february 26, 2015, 4:00p.m. 6:00p.m. - housing … 26...board of directors public agenda february...
Post on 25-Jun-2020
3 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PUBLIC AGENDA
February 26, 2015
Page 1 of 3
February 26, 2015, 4:00p.m. – 6:00p.m. Contact: Paul Chisholm, General Manager|416-981-6120| email: Paul.Chisholm@housingconnections.ca
176 Elm Street, Elm Meeting Rooms Toronto, ON M5T 3M4
Members: Christian Buhagiar, Chair Brian Kwan Jason Gorel Greg Spearn
PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA ITEMS 4:00p.m. – 5:30p.m.
CONSENT AGENDA
The Board Chair will ask for approval of the following consent agenda items. Board members must indicate if they wish to request to discuss the item, question the item or register a vote against the item. If an item is removed from the consent agenda, it will be discussed in closed session at the end of the public meeting.
ITEM DESCRIPTION ACTION PRE-READ PRESENTER(S)
1 Approval of Agenda and Review
of Agenda Order Approval Agenda
Chair, Board of
Directors
2 General Manager Information GM Update Paul Chisholm
3 Confirmation of Board of
Directors’ Public Meeting Minutes
of December 4, 2014
Approval Minutes
Chair, Board of
Directors
4 Quarter 4 – 2014 Financial Results
(unaudited) Information
HC: 2015-01 Keith Madley
5 2014 Financial Audit Plan Approval HC: 2015-02 Keith Madley
6 Quarter 4 – Performance Report Information HC: 2015-03 Alim Jivraj
7 Escalated Issues Report Information HC: 2015-04 Paul Chisholm
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PUBLIC AGENDA
February 26, 2015
Page 2 of 3
ITEM DESCRIPTION ACTION PRE-READ PRESENTER(S)
8 Centralized Waiting List
Compliance Report
Information HC: 2015-05 Alim Jivraj
9 Annual Report to the Shareholder Information HC: 2015-06 Alim Jivraj
10 General Manager’s Quarter 4
Expense Report
Information HC: 2015-07 Paul Chisholm
11 Changes to Local Occupancy
Standards
Information HC: 2015-08 Paul Chisholm
12 RGI Administration Manual Information HC: 2015-09 Paul Chisholm
13 Single Date Rule Information HC: 2015-10 Paul Chisholm
APPROVAL AND DISCUSSION ITEMS
14 Housing Connections’ 2015
Budget Update
Motion to:
1. Approve the
revised 2015
Operating Budget
2. Forward the 2015
Operating Budget
3. Authorize the
appropriate staff to
take the necessary
action to give
effect to
recommendations
1. and 2.
HC: 2015-11 Keith Madley
15 Election of a Vice Chair Information Verbal Chair, Board of
Directors
TERMINATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PUBLIC AGENDA
February 26, 2015
Page 3 of 3
CLOSED AGENDA
5:30p.m. – 6:00p.m.
CONSENT AGENDA
The Board Chair will ask for approval of the following consent agenda items. Board members must indicate if they wish to request to discuss the item, question the item or register a vote against the item. If an item is removed from the consent agenda, it will be discussed in closed session at the end of the public meeting.
DISCUSSION ITEMS CLOSED AGENDA
ITEM DESCRIPTION ACTION PRE-READ PRESENTER(S)
A. Approval of Agenda and Review
of Agenda Order Approval Agenda
Chair, Board of
Directors
B. Confirmation of Board of
Directors’ In Camera Meeting
Minutes of December 4, 2014
Discussion Minutes
Chair, Board of
Directors
C. Confidential Report of the
Corporation Information HC: 2015-10
Paul Chisholm
D. Confidential Report on
Identifiable Individual Information HC: 2015-11
Paul Chisholm
IN CAMERA AGENDA
IN CAMERA
DISCUSSION ITEMS
E. Confidential Report of the
Corporation Information Verbal Chair, Board of
Directors
TERMINATION
Item 2
Office of the General Manager
176 Elm Street
Toronto On M5T 3M4
Phone (416) 981-6129
Fax (416) 981-6112
www.housingconnections.ca
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) GM Update Memo
General Manager’s Report Page 1 of 3
MEMORANDUM
To: Housing Connections Board Members From: Paul Chisholm, General Manager Date: February 19, 2015 Subject: General Manager’s Report
____________________________________________________ This report serves to provide a strategic overview to the Board of Directors on
key programs, activities and updates. Where a Board decision is required or
where the Board should receive a thorough report on an issue it will come in the
form of a separate Board report with the appropriate recommendations.
Areas covered in this report:
General Staffing Updates
Website Update
Implementation of Changes to the Centralized Waiting List
GENERAL STAFFING UPDATES:
Management is pleased to report that most vacant positions at Housing
Connections have been filled. So far this year nine new staff have joined Housing
Connections and three existing staff have started new roles. With these positions
filled, Management is coordinating the staff orientation and training plans to
support new staff and address service issues resulting from reduced staffing in
2014. The positive impact of increasing staffing levels will be reflected in
Item 2
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) GM Update Memo
General Manager’s Report Page 2 of 3
improved ability to provide customer service; improved performance against
service standards and an increase in the morale of the staff teams.
WEBSITE UPDATE:
CivicLive was the successful vendor in an RFP issued by Toronto Community
Housing to update the websites for Housing Connections and Toronto
Community Housing.
Significant progress has been made in late 2014 and early 2015 on the User
Requirements and Information Architecture for this project. The User
requirements are in the final review stage and once signed off a project plan will
be finalized.
The website project is critical to supporting service to applicants and providers.
Enhancements to the website will improve applicant/provider self-service
options, provide more information to support housing choice for applicants and
leverage technology to simplify internal business processes.
IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGES TO THE CENTRALIZED WAIT LIST:
In the reports before the Board this month there are a number of updates related
to the changes approved in the administration of the Centralized Waiting List.
These changes are strongly supported by Housing Connections as steps needed
to simplify the access system, improve service to applicants and work towards
improved collaboration amongst patterns with shared objectives.
Item 2
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) GM Update Memo
General Manager’s Report Page 3 of 3
We have talked to this Board and its predecessor a number of times on the
importance of making these changes. Now that we are starting to see these
changes implemented, it is important to reflect on a few things:
they are intended to improve service and support for applicants;
they reflect the collective input of applicants, staff, community agencies
and other social housing partners; and
they are occurring in a context of making a complicated social program
work in an environment where the need for affordable housing far
outpaces the supply.
_____________________________ Paul Chisholm General Manager Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Paul Chisholm
General Manager
416-981-6120 paul.chisholm@housingconnections.ca
Thursday, December 4, 2014 Housing Connections Board of Directors Public Meeting Minutes
Page 1 of 8
The Board of Directors of Access Housing Connections Inc., met on Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 176
Elm Street, in the Elm rooms, on the first floor, commencing at 1:00 p.m.
Directors in Attendance: Jennifer Wood, Chair
Brian Kwan, Vice-Chair
Jason Gorel, Chief Financial Officer, Toronto Community Housing
Corporation (TCHC)
Greg Spearn, Interim President and CEO, TCHC
Regrets: Pamela Spencer, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Interim Vice President, Human Resources, TCHC
Marta Asturi, Legal Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary, TCHC
Rosalee Gunraj, Strategic Communications, TCHC
Staff Present: Paul Chisholm, General Manager
Denise Jones, EA & Board Secretary (recorder)
Keith Madley, Manager, Finance and Administration
Elvira Dos Santos, Manager, Housing Programs
Wanda Evans, Manager, Access to Housing
Lindsay MacDougall, Operations Coordinator
Nabat Sherif, Administration & Business Improvement Coordinator
Nadeem Siddiqui, Supervisor, Access to Housing
Kay Hodge, Supervisor, Client Services
Alim Jivraj, Business Planner
Call to Order and Roll Call
The meeting was called to order with quorum at 1:15 p.m. by Vice-Chair, Brian Kwan.
Declarations of Conflict of Interest in Matters before the Board
The Chair polled the Directors for any conflicts of interest; none heard.
Chair’s Remarks
No remarks .
Thursday, December 4, 2014 Housing Connections Board of Directors Public Meeting Minutes
Page 2 of 8
General Manager’s Remarks
Paul Chisholm introduced Keith Madley, Housing Connections’ new Manager of Finance and
Administration, to the Board, and welcomed him to his first meeting.
