Community Services Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:

01

Date:

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Time:

9:30 A.m. - 10:30 A.m.

Location:

Champlain Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West, and by electronic participation

Present:

• Chair: Laura Dudas, 
• Vice-Chair: Jessica Bradley, 
• Councillor David Brown, 
• Councillor Marty Carr, 
• Councillor Steve Desroches, 
• Councillor David Hill, 
• Councillor Theresa Kavanagh, 
• Councillor Rawlson King, 
• Councillor Wilson Lo, 
• Councillor Stéphanie Plante, 
• and Councillor Ariel Troster 

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1.

Notices and meeting information for meeting participants and the public

Notices and meeting information are attached to the agenda and minutes, including: availability of simultaneous interpretation and accessibility accommodations; in camera meeting procedures; information items not subject to discussion; personal information disclaimer for correspondents and public speakers; notices regarding minutes; and remote participation details.

Accessible formats and communication supports are available, upon request.

Except where otherwise indicated, reports requiring Council consideration will be presented to Council on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 in Community Services Committee Report 1.

The deadline to register by phone to speak, or submit written comments or visual presentations is 4 pm on Monday, February 27, 2023, and the deadline to register to speak by email is 8:30 am on Tuesday, February 28, 2023.

2.

Declarations of Interest

2.1

R. King - Item 5.1 - 2023 Draft Operating and Capital Budget – Community Services Committee

In accordance with Sections 5 and 6 of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, R.S.O. 1990, I, Councillor Rawlson King, declare a potential indirect pecuniary interest on the following portion of the 2023 Draft Operating and Capital Budget, as I am on the Board of the Rideau Winter Trail of Ottawa, an organization which (via the Winter Trail Alliance) would receive funding from, or would potentially receive funding from, this budget line item: Recreation, Cultural and Facilities Services, Community Recreation, Culture and Sports Programs, Community Recreation and Cultural Programs (Page 25 of the CSC Budget Book).

3.

Confirmation of Minutes

3.1

CPSC Minutes 27 - Thursday 16 June 2022

• Carried

3.2

PC-CPSC Minutes 3 – Thursday 16 June 2022

• Carried

4.

Office of the City Clerk

4.1

Community Services Terms of Reference

File No. ACS2023-OCC-CCS-0019 - City Wide

• Report recommendation(s)

  That the Community Services Committee recommend Council approve its Terms of Reference, as outlined in this report and attached as Document 1.
• Carried

5.

Finance and Corporate Services Department

5.1

2023 Draft Operating and Capital Budget - Community Services Committee

ACS2023-FCS-FSP-0001 - City Wide

The draft budget was tabled at the Council meeting of February 1, 2023. The Community Services Committee report on the draft budget will be considered by Council at its meeting of March 1, 2023.

• R. King declared a conflict on this item. (In accordance with Sections 5 and 6 of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, R.S.O. 1990, ;I, Councillor Rawlson King, declare a potential indirect pecuniary interest on the following portion of the 2023 Draft Operating and Capital Budget, as I am on the Board of the Rideau Winter Trail of Ottawa, an organization which (via the Winter Trail Alliance) would receive funding from, or would potentially receive funding from, this budget line item: Recreation, Cultural and Facilities Services, Community Recreation, Culture and Sports Programs, Community Recreation and Cultural Programs (Page 25 of the CSC Budget Book).)

Donna Gray, General Manager, Community and Social Services, Dan Chenier, General Manager, Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services, and Allyson Downs, Director, Parks Maintenance and Forestry Services, presented an overview of the report recommendations and answered questions from the Committee.  A copy of the slide presentation is filed with the Office of the City Clerk.

The following staff also answered questions:

• Community and Social Services Department: Suzanne Obiorah, Director of Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations and Social Development, Paul Lavigne, Director, Housing, Jason Sabourin, Director, Children's Services, Clara Freire, Director, Employment and Social Services
• Infrastructure and Water Services Department: Susan Johns, Director, Asset Management Services

Committee Members received the following submissions, and a copy of each is filed with the Office of the City Clerk:

• Michael Crockatt (Ottawa Tourism) letter dated February 27
• Erika Mills email dated February 28
• Sandra Milton (Lowertown Community Association) speaking notes received February 28

The following members of the public spoke before the Committee and provided comments on the report recommendations:

