The creation of a new seniors housing corporation to manage the TCHC’s senior buildings and a report on the rising cost of security for street festivals and other community events will be among the items up for discussion today as city council holds its final meeting before breaking for the summer.
Staff are recommending that a new corporation be formed to look after the management and operation of the 83 seniors buildings in the TCHC’s portfolio, which contain approximately 14,000 units.
The idea behind the change is to better integrate the delivery of housing and various supports for seniors that are offered by both the city and the provincial Toronto Local Health Integration Network.
“By integrating the delivery of housing and health services in the 83 seniors-designated buildings, the model promotes aging in place, better quality of life and successful tenancies,” a staff report states.
At today’s meeting, council will be asked to approve the formation of the new seniors housing corporation.
Council will also be asked to sign off on allowing 10 of the TCHC’s 83 senior buildings to be managed by the corporation in 2020 with the others to follow by 2022.
The staff report estimates that the cost of transferring management of the 10 buildings to the new agency will be approximately $1.78 million in 2020, though it says that there will likely be some savings to offset that increase.
Cost of paid duty officers for festivals also on agenda
In addition to the new seniors housing corporation, council is also expected to consider a staff report detailing a rise in security and paid duty officer costs for the nearly 200 community events and festivals that are being hosted by Business Improvement Areas (BIA’s) this year alone.
The report points out that the cost of hiring a paid duty constable has increased to $73 per hour and that it is an “increasing challenge” for organizers of special events just to obtain the required number of paid duty officers due to limited availability.
“The ability for the city and its external stakeholders to successfully obtain paid duty services is an increasing challenge, placing the viability of events and other activities, such as film production, in Toronto at risk,” the report notes.
A motion to be considered by council today would direct staff to conduct a survey of BIA’s and any other relevant stakeholders “regarding issues associated with hosting and managing street festivals and major events.”
After this week's meeting, council won't convene again until October.