Good news stories for Housing Connections (HC) in 2014 include:
o Rent Supplement Program Enhancements to the Buildings and Unit inspections
program;
o Implementation of an enhanced Disadvantage Code validation process
o A successful My Choice pilot program;
o Strong collaboration with the City of Toronto on the Access review and supporting
change to the Access System.
o Excellent all staff information sessions presented by various agencies; and a number of
Housing Connections information sessions presented to agency members and
applicants.
HC continued staffing challenges have been compounded by a 50% walk-in service increase in
Resource Centre
United Way across TCHC has raised over $70,000 to date and HC, with its fifty staff members have
raised $1000 through Special Events
The website project and improvements to the HMS used in the rent supplement program are
underway. TAWL which is an older system used for the centralized wait list is another systems
update for future consideration.
We are keeping on top of budget funding for increased access services as requested by the City.
Staff morale: Staff absences and business process changes can have a negative impact on morale.
We work hard to include staff in changing business processes and keep a positive work
environment. We will continue to engage with staff in change and work to fill staff absences to
reduce impact on staff.
Jennifer Wood arrived at 1:25 p.m. and assumed the role of Chair for the duration of the meeting.
Confirmation of the Public Minutes of the Housing Connections Board of Directors for:
Board of Directors Regular Meeting October 3, 2014
Jason Gorel requested the minutes be amended on page 3 of 10 as follows:
Change “Toronto Community Housing (TCH) will provide the extra funding.” to, “Toronto
Community Housing (TCH) will provide the extra funding subject to the City Shareholder”.
Thursday, December 4, 2014 Housing Connections Board of Directors Public Meeting Minutes
Page 3 of 8
Motion Carried ON MOTION DULY MADE by Greg Spearn
seconded Brian and carried, the October 3, 2014
minutes were approved subject to the above-
noted amendment.
Approval of Agenda and Review of Agenda Order
The Chair asked if the Board members were in favour of the agenda.
Motion Carried ON MOTION DULY MADE by Brian Kwan and
seconded by Greg Spear and carried, the agenda
was approved.
Business Arising
The business arising document was reviewed by the Board.
The Chair requested the document be updated to add target dates to all items.
Public Proceedings
Item 1 (Report) Quarter 3 – 2014 Performance Report (HC: 2014-47 and HC: 2014-47a)
The Board of Directors had before it the above captioned report and attachment from the General
Manager.
Board members commented that red ‘action needed’ key performance indicators (KPIs) on the
legislated requirements scoreBoard (pages 10 and 11 of the report) were of concern.
Paul Chisholm responded that red items in the Special Priority Program (SPP) category were a
result of unplanned staff absences. The combination of planned and unplanned absences reduced
staff’s ability to process the applications as per the service standard. Improvements are
anticipated on this measure in Q4 but there is some work carried into Q4 that will make it difficult
to meet this target. In addition, changes to business processes and staff workflow are being
finalized for Q1 2015 that will also improve ability to meet the target.
Thursday, December 4, 2014 Housing Connections Board of Directors Public Meeting Minutes
Page 4 of 8
Paul Chisholm added that HC is expecting to have some of its vacant staffing positions filled by
January, and that the process for competitions is lengthy, in part due to union requirements. HC
is currently experiencing five vacancies, and we are expecting three more this month.
Motion Carried ON MOTION DULY MADE by Brian Kwan,
seconded by Greg and carried, the Board of
Directors:
(1) Received for information the Third Quarter,
2014 Performance Report, and,
(2) That the General Manager forward the report
to the Shareholder for review.
Item 2 (Report) Quarter 3 – 2014 Financial Performance Report (HC: 2014-48)
The Board of Directors had before it the above captioned report from the General Manager.
Jason Gorel presented this report and provided further information and clarification that:
The Finance Committee met on November 24th and reviewed the contents of this report.
The budget is on target for the end of the year; revenues over expenses are expected to align with
the budget at year end.
Motion Carried ON MOTION DULY MADE by Brian Kwan,
seconded by Greg Spearn and carried, the Board
of Directors received the Quarter 3, 2014 Financial
Performance Report for information.
Item 3 (Report) 2015 Operating and Capital Budget (HC: 2014-49 and FC-2014-08)
The Board of Directors had before it the above captioned report and attachment from the General
Manager.
Jason Gorel reviewed the report providing further information and clarification that:
The Finance Committee originally received a budget in August which showed a deficit and asked
management to re-present a balanced budget. Management did so at the November Finance
Committee meeting. What is not in the budget are management’s discussions with the City about
funding for additional program requirements.
Thursday, December 4, 2014 Housing Connections Board of Directors Public Meeting Minutes
Page 5 of 8
We did share the budget with the Service Manager.
We may have end of year budget changes if the City makes any funding changes.
IT Emphysys and website upgrades require TCHC project funding from the City.
HC’s is projecting the websites will be updated by August/September. Greg Spearn would like HC
to get Bruce Malloch, IT, and the vendor together to explain the timeline. Greg is not satisfied
with the TCHC IT schedule. Paul Chisholm has a meeting coming up with project steering
committee and Greg Spearn asked he provide the Board with a report via email after the meeting.
The Chair would like an understanding of why a website project would take this long.
Keith Madley highlighted that rent supplement payments are a flow through on both the revenue and
expenditure sides and that the staffing envelope increase of over $100,000 are due to rising benefits costs.
The Chair asked why funding for the changes required by the City’s Access Review are not in the budget.
Paul Chisholm responded that two business cases have been submitted to the City to date and decisions
are expected to come back this month. HC is meeting with the City again on December 9th to confirm
timing and approach. HC requires project parameters in writing from City and so that associated costs
can be defined. We expect an increase of a 10% administrative cost for these significant changes. We do
not know at this point if the City wants to follow up with resources to implement the changes. Or, reduce
existing programs, and then allocate existing funding to do what we need to do within the existing
resource and funded structure.
Jason Gorel would like Access Review changes funding affirmed by HC by the City before the end of this
year. If not he will approach the City.
Paul Chishom explained that the financial report shows a sundry revenue of $45,000 because HC is
subletting to TCHC staff, which requires their payment for office services and for their workspace.
Keith Madley explained that line item 5669 “Sundry Admin” is a miscellaneous cost of about eight
different combined items.
Motion Carried ON MOTION DULY MADE by Brian seconded by
Greg and carried, the Board of Directors:
(1) Approved the 2015 Operating and Capital
Budget; and,
Thursday, December 4, 2014 Housing Connections Board of Directors Public Meeting Minutes
Page 6 of 8
(2) Authorize the General Manager to continue
operations based on the attached Budget
through December 31, 2015;
(3) That the General Manager can forward the
report to the Shareholder for review.
(4) Authorize the appropriate staff to take the
necessary action to give effect to
recommendations (1), (2) and (3).
Item 4 AHCI (Access Housing Connections Inc. 2015 Board of Directors Work Plan with
Proposed Board meeting dates (HC: 2014-50)
The Board of Directors had before it the above captioned work plan with proposed Board meeting dates
for 2015.
There Chair polled and the Board members did not require any discussion of this item.
Motion Carried ON MOTION DULY MADE by Jason, seconded
by Greg and carried, the Board of Directors
approved the Board of Directors’ Work Plan.
Item 5 (Report) City Council Recommendations and Impact Assessment (Access
Review) Implementation Plan for Required Changes to the Centralized
Waiting List (HC: 2014-52)
The Board of Directors had before it the above captioned report from the General Manager.
Paul Chisholm provided the following additional information and clarification:
Confirmation of Interest (COI) process changes have already begun. COI letters will not be mailed
to applicants until after 18 months of no contact. The previous timeline was 12 months. This
change enables some administrative relief, but does not impact the length of time an applicant may
wait on the centralized wait list.
HC has strong costing for the Province Wide Arrears Database. We are currently waiting for some
information from IT. When we receive the information the business case provided to the City will
be updated and funding approval is expected.
Jason Gorel commented that funding and resource allocation are not evident in the report and
asked that associated costs should be provided to the Board in advance of their approval.
Thursday, December 4, 2014 Housing Connections Board of Directors Public Meeting Minutes
Page 7 of 8
Paul Chisholm clarified that Phase 1 has no additional associated costs; Phase 2 will be close to
existing costs and Housing Connections will seek reimbursement through the business case; and
Phase 3 will have associated costs.
Motion Carried ON MOTION DULY MADE by Greg Spearn, seconded
by Brian Kwan and carried, the Board of Directors agreed to:
(1) Receive the implementation plan for information;
(2) Acknowledge Phase 1 can be implemented at no additional cost;
(3) Require Housing Connections record any additional costs associated
with the implementation of Phase 2; and,
(4) Require Housing Connections to come back to the Board for approval
of costs relating to Phase 3, before Phase 3 is implemented.