1. Kaite Burkholder Harris (Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa)
2. Carley Scharf  (Rural Ottawa Youth Mental Health Collective), slides on file
3. Rachael Wilson (Ottawa Food Bank)
4. Jeff Mason (Somerset West Community Health)
5. Colleen Taylor (Olde Forge Community Resource Centre)
6. Mostafizur Khan
7. Marisa Moher and Michelle James presenting, and Sahada Alolo and Liz Wigfull to answer any questions (Ottawa Guiding Council for Mental Health and Addictions), slides on file
8. Mark Raizenne (Friends of Beryl Gaffney Park), slides on file
9. Claude Bouchard
10. Trish MacPherson (Alignvest Management Corporation)
11. Meredith Kerr and Rebecca Dorris (Parkdale Food Centre)
12. Ana M. Cruz-Valderrama (in a personal capacity), written comments on file
13. Sylvie Bigras (Lowertown Community Association)
14. Christine Vincent
15. Jessica Roedig
16. Marlyn Wall (Child and Youth Permanency Council of Canada)
17. Ray Shinada (Nordstrom CF)
18. Bethany  
19. Chris Pierce (Les Suites Hotel, Ottawa)
20. Steve Ball (Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association)
21. Steve White (Ottawa-Carleton Standard Condominium Corporation No. 803)
22. Chris Greenshields (Vanier Community Association)
23. Peter Kucherepa (SOS Vanier)
24. Alain Garceau (Ottawa-Carleton Standard Condominium Corporation 671), slides on file
25. Philippe Denault, slides on file
26. Lawry Trevor-Deutsch (Dreammind Group), slides on file
27. David Mangano (Grand Pizzeria)
28. Anya Fraser
29. Andrew Lumsden
30. John Hennessy
31. Amanda Quance (Child Care Now Ottawa)
32. Calla Barnett

Following discussion, the Committee considered the following motion(s).

Councillor R. King did not participate in discussion, nor vote, on recommendation 2. B. ii) of motion no. CSC 2023-01-01.

Councillor S. Plante dissented on recommendation 1. A. of motion no. CSC 2023-01-01, with respect to the portion of the budget related to the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.

• Recommendation

  That the Community Services Committee consider the relevant portions of the draft 2023 Operating and Capital Budgets and forward its recommendations to Council, sitting as Committee of the Whole, for consideration at the meeting to be held on March 1, 2023.
• Motion No. CSC 2023-01-01
  Moved by J. Bradley

  That the Community Services Committee recommend that Council, sitting as Committee of the Whole on March 1, 2023, approve the Community Services Committee portion of the 2023 Draft Operating and Capital Budgets as follows:

  1. Community and Social Services Operating Budget, as follows:
  2. 1. General Manager’s Office Business Support Services and Community Safety, Well-Being, Policy and Analytics Operating Resource Requirement (page 4);
     2. Employment and Social Services Operating Resource Requirement (page 7);
     3. Children’s Services:
        1. User fees (page 11);
        2. Operating Resource Requirement (pages 9-10)
     4. Housing Services Operating Resource Requirement (page 13)
     5. Long Term Care Services Operating Resource Requirement (page 15);
     6. Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations and Social Development Services Operating Resource Requirement (page 18)

  2. Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services Operating Budget, as follows:
     1. General Manager’s Office and Business Support Services:
        1. User fees (page 22);
        2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 21);
     2. Community Recreation, Culture and Sports Programs:
        1. User Fees (pages 26-28);
        2. Community Recreation and Cultural Programs (Page 25)
        3. Remaining Operating Resource Requirement (page 25);
     3. Complexes, Aquatics and Specialized Services:
        1. User Fees (pages 32-34);
        2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 31);
     4. Parks and Facilities Planning:
        1. User Fees (page 37);
        2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 36);
     5. Facility Operations Service
        1. User Fees (page 41);
        2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 40).
  3. Public Works Department Operating Budget, Parks Maintenance Services Operating Resource Requirement (page 43); and
  4. Community Services Committee’s portion of the Capital Budget (pages 44-46, individual projects listed on pages 86-138, including revised pages 92, 104, 106, and 111). 
  Carried
• Motion No. CSC 2023-01-02
  Moved by T. Kavanagh

  WHEREAS Ottawa has a significant and growing senior population, who are living with a range of social and health needs; and

