provider’s non-discretionary costs. It’s uncertain if this funding will cover all needs and staff will continue to collaborate with the province and advocate if additional funding is needed.

Workforce Strategy

The province has increased the hourly wage maximum for the Wage Enhancement Grant (WEG) and Home Child Care Enhancement Grant (HCCEG) to help close the gap between Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) in the education sector and eligible RECEs in licensed child care settings. To build on this initiative and as previously communicated to Council on Thursday, November 23, 2023 through a Memorandum, the province has also launched a Child Care Workforce Strategy to increase wages for RECEs along with a multipronged strategy to recruit and retain qualified educators.

The City awaits more details and funding allocations on Professional Development, Mental Health Support and the one-time innovation fund. Advocacy groups applaud these latest investments as an important step forward in addressing the workforce challenges, but some are still concerned that further measures will be needed to fully address the complexity of workforce issues. The sector emphasizes wages and benefits as the most important gap to be addressed in the system given its connection to quality and the need to increase spaces. Staff will continue to advocate for these essential services to benefit both the social and economic well-being of families and the community.

Upcoming CWELCC funding approach

To ensure CMSMs and service providers have the time they need to prepare for the new CWELCC funding approach and minimize disruption to the system the province has delayed implementation of the new funding approach until at least September 2024. Staff are awaiting further information and details on the new funding approach from the province.

Next steps

Children’s Services continues to play a critical role in the transformational work ahead. Staff will implement the above programs and services, prioritize provincial directions, and scale and scope initiatives based on available capacity and funding. Staff will develop a plan to align our program delivery budgets and service offerings to the updated provincial allocations including evaluating various mitigation options and include any impacts in the 2025 draft budget.

An update to the to the Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan is currently in development, with community engagement initiatives planned ahead of consideration by Council later this year. The updated service system plan for 2024-2028 will build on the work of the previous version, serving as a roadmap to assist the sector in navigating through a significant transformation and help identify priorities within available resources. Once the public engagement campaign is launched, additional information will be shared with the Mayor and Members of Council including details on how residents can participate.

The City remains committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcomes for children and families in our community. This continues to be a period of transition across the province and staff remain committed to working with families and the child care sector in the next steps of this significant transformation. For more information, please reach out to Jason Sabourin at Jason.Sabourin@ottawa.ca.

Sincerely,
Clara Freire,
General Manager,
Community and Social Services

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public Health
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership Team

Date: January 4, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Clara Freire, General Manager Community and Social Services Department

The purpose of this memo is to provide the Mayor and Members of Council with an update on the allocation of the $670K Emerging Community Needs Fund. Seventeen applications were approved through the one-time funding.

Background
The City Council approved Community Funding Framework includes funding for Emerging Community Needs, which is intended to address a specific need in a community (local neighborhood, or community of common bond) and contribute to community capacity building, well-being, and resiliency. This funding is not intended to support ongoing operations, address a funding gap, or budget shortfall.

In November 2023, the Emerging Community Needs funding stream launched an allocation of $670,000 from a combination of funds in the Community Funding and Community Safety and Well-Being Envelopes.

Call for Proposals and Assessment Process
Funding for the Emerging Community Needs Fund was allocated through an open call for proposals for one-time funding. The City of Ottawa Allocations Committee had an opportunity to review all the applications and provide ratings based on a set assessment process aligned to the funding criteria. Assessments were based on the organization’s profile, target community, target demographic, emerging community need, alignment of the request to the objectives of the Fund, budget, proposed outcome, initiative sustainability, and support/partners.

The Emerging Community Needs Fund City Allocation Committee included staff and management from the Community Safety and Well-Being and Social Development and Funding teams.

Results
Eighty-one agencies requested $4.7M through the open call for proposals launched on November 16, 2023. Following the allocation committee process, 17 applications were recommended for onetime funding, totalling $670,019.

The Allocations Committee recommended that successful applicants:

• Requesting under $20K to receive the full amount requested.
• Requesting over $20K to receive 90% of their requested amount.
• Receiving sustainability funding had their administrative costs omitted from consideration (already covered through sustainability funding).

Once the Emerging Community Needs Funding Allocation Committee finalized their recommendations and decisions, they were reviewed and approved by the Acting Director, Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations and Social Development and the General Manager, Community and Social Services Department.

Next steps
All applicants have been notified of the results of the allocation process. Should you have any questions about the process or results, please contact Clara Freire at Clara.Freire@ottawa.ca or Shanna Culhane at Shanna.Culhane@ottawa.ca (after Jan. 8, 2024).

Sincerely,
Clara Freire
General Manager
Community and Social Services

cc. Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
Senior Leadership Team
Community and Social Services Departmental Leadership team