Item 6 (Report) Board Advisory Council - Meeting Summary and Highlights from Minutes
(HC: 2014-51)
The Board of Directors had before it the above captioned presentation from the General Manager.
The Chair polled and the Board members did not require any discussion or of this item.
Motion Carried ON MOTION DULY MADE by Greg Spearn,
seconded by Brian Kwan and carried, the Board of
Directors received the report for information.
Item 7 (Report) Special Priority Program Review (HC: 2014-53)
The Board of Directors had before it the above captioned report from the General Manager.
The Chair polled and the Board members did not require any discussion of this item.
Motion Carried ON MOTION DULY MADE by Brian Kwan,
seconded by Greg Spearn and carried, the Board
of Directors received the report for information.
Item 8 (Presentation) Website Upgrade Overview (HC: 2014-54)
The Board of Directors had before it the above captioned presentation from the General Manager.
Thursday, December 4, 2014 Housing Connections Board of Directors Public Meeting Minutes
Page 8 of 8
This item was disucssed in item 3 above. The Chair polled to see if any further discussion was required.
None heard. Paul Chisholm added HC is using this as another opportunity to engage with our
stakeholders and we’re getting some positive feedback about the process engagement that is taking place.
Motion Carried ON MOTION DULY MADE by Brian Kwan,
seconded by Jason Gorel and carried, the Board of
Directors received the report for information.
Item 9 (Report) General Manager’s Expense Report for Quarter 3 2014 (HC: 2014-55)
The Board of Directors had before it the above captioned report.
The General Manager had no expenses to report.
Motion Carried ON MOTION DULY MADE by Brian, seconded
by Greg and carried, the Board of Directors
received the report for information.
At 2:40 p.m. the public portion of the meeting ended and earing no objections to do so, the Chair directed
that the in camera meeting commence.
All management staff with the exception of Paul Chisholm and Denise Jones (recorder) left the meeting a
the close of the public session.
Next Scheduled Meeting: February 18, 2015
_________________________________ __________________________________
Secretary Chair
Page 1 of 2
Housing Connections
Board of Directors 176 Elm Street, Toronto
Report on Business Arising from the Public Meeting Minutes – December 4, 2014
Report No. Description Status Target Date
HC: 2014-36
Oct. 3, 2014
City Council Recommendations and Impact Assessment (Access Review)
At its July 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2014 meeting City Council directed the General
Manager, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration to report back to
Council in March 2015, through the Community Development and
Recreation Committee, with an update on the review of the centralized waiting
list for social housing and the implementation of a single date.
In Progress
March 2015
HC: 2014-36
Oct. 3, 2014
City Council Recommendations and Impact Assessment (Access Review)
1) The General Manager will prepare a summary or use summary table
(HC: 2014-36a) for TCHC Board Chair, Bud Purves, for TCHC Board
information;
2) The General Manager will negotiate with the Director of the Social
Housing Unit at the City of Toronto on an implementation plan
including impacts to customer service, operations, technology and
budgets that may be required to support the required changes;
3) The General Manager will report back to the Board for their approval of
the implementation plan for negotiation, before it is taken to the
Director of the Social Housing Unit.
In Progress
February 2015
Open Action Item List (Public) - 2014
Report No. and Meeting Date
Description Status Target Date
HC: 2014-06
March 7, 2014
General Manager’s Report
1) Presentation by TCH ITS on HC website re-development project and,
presentation or report by HC on HC website re-development project
2) Web project overview by selected vendor
deferred
June 2015
Page 2 of 2
Housing Connections
Board of Directors 176 Elm Street, Toronto
Report No. and Meeting Date
Description Status Target Date
HC - 2012-04
February 29,
2012
Rent Supplement Internal Transfer Policy
General Manager is to bring back a report on the implementation of the Rent
supplement Internal Transfer Policy.
Currently operating with the policy
approved at the Feb. 2012 Board meeting.
Q3, 2015
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-01
Year End 2014 Financial Performance Report Page 1 of 6
Item 4
Date: February 18, 2015
To: Board of Directors
From: General Manager
Subject: Year End 2014 Financial Performance Report
PURPOSE:
To review and discuss Housing Connections’ year end 2014 financial performance.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the Board of Directors:
(1) Receive the year end 2014 Financial Performance Report (attached); and
(2) Forward the year end 2014 Financial Performance Report to the Board of
Directors for review and discussion;
(3) Authorize the assignment of $100,000 of the 2014 surplus (subject to final audit
adjustments) to a reserve for IT system improvements at Housing Connections
scheduled for 2015;
(4) Authorize the assignment of $82,200 of the 2014 surplus (subject to final audit
adjustments) to the operating budget in 2015 related to funding received after
year end related to the My Choice Rental Project; and
(5) Authorize the appropriate officials of Housing Connections to take the necessary
actions to give effect to the recommendations (1 and 2).
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-01
Year End 2014 Financial Performance Report Page 2 of 6
Item 4
FINANCE COMMITTEE COMMENTS ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS:
Finance Committee reviewed the recommendations and discussed the accounting
approach to making the requested changes. The Chair of the Finance Committee
recommended that these changes be brought forward for discussion with the full Board
of Directors of Housing Connections.
BACKGROUND:
The Housing Connections 2014 Operating and Capital Plan was prepared based on the
financial targets and initiatives set in the Strategic Framework and approved by the
Board of Directors at its December 6, 2013 meeting. The Financial Performance against
the plan is reported to the Board within its Quarterly Financial Performance Report.
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:
The year end 2014 Financial Performance Report is a high level report containing un-
audited Financial Statements, actual revenues and expenses through Q4, and year-end
variance comments by business line. The report is intended to provide the Finance
Committee with information on the corporation’s financial performance.
Summary of 2014 Financial Performance
Year End 2014 Financial Statements (un-audited)
Operational Surplus at the end of 2014 is $191K. At the end of Q3 the forecasted year
end operational surplus was $5K. This increased surplus is due to a combination of
spending less than anticipated in salaries and benefits combined with planned
underspending in a number of areas originally though necessary to offset the
anticipated over spending in salaries and benefits.
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-01
Year End 2014 Financial Performance Report Page 3 of 6
Item 4
In addition Housing Connections received a payment of $82,200 from the City of
Toronto in January of 2015 representing a reimbursement of expenditures on the My
Choice Rental Project made in 2014. This reimbursement served to increase the
operating surplus by $82,200 as the payment was not received in time to permit
backfilling of staff and use other resources devoted to this project. As a result of these
factors the year end operational surplus for 2014 is greater than previously estimated.
Material impacts to the Balance Sheet and Cash flows of the corporation were primarily
driven by the actual year end surplus achieved, increase in revenues receivable and
changes in the composition of liabilities some of which are under review by staff.
Year End 2014 Operations Forecast and Variance
Operating revenues:
Overall, operating revenues are $269K higher than plan or 0.9% due mainly to
higher than expected landlord grants.
a. Administrative subsidies are 0.1% or $5K below plan or essentially on budget.
b. Landlord Grants are 1.1% or $259K above plan. Further details are contained
within Housing Programs update below.
c. Sundry revenue is $15K above plan related to billing for mandate work done
in 2014.
Operating expenses:
In total, operating expenditures were $77K or 0.3% higher than plan.
a. Landlord Grants and recoverable expenses are 1.1% or $259K above plan.
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-01
Year End 2014 Financial Performance Report Page 4 of 6
Item 4
b. Salaries and benefits expense was 0.8% or $34K below plan. A pressure was
expected in this area but due to delays in hiring a late reimbursement of
spending re the My Choice Rental Project actual spending was slightly below
budget.
c. Other expenses were overall below plan by $86K. This included planned
underspending to offset the planned overspending in salaries and benefits
that didn’t occur, and the impact of the late receipt of the My Choice Rental
funding.
d. Planned interest on notes payable was over estimated during budget
development.
Quarter 4 2014 Housing Programs Summary
The Quarterly Housing Programs Summary Report is a high level report of variances
from approved plan segregated by Housing Program. This report is intended to provide
the Finance Committee with information on the Corporation’s performance and to
assess the possibility of future risks.
Since this report will be provided to The City of Toronto as part of Housing
Connections’ reporting commitments, it will be received by the Board of Directors as
part of the Quarterly Performance Report for Q4 2014.
For the year ended December 31, 2014 Housing Connections operated slightly over the
approved budget.