  WHEREAS the research demonstrates that the large majority of seniors (80%+) overwhelmingly express a preference for aging at home as opposed to institutional settings; and 

  WHEREAS community agencies have further demonstrated that the costs of providing home-based services for seniors such as transportation services, home-based personal and health supports, programs to combat isolation and food insecurity; are cost effective and lead to significant savings in use of emergency services and delay in move to long term care settings; and

  WHEREAS senior-serving agencies across Ottawa, including the Olde Forge, are providing effective and preventative services for seniors aging at home, and are only limited in their capacity to provide these services by financial restrictions; and

  WHEREAS the Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC) model for supporting seniors to age at home; particularly the Oasis model which has been operating in Kingston for over ten years, and has proven successful in decreasing emergency room visits by 26% and hospital admission by 40%, and has lead to a 45% reduction in need for home care services for seniors living in Oasis supported facilities; and

  WHEREAS the NORC/Oasis model saves significant taxpayer money by leveraging existing community resources and empowering seniors to create, drive and delver supports in a way that meets the unique needs of each building or neighbourhood; and

  WHEREAS Ottawa is currently hosting a two-year Oasis pilot project to demonstrate the efficacy and cost effectiveness of the Oasis model, in partnership with Queen’s University, The Olde Forge, the Ottawa Council on Aging and the residents in three Ambleside condos in Bay Ward; and

  WHEREAS Oasis pilot projects are also operating in Belleville, Hamilton, London, and are in the process of being launched by community groups in a host of other Ontario cities; and

  WHEREAS several community groups and organizations in Ottawa are learning about the Oasis model and are seeking funding to initiate Oasis-type programs in their communities; and  

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Community Services Committee recommend that Council direct the Mayor of Ottawa to write to the Premier of Ontario and the Minister of Health and Long Term Care to request a planned and intentional diversion of sustainable funding from outdated institutional models and towards community-based aging in place supports like the NORC/Oasis model, which are proven to increase quality of life and self-determination; delay/prevent use of emergency services and long term care facilities; save significant taxpayer dollars, and respond to the preferences of seniors across the province.

  Withdrawn

6.

In Camera Items

There were no in camera items.

7.

Notices of Motions (For Consideration at Subsequent Meeting)

7.1

Private security used in and around shelters

Submitted by Councillor S. Plante:

BE IT RESOLVED that staff make an inventory of the private security used in and around shelters;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff work with the Office of Ward 12 to see what training and supports are provided to the private security companies so that they better understand the challenges facing vulnerable groups accessing shelters.

8.

Inquiries

8.1

CSC-2023-01 – Court ruling on Waterloo homeless encampment

Submitted by Councillor S. Plante:

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruling (Court file no CV-22717) in Regional Municipality of Waterloo v. Persons Unknown and to be Ascertained, dated January 27, 2023 stated the following :

“I declare pursuant to section 52(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982, that the By-Law violates section 7 of the Charter in that it deprives the homeless residents of the Encampment of life, liberty and security of the person in a manner not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice and is not saved by section 1 of the Charter.

“I declare that the By-Law is inoperative insofar, and only insofar, as it applies to prevent the residents of the Encampment from living on and erecting temporary shelters without a permit on the Property when the number of homeless persons exceeds the number of available accessible shelter beds in the Region.

“Finally, I order that the Region may apply to terminate my declaration upon it being in a position to satisfy this Court that the By-Law no longer violates the section 7 rights of the Encampment residents.”

Can Legal Services provide an opinion/analysis on the legal implications that this ruling may have for:

• City by-laws, policies, and enforcement practices surrounding issues of addressing homelessness, shelters and encampments in the city;
• Clearing encampments in light of this decision; and,
• How the City of Ottawa will accommodate this decision.

9.

Other Business

9.1

Additional item – Motions – Physical Distancing Centres

Committee carried Motion No. CSC 2023-01-03 to add this item to the agenda, then discussed the motions below.

Donna Gray, General Manager, Community and Social Services, and Dan Chenier, General Manager, Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services, answered questions from Committee on the motions.

Nathalie Carrier (Vanier BIA) spoke to Committee on this item.

Following discussions, the Committee considered motions no. CSC 2023-01-03 to 06 below.

