Tenant and Community Services Committee (TCSC) Meeting - November 8, 2012

Public Agenda

Chair’s Poll re: Conflict of Interest

Confirmation of Tenant & Community Services Committee Public Minutes – September 27, 2012

Business Arising from the Minutes and Committee Action Item List

Approval of Agenda and Review of Agenda Order

Review of Agenda (all items not held will be voted together without discussion)

For Approval

1. Relocation Policy

For Information

2. Q3 2012 Quarterly Performance Report
3. Vice President, Operations (Interim) Update on Resident Key Person (verbal)
4. Arrears Collection Strategy (verbal update)

Closed Meeting Agenda

Chair’s Poll re: Conflict of Interest

A. Confirmation of Tenant & Community Services Committee Public Minutes –  September 27, 2012

Business Arising from the Minutes and Committee Action Item List

Approval of Agenda and Review of Agenda Order

Review of Agenda (all items not held will be voted together without discussion)

For Information

B. Confidential item respecting the business of the corporation

Public Meeting Minutes

The Tenant and Community Services Committee of Toronto Community Housing Corporation met on November 8, 2012, in the Main Floor Conference Room, 931 Yonge Street, commencing at 9:08 a.m.

Committee Directors present:

Councillor Cesar Palacio, Chair Munira Abukar, Vice Chair

Councillor Frances Nunziata

Regrets:

none

Additional Directors present:

Catherine Wilkinson

Also present:

Jason Gorel, Chief Financial Officer

Michelle Haney-Kileeg, Vice President (Interim), Resident and Community Services

Eugene E. Jones Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer

Hugh Lawson, Director – Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations

Janice Lewkoski, Board Secretary

Bill Ward, Community Housing Director – East and Contract Management

Councillor Cesar Palacio, the Committee Chair, called the meeting to order and Mirela Bolentiru served as recording secretary.

Confirmation of Agenda

The Tenant and Community Services Committee approved the revised agenda as presented.

Declaration of Conflict of Interest

The Chair requested members of the Tenant and Community Services Committee to indicate any agenda item in which they had a conflict of interest, together with the nature of the interest. None were declared.

Deputations

The Committee Chair polled for any deputations to be heard at the meeting and explained the deputation process. The Chair noted that there were no verbal deputations and no written deputations received prior to the meeting. There were no deputations at the meeting.

Minutes – Confirmation of Tenant & Community Services Committee Public Minutes - September 27, 2012

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Munira Abukar, seconded by Councillor Cesar Palacio, the Tenant and Community Services Committee confirmed the above-captioned minutes and recommended they be forwarded to the Board of Directors for information.

Item 1 – Relocation Policy, TCSC:2012-31

The Tenant and Community Services Committee had before it the above-captioned report (TCSC:2012-31) from the President and Chief Executive Officer.

A discussion ensued, including the following highlights:

• The Relocation Policy mentions the Emergency Response Policy. A request was raised that the Emergency Response Plan and Policy be presented to the Committee for review and forwarded to the Board of Directors for approval.
• Random selection draw – the method applicable to the households that will be offered a replacement unit. Management confirmed that this method may be used for the pool of eligible people only. It is not restricted by the legislation in force.
• The Committee requested staff report back on the relocation of the tenants living in the stand alone houses proposed for sale.
• If the Scope of the Relocation Policy changes by adding supplementary items, recommended by City Councillors, to the local agreements with the City of Toronto about relocation in specific buildings and areas, staff will report to the Committee and the Board of Directors.
• Rent change due to relocation and its rationale.
  • Different communities have different structure of charges, such as utilities, parking, etc.
  • In some communities, the residents pay their own utilities in addition to the rent.
  • Rent varies by location for the market rate residents.
  • Residents would be advised accordingly before relocation.
• Communications with residents, including residents under 16 years of age.
  • Management advised that all forms of communication are used and the contact person for a household is usually the person on the lease agreement.
• Assessing need for requesting changes in legislation.
  • Policy exceeds minimum requirements in the applicable legislation.
• Translations – translation or interpretation services will be made available for notices and most documents.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Munira Abukar, seconded by Councillor Frances Nunziata, the Tenant and Community Services Committee adopted the report, including the recommendations discussed and requested that the draft Relocation Policy be forwarded to the Board of Directors for approval.

Item 2 – Q3 2012 Quarterly Performance Report, TCSC:2012-32

The Tenant and Community Services Committee had before it the above-captioned report (TCSC:2012-32) from the President and Chief Executive Officer.