Creating a Capital Reserve
The attached report highlights key financial indicators for the quarter ended December
31, 2014 for Housing Connections. Noted in the report is an anticipated surplus of over
$100,000 (subject to final audit adjustments).
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-01
Year End 2014 Financial Performance Report Page 5 of 6
Item 4
Housing Connections is redeveloping our website. This project was initiated in 2014
and will be completed in 2015. Holding these funds in reserve and allocating them to
the website improvement project in 2015 will offset the future costs to Housing
Connections for this cost.
Increasing Operating Funding in 2015
Housing Connections devoted resources to the My Choice rental Project in 2014. As a
result of uncertainty over financial support from the City of Toronto resources devoted
to the project were not backfilled resulting in a number of operational issues not
moving forward in 2014. Had the payment of $82,200 made to Housing Connections
been made earlier in 2014 other spending priorities would have been addressed.
Allocating these funds to 2015 will allow these priorities to proceed.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The draft un-audited financial results reflect that 2014 operating results were slightly
over budget on both revenue and spending.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-01
Year End 2014 Financial Performance Report Page 6 of 6
Item 4
COMMUNICATIONS IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
_____________________________
Paul Chisholm
General Manager
Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Keith Madley,
Manager, Finance and Administration
416-981-6126 Keith.madley@housingconnections.ca
Attachment: #1 Quarter 4, 2014 Financial Statements (un-audited)
#2 Quarter 4, 2014 Operations Variance
#3 Quarter 4, 2014 Housing Programs Summary
Attachment #1 to HC: FC2015-01 (Item #1)
DRAFT
FOR DISCUSSION WITH MANAGEMENT ONLY – SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT
NOT TO BE FURTHER COMMUNICATED
S:\Housing Connections Management Group\Managers - Executive\Board of Directors\Board Packages\2015\February 26, 2015\FINAL DOCS and PDF\4 - Access Housing Connections Inc 2014 FS .docx February 18, 2015 12:24 PM Version 6.0
Access Housing Connections Inc. Financial Statements (Unaudited) December 31, 2014
Access Housing Connections Inc. Statements of Financial Position As at December 31, 2014
FOR DISCUSSION WITH MANAGEMENT ONLY – SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT
NOT TO BE FURTHER COMMUNICATED
DRAFT
Approved by the Board of Directors
___________________________________ Director ________________________________ Director
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
S:\Housing Connections Management Group\Managers - Executive\Board of Directors\Board Packages\2015\February 26, 2015\FINAL DOCS and PDF\4 - Access Housing Connections Inc 2014 FS .docx February 18, 2015 12:24 PM Version 6.0
2014
$ 2013
$ Assets Current assets Cash 500 500 Due from City of Toronto (note 3) 2,116,442 1,814,325 Due from Toronto Community Housing Corporation (Note 3) 23,647 - HST recoverable 3,896 4,525 2,144,485 1,819,350 Capital and intangible assets (note 4) 35,584 72,351 2,180,069 1,891,701
Liabilities Current liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 655,328 683,947 Due to Toronto Community Housing Corporation (note 3) - 102,870 655,328 786,817
Notes payable - Toronto Community Housing Corporation (note 3)
1,673,628 1,447,277 2,328,956 2,234,094 Net Assets Share capital Authorized and issued
100 common shares 100 100 Contributed capital 300,000 300,000 Deficit (448,987) (642,493) (148,887) (342,393) 2,180,069 1,891,701
Access Housing Connections Inc. Statements of Operations and Deficit
For the years ended December 31, 2014
FOR DISCUSSION WITH MANAGEMENT ONLY – SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT
NOT TO BE FURTHER COMMUNICATED
DRAFT
S:\Housing Connections Management Group\Managers - Executive\Board of Directors\Board Packages\2015\February 26, 2015\FINAL DOCS and PDF\4 - Access Housing Connections Inc 2014 FS .docx February 18, 2015 12:24 PM Version 6.0
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
2014
$ 2013
$ Revenue Operating subsidies (note 3) 5,651,340 5,540,520 Subsidies - Housing Allowance and Mental Health Commission - 240,404 Landlord grants (notes 3 and 5) 24,858,561 25,320,081 Interest and sundry 14,866 - 30,524,767 31,101,005 Operating expenses Salaries and benefits 4,033,700 3,874,036 Landlord payments (note 5) 24,858,561 25,270,729 Recoverable expense - Mental Health Commission - 49,352 Employee 4,944 8,016 Office 611,838 927,821 Systems 362,468 439,024 Professional services 322,922 339,194 Administrative and other 24,610 32,301 Interest 75,450 75,450 Amortization 36,768 38,463 30,331,261 31,054,386 Excess of revenue over expenses for the year 193,506 46,619 Deficit - Beginning of year (642,493) (689,112) Deficit - End of year (448,987) (642,493)
Access Housing Connections Inc. Statements of Cash Flows
For the years ended December 31, 2014
DRAFT
FOR DISCUSSION WITH MANAGEMENT ONLY – SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT
NOT TO BE FURTHER COMMUNICATED
S:\Housing Connections Management Group\Managers - Executive\Board of Directors\Board Packages\2015\February 26, 2015\FINAL DOCS and PDF\4 - Access Housing Connections Inc 2014 FS .docx February 18, 2015 12:24 PM Version 6.0
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
2014
$ 2013
$ Cash provided by (used in) Cash flow from operating activities Excess of revenue over expenses for the year 193,506 46,619 Add: Item not involving cash
Amortization 36,768 38,463 230,274 85,082 Changes in non-cash working capital balances related to operations
(Increase)/decrease in due from City of Toronto (302,115) 1,274,466 Decrease in HST recoverable 629 8,307 Decrease/(increase) in accounts payable and accrued liabilities (28,621) 326,599 (99,833) 1,694,454
Cash flow from financing activities Increase in notes payable 226,350 75,450 Decrease in due to Toronto Community Housing Corporation (126,517) (1,264,066) Decrease in deferred rental allowance - (506,038) 99,833 (1,694,654) Decrease in cash during the year 0 (200) Cash - Beginning of year 500 700 Cash - End of year 500 500
Access Housing Connections Inc. Notes to Financial Statements December 31, 2013 and December 31, 20124
(1)
DRAFT
FOR DISCUSSION WITH MANAGEMENT ONLY – SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT
NOT TO BE FURTHER COMMUNICATED
S:\Housing Connections Management Group\Managers - Executive\Board of Directors\Board Packages\2015\February 26, 2015\FINAL DOCS and PDF\4 - Access Housing Connections Inc 2014 FS .docx February 18, 2015 12:24 PM Version 6.0
1 The organization
Access Housing Connections Inc. (AHCI) was incorporated on August 14, 2003 under the provisions of the
Ontario Business Corporations Act and is wholly owned by Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC).
In establishing AHCI, TCHC approved a shareholder direction that set guiding principles, high-level objectives
and expected accountability to TCHC. The shareholder direction establishes AHCI as a not-for-profit
organization under the direction of an independent board of directors.
AHCI is a not-for-profit organization. Pursuant to section 149, paragraph (1)(d.6) of the Income Tax Act
(Canada) (the ITA), AHCI is exempt from federal Part I tax, as it is a subsidiary of a municipal corporation.
AHCI qualifies as a subsidiary of TCHC, having met the following conditions:
TCHC, a municipal corporation, directly controls AHCI;
no rights have been issued to acquire shares or capital in AHCI, either immediately or in the future, either
absolutely or contingently; and
no more than 10% of income for the taxation year is earned outside of the geographical boundaries of
AHCI or those of TCHC.
Per subsection 27(2) of the Taxation Act (Ontario), AHCI is exempt from Ontario income tax because it is
exempt from federal Part I tax, pursuant to section 149 of the ITA.
On January 1, 2004, AHCI commenced operations in the delivery of housing access services and in the
administration of homelessness and commercial rent supplement programs.
2 Summary of significant accounting policies
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Canadian public sector accounting standards
(PSAS), including accounting standards that apply to government not-for-profit organizations.
The significant accounting policies are summarized below.
Revenue recognition
AHCI follows the deferral method of accounting for contributions. Unrestricted contributions, which include
subsidies, are recognized as revenue when received or receivable if the amount to be received can be reasonably
estimated and collection is reasonably assured. Externally restricted contributions, which include rent
supplements, are recognized as revenue in the year in which the related expenses are recognized.
Other revenue is recorded when services are provided and collection is reasonably assured.