• Motion No. CSC 2023-01-03
  Moved by M. Carr

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Community Services Committee approve the addition of this item for consideration by the Committee at today’s meeting, pursuant to subsection 89(3) of the Procedure By-law (being by-law no. 2022-410), so that the transition plan for physical distancing centers may be brought back to Council by in Q2 of 2023.

  Carried
• Motion No. CSC 2023-01-04
  Moved by M. Carr

  WHEREAS Physical Distancing Centres began operating in May 2020 as a temporary measure to reduce the overall capacity within the single adult community shelter system and provide adequate space for users to physically distance and mitigate the spread of COVID-19; and

  WHEREAS the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected low-income households for a number of reasons including the loss of community and recreational spaces and programming as a result of Physical Distancing Centres (PDCs), Isolation Centres, vaccination clinics, testing centres and emergency supply storage being located in recreation and community centres; and

  WHEREAS the Council Memo title “Spring COVID-19 Response to Support Single Adults Experiencing Homelessness”, dated February 14, 2023, outlines Recreation facilities/Community Centres that will be used as Physical Distancing Centres from now until mid-August 2023; and

  WHEREAS the demand for emergency shelter services in the City of Ottawa continues to exceed the system’s permanent bed capacity and that the City of Ottawa has taken the approach that no one should be left unsheltered if they seek temporary shelter; and

  WHEREAS affordable and supportive housing remains a key priority for the City and a Housing First model, which moves people from shelters or the street to permanent housing with supports, is recognized as the desired alternative to chronic homelessness; and

  WHEREAS there are currently 180 units of supportive housing under development which will be available by the end of 2024, and will serve individuals experiencing homelessness;  and

  WHEREAS the City continues to prioritize options that provide permanent housing for individuals experiencing homelessness; and

  WHEREAS the Council report titled “Respite Services Sustainability Plan” (ACS2022-CSS-GEN-002) approved on April 13, 2022, directed staff to conduct a review of the single adult community shelter requirements and develop a longer-term plan to support the transitioning out of Physical Distancing Centres and respond to the needs of those experiencing homelessness; and

  WHEREAS Housing Services staff have been actively identifying and evaluating opportunities for permanent medium to long term housing and will report back to Committee and Council in Q2 2023; and

  WHEREAS recognizing that the need for PDCs may be required in the future in the event there is increased demand for shelter services that exceeds current capacity, and/or in response to unforeseen emergency situations within the housing and homelessness sector;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, as part of the report to Committee and Council in Q2 2023 outlining options to transition out of Physical Distancing Centres, staff be directed to:

  1. Outline a strategic approach focused on providing individuals experiencing homelessness the supports needed to transition to permanent housing;
  2. Explore all alternative options to using recreation/community centres to provide temporary emergency housing as needed;
  3. Include measures to ensure that community programming can resume at Heron Road and Dempsey within one month of the transition of residents out of the centers and that ice time at Jim Durrell and Bernard-Grandmaître be reinstated for 2023-2024 skating season;
  4. Identify factors and considerations for choosing recreation/community centres as short-term centres opened to respond to emergencies in the housing and homelessness sector, including applying a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) lens; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT staff be directed to regularly update Council on the progress of the approved transition plan until the resumption of programming in facilities used for PDCs; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the General Manager of Community and Social Services work with the City Treasurer to include considerations for the 2024 budget process and develop a financial plan to execute the options.

  Carried
• Motion No. CSC 2023-01-05
  Moved by R. King

  WHEREAS Council declared a housing and homelessness emergency and crisis in January 2020;

  WHEREAS Physical Distancing Centres began operating in Ottawa in May 2020 as a temporary measure to reduce the usage within the single adult community shelter system and provide adequate space for users to physically distance and mitigate the spread of COVID-19;

  WHEREAS the demand continues to exceed the temporary basis of these PDCs;

  WHEREAS the Council Memo: Spring COVID-19 Response to Support Single Adults Experiencing Homelessness, dated February 14, 2023, outlines Recreation facilities/Community Centres to be used as Physical Distancing Centres from now until mid-August 2023;

  WHEREAS the intent is to ensure clients utilizing these temporary shelters be transitioned to permanent housing;

  WHEREAS affordable and supportive housing is a key priority for the City and a Housing First model, which focuses on moving people from shelters or the street to permanent housing with supports;

  WHEREAS affordable housing stock in the City is already at an all-time low and a recent building fire in Overbrook resulted in the loss of 32 units, owned by non-profit organization Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, displacing 53 people;