The Committee and management discussed the report and questions were raised for clarification of the following matters:

• Successful Tenancies performance measures were requested. Management will decide the reporting method of recommendations 5 and 6 as per LeSage report for maximum clarity.
• Household in Arrears – Reduction Over Time:
  • There was an increase of 8% in the number of households in arrears.
    • Impact of collecting rent over the revenue.
    • Tenants have an opportunity to enter the repayment agreements.
    • Management will report back to the Committee on arrears strategy, by aligning staff in a more focused way.
  • ODSP Pay Direct processed and sent to Finance late payments for 368 households. As a result, the total arrears at the end of the third quarter were overstated. Those households should not be included in the next quarterly performance report.
  • The Committee Chair asked for the status of the implementation of the Committee’s prior four (4) recommendations with respect to eviction prevention and rent arrears collection strategies.
    • Management advised that the recommendations will be included in the new rent arrears collection strategy.
    • The Committee Chair requested the Vice President Operations (Interim) to present the Committee a supplementary report on eviction prevention strategy, including legal input and management actions to address rent arrears, based on the recommendations provided, and then the report be forwarded to the Board of Directors for information.
• Tenant Evictions – Reduction Over Time:
  • Titled “Reduction Over Time” while there was an increase of 22.2% in the number of active eviction applications at the Landlord and Tenant Board in the third quarter versus second quarter of 2012.
    • Management will amend the title of this particular section of the report.
    • There was an increase in the number of people evicted who were in substantial rent arrears for a long time.
    • There is a standardized process in place.
    • Management confirmed that contract managed buildings are seeking repayment agreements.
    • For comparison reasons, there was a request for splitting the rent arrears in two categories, depending on their source: contract managed buildings and direct managed buildings. Management will include the rent arrears split in the next quarterly performance report.
• Anti-Social Behaviour Occurrences:
  • Virtual Concierge in relation to suspicious activities – interest in learning more was expressed.
  • The Committee noted that the number of assaults increased in the third quarter 2012 and asked whether there are any updates on the community safety strategy that addressed this issue.
    • Management advised that the updated information will be presented to the Board of Directors at its special meeting on community safety scheduled on November 22, 2012, including the realignment of resources and responses received.
    • The updated information on community safety will not affect the incidents already occurred.
• Repairs Request Resolution Turnaround Time:
  • The Committee requested clarification with respect to the calculation of the number of work orders resolved within 5 business days.
    • Management confirmed that data presented did not represent the total number of work orders and will clarify at the next Committee meeting the calculation of the total numbers.
    • Data is extracted from Easy Trac database at the end of each quarter.
  • Top 10 categories for work orders created and outstanding in the third quarter 2012.
    • Pest control being the first category on the list is a proof that either the residents started to report infestation of their units, or the units have been identified as infested through inspections.
    • Management is reviewing the pest control strategy while it is proactively making changes.
    • The Committee Chair requested that management provide the information with respect to pest control at the standing community councils and Standard Licensing Committee (City).
    • City will ask the province for more funds at its meeting next week.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Frances Nunziata, seconded by Ms. Munira Abukar, the Tenant and Community Services Committee received the report for information.

Item 3 – Vice President, Operations (Interim) Update on Resident Key Person, Verbal

A discussion ensued and the Committee and management addressed the following matters:

• Management confirmed that the resident key person position on site will be dissolved, without exceptions.
• A discussion ensured with respect to the impact and the cost to the Corporation of not having resident key persons on site.

Item 4 – Arrears Collection Strategy, Verbal

Management provided a verbal update, including the following highlights:

• The new strategy will address:
  • Human resources alignment – job description for staff and how employees will be re-assigned.
  • Consistent repayment standards for rent arrears.
  • Three points of contact.
  • Alignment of the skill sets.
  • Finance and Legal Services department will meet with the Vice President, Operations (Interim).
  • Management will present a policy on arrears collection to the Committee and the Board of Directors for approval at a future meeting.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Frances Nunziata, seconded by Ms. Munira Abukar, the Tenant and Community Services Committee received the verbal report for information.

Public Meeting Proceedings

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Munira Abukar, seconded by Councillor Frances Nunziata, the Tenant and Community Services Committee adjourned the public meeting at 10:16 a.m.

Closed Meeting Proceedings

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Munira Abukar, seconded by Councillor Frances Nunziata, the Tenant and Community Services Committee resolved to meet in closed meeting at 10:17 a.m. to consider items A and B.

Public Proceedings

At 10:34 a.m., the Chair announced the resumption of the public proceedings and the public meeting reconvened at that time.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Munira Abukar, seconded by Councillor Cesar Palacio, the Tenant and Community Services Committee ratified the actions authorized during the closed meeting.

Termination

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Frances Nunziata, seconded by Councillor Cesar Palacio, the meeting of the Tenant and Community Services Committee terminated at 10:34 a.m.