Access Housing Connections Inc. Notes to Financial Statements December 31, 2013 and December 31, 20124
(2)
DRAFT
FOR DISCUSSION WITH MANAGEMENT ONLY – SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT
NOT TO BE FURTHER COMMUNICATED
S:\Housing Connections Management Group\Managers - Executive\Board of Directors\Board Packages\2015\February 26, 2015\FINAL DOCS and PDF\4 - Access Housing Connections Inc 2014 FS .docx February 18, 2015 12:24 PM Version 6.0
Financial instruments
AHCI has adopted PS 3450, Financial Instruments. This standard was adopted on January 1, 2012.
At initial recognition, AHCI classifies its financial instruments in the following categories depending on the
purpose for which the instruments were acquired:
Category Measurement
Cash loans and receivables amortized cost Due from City of Toronto loans and receivables amortized cost HST recoverable loans and receivables amortized cost Accounts payable and accrued liabilities financial liabilities amortized cost Due to TCHC financial liabilities amortized cost Notes payable financial liabilities amortized cost
Capital and intangible assets
Capital and intangible assets are recorded at cost less, accumulated amortization. Amortization is calculated on
a straight-line basis over the useful life of the asset as follows:
Equipment 4 to 10 years Computer software 4 years Computer hardware 4 years Office renovation 15 years
Use of estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with Canadian PSAS requires management to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of
contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
3 Related party transactions
The amount due from the City of Toronto represents subsidies receivable and is non-interest bearing.
The amounts due from TCHC represents reimbursement from TCHC for capital expenditures paid on AHCI’s
behalf. Amounts due are non-interest bearing and have no set terms of repayment. Notes payable to TCHC bear
interest at 5.5% and 5.0% payable yearly and are due on demand.
Access Housing Connections Inc. Notes to Financial Statements December 31, 2013 and December 31, 20124
(3)
DRAFT
FOR DISCUSSION WITH MANAGEMENT ONLY – SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT
NOT TO BE FURTHER COMMUNICATED
S:\Housing Connections Management Group\Managers - Executive\Board of Directors\Board Packages\2015\February 26, 2015\FINAL DOCS and PDF\4 - Access Housing Connections Inc 2014 FS .docx February 18, 2015 12:24 PM Version 6.0
The following transactions were carried out with related parties.
2014
$ 2013
$
Amounts received from TCHC Operating subsidies 5,651,340 5,540,520
Amounts received from City of Toronto
Landlord grants 24,858,561 25,320,081
Amounts paid to TCHC
Corporate overhead 217,752 213,480 Rental expense 434,401 403,704 Information technology expense 361,048 421,097 Postage services 72,000 72,000 Communication services 75,000 75,000
1,160,201 1,185,281
4 Capital and intangible assets
2014
Cost
$
Accumulated amortization
$ Net
$
Equipment 216,172 203,722 12,450 Office renovation 57,431 34,297 23,134 Computer hardware 3,560 3,560 - Capital assets 227,163 241,579 35,584 Intangible assets
Computer software 1,516,238 1,516,238 -
1,793,401 1,757,817 35,584
2013
Cost
$
Accumulated amortization
$ Net
$
Equipment 216,172 182,105 34,067 Office renovation 57,431 20,841 36,590 Computer hardware 3,560 3,560 - Capital assets 277,163 206,506 70,657 Intangible assets
Computer software 1,516,238 1,514,544 1,694 1,793,401 1,721,050 72,351
Access Housing Connections Inc. Notes to Financial Statements December 31, 2013 and December 31, 20124
(4)
DRAFT
FOR DISCUSSION WITH MANAGEMENT ONLY – SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT
NOT TO BE FURTHER COMMUNICATED
S:\Housing Connections Management Group\Managers - Executive\Board of Directors\Board Packages\2015\February 26, 2015\FINAL DOCS and PDF\4 - Access Housing Connections Inc 2014 FS .docx February 18, 2015 12:24 PM Version 6.0
5 Landlord payments and landlord grants
Landlord payments consist of the following:
2014
$ 2013
$
Commercial - rent supplement 13,202,909 12,809,475 Strong Communities - rent supplement 11,655,652 11,432,762 Housing Allowance - 318,471 Mental Health Commission - 390,656 Short-term Rent Support Program - 319,365
24,858,561 25,270,729
Landlord grants are equivalent to the landlord payments plus an agreed on administrative fee per unit and
recoverable expense was $49,352 in 2013 received from the City of Toronto. This recoverable amount no longer
applies in 2014.
6 Capital management
AHCI defines capital as long-term debt and equity. AHCI’s objective is to have sufficient capital to continue
operating despite adverse financial events and to provide itself with the flexibility to take advantage of
opportunities.
AHCI is not subject to any externally imposed capital requirements.
There has been no change in AHCI’s approach to capital management during the year ended December 31,
2014.
7 Economic dependence
AHCI depends on both the City of Toronto and TCHC for substantially all of its funding (note 3). If the funding
ceases, AHCI may not be able to continue as a going concern.
Access Housing Connections Inc. Notes to Financial Statements December 31, 2013 and December 31, 20124
(5)
DRAFT
FOR DISCUSSION WITH MANAGEMENT ONLY – SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT
NOT TO BE FURTHER COMMUNICATED
S:\Housing Connections Management Group\Managers - Executive\Board of Directors\Board Packages\2015\February 26, 2015\FINAL DOCS and PDF\4 - Access Housing Connections Inc 2014 FS .docx February 18, 2015 12:24 PM Version 6.0
8 Financial instruments
Credit risk
AHCI, in the normal course of business, is exposed to credit risk from its customers. This risk is mitigated by
the fact that management believes AHCI has thorough and rigorous credit approval procedures. These
procedures are supported by a strong collection process.
Management considers AHCI’s credit risk exposure to be minimal, as the accounts receivable are primarily due
from the City of Toronto.
Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk results from AHCI’s potential inability to meet the obligations associated with its financial
liabilities as they come due. AHCI monitors its operations and cash flows to ensure that current and future
obligations will be met. AHCI believes that its current sources of liquidity are sufficient to cover its known short
and long-term cash obligations.
Attachment #2 to HC-2015-01
Budget Budget YTD ActualProjected Year
End Actual
2014 2014 2014 2014
$ $ $ $ $ %
Revenue
Operating Subsidies 5,656,332 5,651,340 (4,992) (0.1%) Essentially on budget.
Landlord Grants 24,599,904 24,858,561 258,656 1.1%Slight variance to budget as program spending primarily reflecting additional units in
Commercial Rent Supplement
Sundry Revenues 0 14,866 14,866 100.0% Revenue related to mandate work not included in the original 2014 budget.
Total Revenues 30,256,236 0 30,524,767 0 268,530 0.9%
Expenses
Salary & Benefits 4,067,763 4,033,700 (34,063) (0.8%)Small underspending due to receipt of funding for the My Choice Rental Project in January
of 2015 not allowing for backfilling to happen as planned
Landlord payments [note 6] 24,599,904 24,858,561 258,657 1.1%Slight variance to budget as program spending primarily reflecting additional units in
Commercial Rent Supplement
Staff expense 31,500 4,945 (26,555) (84.3%) Spending was held back to offset anticapted overspending in salaries and benefits.
Office 611,460 611,838 378 0.1% Essentially on budget.
Systems 381,150 362,468 (18,682) (4.9%)Small underspending due to receipt of funding for the My Choice Rental Project in January
of 2015 not allowing for use of funds in 2014
Professional services 355,771 324,923 (30,848) (8.7%) Spending was held back to offset anticapted overspending in salaries and benefits.
Administrative and other 34,350 24,610 (9,740) (28.4%) Spending was held back to offset anticapted overspending in salaries and benefits.
Interest on note [note 3] 85,050 75,450 (9,600) (11.3%)Difference is entirely due to an adjustement to bring the cost into line with the note payable
documentation.
Depreciation 89,288 36,768 (52,520) (58.8%)Increased budget allowances in anticipation of ITS investment for 2014. Depreciation has
not begun
Total Expenses 30,256,236 0 30,333,263 0 77,027 0.3%
Excess / (Deficiency) of
revenue over expenses0 0 191,504 0 191,503
Statement of Operational Forecast and VarianceFor the year ended
December 31, 2014
Year End Actual Vs
Budget Comments
Attachment #3 to FC-2015-01 Item #1
Housing Programs General NotesNotes to summarize and explain City Guideline RS2013-1:
The City of Toronto revised budget target numbers for Rent Supplement Programs effective January 1, 2014.