  WHEREAS the shift of work-from-home and hybrid workspaces has evolved due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating commercial buildings in the City to become vacant;

  WHEREAS Council has committed to pursuing the conversion of such types of office buildings in the downtown core to residential buildings;

  WHEREAS the Federal Government Rapid Housing Initiative provides funding to facilitate the rapid construction of new housing and the acquisition of existing buildings for the purpose of rehabilitation or conversion to permanent affordable housing units;

  WHEREAS everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home;

  WHEREAS Council requires data and low-level reporting to make informed decisions and understand the fluctuating city-wide housing and homelessness crisis and emergency;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City explore supportive housing options using the third round of Rapid Housing Initiative by working with non-profits, community organizations, and housing providers for eligible clients housed in shelter or PDCs and report back to Community Services Committee and Council with evidence of these efforts and final projects selected for funding;

  THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED in order to keep all Council members up-to-date on the housing and homelessness emergency and crisis staff will continue to report annually via a Progress Report to Council and will report bi-annually to Committee via an Information Previously Distributed update:

  Using an anti-racism and women and gender equity lens, report on:

  1. The current number of families being housed in hotels and motels
  2. the number of families in family shelters
  3. the number of single youth, men and women in emergency shelters
  4. the cost of hotels
  5. the cost of emergency sheltering
  6. the number of singles and families who have moved from shelters to permanent housing through rent-geared to income housing or with a housing subsidy.
  Carried
• Motion No. CSC 2023-01-06
  Moved by S. Plante

  WHEREAS the City Zoning bylaw Part 5, section 134 defines a shelter as “shelter means an establishment providing temporary accommodation to individuals who are in immediate need of emergency accommodation and food, and may include ancillary health care, counselling and social support services. (refuge)”; and

  WHEREAS Physical Distancing Centres, and Respite Centres fall within that definition, and Warming Centres and emergency shelters in response to natural disasters do not;

  WHEREAS in spite of this Zoning by-law, the Council report titled “Respite Services Sustainability Plan” (ACS2022-CSS-GEN-002) approved by Council on April 13, 2022, provided the General Manager, Community and Social Services with the delegated authority to “maintain the Human Needs Command Centre as well as the municipally operated Respite and Physical Distancing Centres”; and

  WHEREAS the Council report titled “Respite Services Sustainability Plan” directed staff to conduct a review of the single adult community shelter requirements and develop a longer-term plan to support the transitioning out of Physical Distancing Centres and respond to the need of those experiencing homelessness “by Q1 2023”;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Staff complete the report to Committee and Council in Q2 2023 outlining options to transition out of Physical Distancing Centres, and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff be directed to:

  1. Expand on the criteria used to identify factors and considerations for choosing recreation/community centres as short-term centres opened to respond to emergencies in the housing and homelessness sector to include applying a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) lens in the future; and their proximity to schools or licensed childcare centres; and to consult with those entities to understand the potential impacts;
  2. Provide the criteria and scoring used since 2020 to pick which city facilities to be used as Physical Distancing Centres, and specifically the scoring for all facilities considered in 2023, before picking Heron Road and Dempsey Jim Durrell and Bernard-Grandmaître locations; and  

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the funding not spent on recreational programming in those recreation and community centres due to their use as a Physical Distancing Centre, Respite Centre in 2023 or any use that meets the zoning definition of a shelter, be reallocated for new and/or additional programming in those centres by the end of 2023; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff develop a comprehensive and robust security plan to ensure the safety of both users of the Physical Distancing Centres and the neighbouring communities and schools, and that plan be presented to councilor(s) for collaboration and consultation.

  Carried

  The following resolutions were included in Motion No. CSC 2023-01-06 when the motion was introduced, but were severed and withdrawn with the will of the Committee:

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no Physical Distancing Centres be opened or extended in City recreation or community centres post August 2023 without Council approval;  and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no recreation centre that has been used since March of 2020 as a homelessness shelter, respite centre, emergency physical distancing centre that meets the definition of a shelter in the zoning bylaw be used for any similar purpose again within a period of 5 years.

  
  

10.

Adjournment

Next Meeting: March 28, 2023

The Committee thanked Donna Grey for her dedicated work during her 35 years of municipal public service at the City of Ottawa.

The meeting adjourned at 5:48 pm.