Target
Household
Number
Target Dollar
Amount
Actual Target is 1474 Units (1457 in 2013).
Units are part of the City of Toronto Service Level Standard.
Target Dollar amount is projected. If actual landlord
payments exceed budget the City and Housing Connections are
fully reimbursed by the ProvinceStrong Communities
SCRS Regular 955 $9,354,043 Targets are actual budget for Landlord Payments.
SCRS MCSS - DEVD 82 $666,412
Housing Connections is requested to spend at the target
amounts.
SCRS MCSS - VAW** 145 $1,433,929
Target Household Numbers in these programs are estimates.
SCRS MOHLTC 28 $188,283
For 2013 Portability (EHPP) program is rolled into SCRS
Regular
Strong Communities Sub-total 1210 $11,642,667
Rent Supplement Total 2,684 $24,612,693
Description
Program Targets as per City
Guideline RS 2013-1
Comments
Commercial Program 1,474 $12,970,026
Attachment #3 to FC-2015-01 Item #1
Actual Actual Actual Actual YTD Actual YTD Variance
End of Q1 End of Q2 End of Q3 End of Q4 Budget Year End (Neg=Unfav)
OK Commercial Program $12,970,026 $3,242,507 3,280,771 6,600,289 9,889,168 13,202,909 $12,970,026 13,202,909 ($232,883)
OK SCRS Regular $9,354,043 $2,338,511 2,318,316 4,645,131 6,966,287 9,277,054 $9,354,043 9,277,054 $76,989
OK SCRS MCSS - DEVD $666,412 $166,603 159,890 320,913 492,819 667,987 $666,412 667,987 ($1,575)
OK SCRS MCSS - VAW (1) $1,433,929 $358,482 385,447 770,030 1,130,917 1,489,973 $1,433,929 1,489,973 ($56,044)
OK SCRS MOHLTC $188,283 $47,071 50,142 108,147 167,436 220,637 $188,283 220,637 ($32,354)
$11,642,667 $2,910,667 2,913,795 5,844,220 8,757,459 11,655,651 $11,642,667 $11,655,651 ($12,984)
$24,612,693 $6,153,173 6,194,565 12,444,510 18,646,628 24,858,560 $24,612,693 $24,858,560 ($245,867)
(1) includes an additional one time budget approval of $12,793 for 2014
Strong Communities Sub-total
Conventional Rent Supplement Total
Housing Programs Quarterly Report
Q4 2014 2014 Program
Budget
2014 Quaterly
Program
Budget
YTD Position
Performace Against Program Budgets
Actual Takeup
(Neg=Unfav)
X Commercial Program 1,452 1,474 22 1,450 1,466 1,451 1,457 (15) 17
M SCRS Regular 982 955 (27) 920 920 912 926 (8) 29
OK SCRS MCSS - DEVD 82 82 - 82 83 82 81 (1) 1
OK SCRS MCSS - VAW 115 145 30 163 158 157 156 (1) (11)
OK SCRS MOHLTC 24 28 4 28 28 28 28 - -
1,203 1,210 7 1,193 1,189 1,179 1,191 (10) 19
2,655 2,684 29 2,643 2,655 2,630 2,648 (25) 36
Strong Communities Sub-total
Conventional Rent Supplement Total
Housing Programs Quarterly Report
Q4 2014Units at
the end
of Q4
2013
Unit
Target
Projecte
d Unit
take up
UnitsEnd of Q4
PositionActual
End of
Actual
End of
Actual
End of
Actual
End of
Takeup
Required Performace Against Unit targets
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) Housing Connections: 2015-2 Report
Update on Shareholder Reporting Page 1 of 4
Item 5
Date: February 10, 2015
To: Board of Directors
From: General Manager
Subject: 2014 Financial Statements Audit Plan (HC: 2015-2)
PURPOSE:
To inform the Board of Shareholder reporting requirements and provide background on
how these requirements have been fulfilled.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the Board of Directors receives the attached information from
Toronto Community Housing Corporations Audit Plan for the year ending December
31, 2014.
BACKGROUND:
Housing Connections is a subsidiary of Toronto Community Housing which is its sole
shareholder. Housing Connections was established as a standalone corporation under
the Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA). This means that the corporation must
comply with the requirements of the OBCA. In addition, Housing Connections is
governed by the parameters set out in its corporate documents - By-law #1 and the
Shareholder Direction.
Section 9 of the Shareholder Direction sets out requirements in the areas of Reporting,
Annual Reports, Access to records, and Audit and Accounting.
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:
Housing Connections has produced annual financial statements for each year of
operation since it was created. These statements were received by the Housing
Connections Board of Directors and provided to the shareholder on an annual basis in
advance of the Annual General Meeting.
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) Housing Connections: 2015-2 Report
Update on Shareholder Reporting Page 2 of 4
Item 5
The Ontario Business Corporations Act requires the shareholder of a corporation to hold
an Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year. As part of the Annual General Meeting,
the corporation presents the shareholder with its audited financial statements (unless
the shareholder has granted an exemption) and the shareholder approves the minutes
of the last Annual General Meeting and appoints the auditor as well as any directors if
required.
The financial statements of Housing Connections are audited as part of the consolidated
financial statements prepared by Toronto Community Housing. Financial results
related to Housing Connections are reviewed as part of this audit.
The City of Toronto appointed Price Waterhouse Coopers, “Auditor” for Toronto
Community Housing to audit its Consolidated Annual Financial Statements. Section 3
of this audit engagement outlines a requirement for auditing of the Annual Financial
Statements for its named subsidiaries including Housing Connections.
Field work and auditing is planned to occur between early March and mid-April, 2015.
Key staff at Housing Connections with direction of senior staff of Toronto Community
Housing’s Finance Division, will actively engage with Price Waterhouse Coopers to
ensure that the Audited Financial Statements for Housing Connections are provided to
the Board of Directors; on schedule, presented fairly, and free of material deficiencies.
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) Housing Connections: 2015-2 Report
Update on Shareholder Reporting Page 3 of 4
Item 5
Schedule of key dates and activities:
Date Activity
November 27, 2014 TCH Audit Engagement Report received by Corporate
Affairs and Audit Committee. PWC approved as lead
auditor.
February 9, 2015 Draft unaudited financial statements discussed at Finance
Committee
February 26, 2015 Draft unaudited financial statements discussed at AHCI
Board Meeting
March to mid-April 2015 Audit field work
April 17, 2015 Draft audited financial statements provided to AHCI
management for review
April 22, 2015 Draft audited financial statements discussed at Finance
Committee
April 23, 2015 Draft audited financial statements distributed to AHCI
Board
April 29, 2015 Approval of the audited financial statement package by
the AHCI Board
April 30, 2015 Approved AHCI Financial Statements provided to the
shareholder.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Costs associated with auditing the Annual Financial Statements for Housing
Connections are were accrued in 2014 and are reflected in the costs for that year.
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) Housing Connections: 2015-2 Report
Update on Shareholder Reporting Page 4 of 4
Item 5
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:
Housing Connections is required to comply with the Shareholder Direction, Corporate
By-laws and the Ontario Business Corporations Act.
COMMUNICATIONS IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
_____________________________ Paul Chisholm General Manager Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Keith Madley
Manager, Finance and Administration
Keith.madley@housingconnections.ca
416-981-6126
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-03
4th Quarter, 2014 Performance Report Page 1 of 2
Item 6
Date: February 4, 2015
To: Board of Directors
From: General Manager
Subject: Fourth Quarter, 2014 Performance Report (HC: 2015-03)
PURPOSE:
To provide the Board of Directors with a Performance Report for the fourth quarter
ended December 31, 2014 for Housing Connections.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the Board of Directors:
(1) Approve the Fourth Quarter, 2014 Performance Report for Housing
Connections; and,
(2) Request the General Manager forward the report to the Shareholder.
BACKGROUND:
Attached is the Fourth Quarter, 2014 Performance Report for Housing Connections.
The report focuses on operational and financial indicators from October 1st 2014 –
December 31st 2014. This report tracks our performance against the goals and targets set
out for 2014 in the 2014-2015 Business Plan.
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:
Approval by the Board of Directors is required in order to forward the Quarterly Report
to the Shareholder as per the Shareholder Direction.
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-03
4th Quarter, 2014 Performance Report Page 2 of 2
Item 6
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
COMMUNICATIONS IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
_____________________________ Paul Chisholm General Manager Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Paul Chisholm
General Manager
416-981-6120 paul.chisholm@housingconnections.ca
Attachment: Quarter 4, 2014 Performance Report (HC: 2015-03a)
Quarter 4, 2014 Statistical Report (HC: 2015-03b)
Q4 2014 –
Performance Report
Board of Directors Meeting
February 26, 2015
HC: 2015-03a
Executing Against the Business Plan
Strategic Priority #1: Quality Homes –
Improved Housing Options
Overall status:Monitor Action
Needed
On Track2
Q1
Highlights
• Sent over 1000 letters to applicants in an effort to work with Options for Homes on their new
Affordable Home Ownership project, ensuring current applicants were included in their outreach
strategy.
Q2
Highlights
Q3
Highlights
• Worked with Affordable Housing Office of the City of Toronto to provide numbers for a report to
council for new Affordable Housing Project approvals.
• Met with staff of the Affordable Housing Office and Social Housing Unit of the City of Toronto to
create a coordinated approach to engage applicants on the Centralized Waiting List.
• Worked with Options for Homes to ensure outreach strategy was engaging applicants as planned.
Deliverable Description Quarterly performance Next steps
Identify Affordable
Rental and
Ownership
Options
• Working closely with property
developers, we will promote
affordable housing
developments to applicants
on the waiting list ensuring
they are aware of additional
housing options to consider.
• Supported outreach for a City
approved Affordable Housing
Ownership project for artists.
• Continue to work with
Affordable Housing Office and
Social Housing Unit at the City
of Toronto to identify
opportunities to improve
housing options for applicants.
Q4
Executing Against the Business Plan
Strategic Priority #1: Quality Homes –
Improved Housing Options
Overall status:Monitor Action
Needed
On Track3
Q1
Highlights
• Created a draft project plan which identifies project objectives and depicts the future state of this
process for Landlord Outreach.
Q2
Highlights
Q3
Highlights
• 31 units picked up in 16 buildings. All new units were assessed.
• 27 out of 40 buildings with 20 or more rent supplement units assessed.
Deliverable Description Quarterly performance Next steps
Strengthening
Landlord
Outreach Through
the Rent
Supplement
Program
• We will improve our
communication and outreach
to private landlords in
Toronto to ensure units are in
a good state of repair, are
valuable and meet the needs
of applicants for subsidized
housing.
• 38 out of 40 buildings (95%)
with 20 or more rent
supplement units assessed
(target: 100% by end of 2014).
• Schedule remaining 2
buildings for assessments.
• Continue with outreach to the
landlords around the Eviction
Prevention process.
• Share Housing Connection’s
roles and responsibilities with
landlords around supporting
clients who have been served
with Landlord and Tenant
Board notices (ex. Non-
payment of rent, arrears).
• 90% new units picked up this
quarter to inspect (target:
100% of new units assessed).
Q4
Executing Against the Business Plan
Strategic Priority #2: Vibrant Communities –
Healthy Partnerships
Overall status:Monitor Action
Needed
On Track4
Q1
Highlights
• Worked with the City and community agencies to revise and better communicate special priority
mandates.
Q2
Highlights
Q3
Highlights
• Met with Woman Abuse Council of Toronto to discuss ways to improve services and better
understand the needs of their clients.
• Communicated change in Disadvantage Status validation process to partner agencies and housing
workers.
• Information sessions provided to Youth - Yonge St. Mission, Streets to Homes, COSTI and Native
Women’s Residence.
Deliverable Description Quarterly performance Next steps
Building a Strong
Community
• Work with partners, City staff,
funders and other
stakeholders to identify
information, programs and
services that best support
applicants to improve their
current housing stability and
options.
• Cross-sectorial training sessions
held this quarter: 519 Church
Street (LGBT Community), and
West Toronto Housing Help
Centre.
• 9 cross-sectorial training sessions
held to date (target: 5 per year).
• Explore options to use HC
location as Income Tax
Preparation Clinic for low
income households.
• Develop pilot program to
have West Toronto
Housing Help Centre
conduct weekly outreach at
HC to better support
applicants.
Q4
Executing Against the Business Plan
Strategic Priority #2: Vibrant Communities –
Healthy Partnerships (continued)
Overall status:Monitor Action
Needed
On Track5
Q1
Highlights• My Choice Rental went live on February 13, 2014 with 500 applicants.
Q2
Highlights
Q3
Highlights
• Worked with staff at the City of Toronto to support their recommendations as part of the Access
Review; recommendations were approved by the Community Development and Recreation
Committee in June and by City Council in July.
• Met with staff of the Social Housing Unit to plan and prioritize changes approved by City Council.
Deliverable Description Quarterly performance Next steps
Review to the
Access System
• Collaborate with the City in
their review of the Access
System.
• Confirmation of Interest (COI)
process changed in Q4 to
increase time applicants have to
contact HC before application is
considered inactive.
• HC Staff met with the Service
Manager to discuss timelines for
the implementation of the
Seniors Mandate, Occupancy
Standard and Single Date rule.
• Finalize plan to implement
Seniors Mandate,
Occupancy Standards and
Single Date Rule once
written direction received.
• Report on implementation
plan to HC Board for
approval.
Q4
Executing Against the Business Plan
Strategic Priority #2: Vibrant Communities –
Healthy Partnerships (continued)
Overall status:Monitor Action
Needed
On Track6
Q1
Highlights
• Created a draft project plan which identified project objectives and what the framework should
address.
• 94.2% of full market rents were adjusted within the previous 12 months.
Q2
Highlights
Q3
Highlights
• Initiated tenancy support training for staff to support rent supplement and vulnerable households.
• 96% of full market rents were adjusted within the previous 12 months.
• Reviewed and began implementing changes related to the RGI guide.
• Worked with TCHC to align the Annual Review processes to meet the new RGI mandate.
• 95% of full market rents were adjusted within the previous 12 months.
Deliverable Description Quarterly performance Next steps
Rent Supplement
Household
Support Plan
• Create a framework to
guide how we support
households facing
potential loss of subsidy or
eviction from their units.
• 96.7% of full market rents are adjusted
within the last 12 months (target: 95%)
• Complete front line
training for staff (January
2015)
• Confirm workflow,
documentation required
and monitoring approach
(February 2015)
• % of households potentially facing
evictions are reviewed within 5 days –
based on project plan, results of
indicator reported by Q1 2015.
• % of households potentially facing
evictions are provided with contact
information for a legal clinic – based
on project plan, results of indicator
reported by Q1 2015.
Q4
Executing Against the Business Plan
Strategic Priority #3: Service Excellence –
Positive Customer Experience
Overall status:Monitor Action
Needed
On Track7
Q1
Highlights• Implemented a customer service survey to better understand applicant needs and service gaps.
Q2
Highlights
Q3
Highlights
• Housing Connections participated in a City of Toronto Human Services Integration working group to
review opportunities to better serve shared clients. The findings from this were integrated into the
initial positioning of a Customer Service Strategy for Housing Connections.
• Housing Connection’s management staff participated in a full ‘strategy day’, where the current state
was assessed and the beginnings of a vision were defined.
Deliverable Description Quarterly performance Next steps
Customer Service
Strategy
• Development of a Strategy that reflects the
changing applicant needs, work volumes
and technology.
• As preliminary steps the Customer Service
Survey was completed in Q1 and the results
have been communicated to key
stakeholders throughout Q2 for their
recommendations related to the overall
customer service strategy.
• Project lead assigned to
create the first phase of the
Customer Service Strategy.
• A series of meetings
will be set with
management and
front line staff to
identify the needs and
vision.
Q4
Executing Against the Business Plan
Strategic Priority #3: Service Excellence –
Positive Customer Experience
Overall status:Monitor Action
Needed
On Track8
Q1
Highlights
• Initiated negotiation with qualified vendor identified through RFP process.
• Worked with TCHC to ensure procurement directives were followed.
Q2
Highlights
Q3
Highlights
• The vendor contract was awarded through TCHC Procurement.
• Project manager hired through TCHC ITS.
Deliverable Description Quarterly performance Next steps
Redevelop the
Website
• Critical implementation in
Customer Service Strategy;
improving accessibility,
updating content, and
improved self-service tools will
promote self-service to
applicants.
• CivicLive (implementation vendor)
engaged Housing Connections to
create a list of requirements.
• By the end of 2014, the requirements
were ~70% complete.
• A strategic writer has been procured to
help position Housing Connections in a
way applicants can easily understand.
• Complete and finalize
the business
requirements.
• To work with the
strategic writer on
creating client-focused
web content.
Q4
Executing Against the Business Plan
Strategic Priority #3: Service Excellence –
Positive Customer Experience (continued)
Overall status:Monitor Action
Needed
On Track9
Q1
Highlights
• Thorough review of all applicants that had a disadvantaged code on their application.
• Letters were sent to agencies supporting vulnerable applicants with these disadvantaged codes.
Q2
Highlights
Q3
Highlights
• Homeless/disadvantage code outreach and validation to all applicants completed; all applicants
required to re-validate their eligibility for the homeless/disadvantage code priority.
• Agencies and other supports were informed of changes and the support that will be required of them.
• HC reviewed its current approach to monitoring and reporting on provider’s use of TAWL for RGI
vacancy management.
• Identified provider vacancy management report content and distribution to ensure effective
management of this critical function.
Deliverable Description Quarterly performance Next steps
Program
Improvements
• Ensuring that
policies, procedures
and legislative rules
are in place to
balance customer
service, good
communication,
accountability and
transparency in all
our programs.
• Designed a new workflow to improve
decision making and monitoring for the
Special Priority Program.
• Initiated stakeholder engagement and
feedback for the Special Priority Program’s
communication and best practices.
• Roll out workflow
changes internally and
measure changes in
efficacy.
• Presented draft report to TCH staff and the
Social Housing Unit at the City of Toronto on
provider vacancy management to identify
potential issues and support them in
understanding how to best manage this risk.
• Meeting scheduled for
Q1 2015 with the Social
Housing Unit of the City
to confirm report format,
content and frequency.
Q4
Executing Against the Business Plan
Strategic Priority #3: Service Excellence –
Positive Customer Experience (continued)
Overall status:Monitor Action
Needed
On Track10
Q1
Highlights
• Live on February 13th with 500 applicants.
• 30% reduction in the number of days it took from unit availability to lease signing (when compared to
Centralized Wait List approach).
Q2
Highlights
Q3
Highlights
• 44% reduction in the number of days it took from unit availability to lease signing (when compared to
Centralized Wait List approach).
• 78% acceptance rate of units offered to successful bidder (target: 80%).
• 49% reduction in the number of days it took from unit availability to lease signing (when compared to
Centralized Wait List approach).
• Reduced the number of calls required to house an applicant by 83%.
Deliverable Description Quarterly performance Next steps
My Choice Rental • Work with TCHC and the City
to implement a pilot aimed at
providing applicants with
more choice.
• Worked with Ipsos Reid to
develop a comprehensive
evaluation plan of the pilot.
• Work with Ipsos Reid on
completing the pilot evaluation.
• Work with TCHC and the
City of Toronto to create a
detailed evaluation and
implementation plan for a full
roll-out.
• Presented initial thoughts on
the approach for full
implementation to the Steering
Committee.
Q4
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Scorecard –
Legislated Requirements
KPI Target Q4 2013 Q1 2014 Q2 2014 Q3 2014 Q4 2014
Special Priority
Applications
reviewed within
14 days (general
waiting list)
More
than or
equal to
90%
85% 85% 85% 53% 59%
Special Priority
Applications
reviewed within
14 Days (Internal
Transfer)
More
than or
equal to
90%
82% 81% 84% 85% 49%
Terminally Ill
Priority
Applications
Reviewed within
14 Days
More
than or
equal to
90%
82% 77% 92% 80% 65%
% of Internal
Reviews
scheduled within
10 days of receipt
More
than or
equal to
90%
New KPI,
effective as of
Q1 2014
10% 62% 95% 83%
11
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Scorecard –
Legislated Requirements
• Management identified that a drop in processing SPP Applications in Q3 2014
had a direct impact on performance in Q4 2014 and will continue to have an
impact on performance in Q1 2015.
• There was a modest improvement in the processing of SPP Applications (from
53% to 59%) but performance falls below the target of 90%.
• In 2014, 63% of applications were assessed in 14 days, 37% of applications
were assessed outside of the 14 day target, with an average processing time
of 27 days.
• Performance in processing Special Priority Transfer Requests and Terminal Ill
Applications also declined in Q4. This performance is expected to improve in
Q1 2015.
• Management has developed a revised workflow to improve program
monitoring; identified areas to support improved team performance and is
working with stakeholders to improve understanding of program requirements.
12
Internal Service Standard KPIs Scorecard –
Access to HousingKPI Target Q4 2013 Q1 2014 Q2 2014 Q3 2014 Q4 2014
Average hold
time
Less
than or
equal to
6 min
6:10 min 8.89 min 6.54 9.54 9.44
Voicemail
response
within 72 hours
More
than or
equal to
90%
New KPI for
Q2 2014
New KPI for
Q2 2014
94% 67% 45.2%
Response
within 72 hours
More
than or
equal to
90%
97% 96% 98% 81% 89%
General
Waiting List
Applications
reviewed within
60 Days
More
than or
equal to
90%
86% 85% 56% 16% 11%
13
Internal Service Standard KPI Results –
Access to Housing
• Hold times decreased from 9.54 minutes in Q3 to 9.44 minutes. Even though call volumes
decreased in Q4, the unit was operating at less than full complement which impacted
ability to manage call centre volume.
• Voice mail volume has increased 125% since Q1. This can be attributed to an increased
client awareness of voice mail as an option.
• The unit will return to full complement in mid Q1 2015 and a reduction in hold time is
anticipated at the end of Q1.
• Improvements to the Housing Connections website are expected to reduce dependency
on the call centre as a primary communication and service channel for applicants.
• Staff are on track to meet the performance target and responding to emails within 72
hours. With the change in the workflow in the Applicant Representative Unit, this
performance target is being monitored and it is anticipated that this target will be met
moving forward.
• The processing of general wait list applications is a two stage process. Delays in data
entry for new applications is resulting in increased time to process. Staff assessing
applications are achieving their internal service target with 89% of RGI applications within
15 days of receiving the application from the Administration Unit. (see notes on Admin
slide for additional details on application processing)
14
Internal Service Standard KPIs Scorecard
Rent Supplement
KPI Target Q4 2013 Q1 2014 Q2 2014 Q3 2014 Q4 2014
Rent
Supplement –
99% or greater
occupancy rate
More
than or
equal to
99%
97.8% 98.1% 98% 98.47% 98.51%
Rent
Supplement
units rented in
30 days or less
More
than or
equal to
50%
33% 51% 49% 29% 60%
Annual Reviews
Completed
(Rent
Supplement)
More
than or
equal to
98%
97.5% 98.3% 99% 98.54% 98%
% of market
rents updated
annually
More
than or
equal to
95%
93.0% 94.2% 95% 95% 96.7%
15
Internal Service Standard KPI Results Explained –
Rent Supplement Program
• Implemented a vacancy management system that allows the team to identify
vacancies with a high number of refusals/withdrawals at an earlier stage in
order to better understand the delays and mitigate overdue vacancies.
• New vacancy management system provides an increased level of monitoring
to ensure that all units are rented by the occupancy date.
• In order to address backlog as a result of IT system issues, as a pilot project, a
triage model was applied to the Annual Review process; this new model better
distributed workload based on skillset and priority.
• Through our building inspection program, the Rent Supplement team identified
vulnerable clients. By connecting them with the appropriate supports, we were
able to assist them in maintaining a healthy tenancy. Through this process,
both landlords and Housing Connections are working together to ensure a safe
environment for our mutual clients.
• Housing Connections has become more involved and visible in our
communities by liaising with clients face-to-face and providing supports.
• Staff has been able to maintain day to day operations to ensure performance
targets were met; the next step will be focusing on key projects that drive
efficiency and improvement
16
17
Administrative Team
Document Processing Statistics
Age of Oldest Document in Calendar Days
Q4 2013 Q1 2014 Q2 2014 Q3 2014 Q4 2014
Priority / Targets Document Type Days Days Days Days Days
1
< 3
Day
s
4 -
7 D
ays
> 7
Day
s
SPP Applications 0 0 0 0 9
SPP Documents 0 0 0 0 0
Modified Unit Forms 0 0 0 0 0
Political letters 0 0 0 0 0
Internal Review Forms 0 0 0 0 0
3rd Party Release Forms 0 0 0 0 1
Additional Information 0 0 0 0 0
2
< 5
Day
s
6-15
Day
s
> 15
Day
s
Agency Letters 15 0 0 15 1
Add/Delete AOP's 20 49 55 24 78
Status in Canada Documents 48 41 5 74 14
Change in Family Composition 15 26 4 15 2
Information Update 15 41 13 15 2
3
< 15
Day
s
16-3
0 D
ays
> 30
Day
s Paper Applications 42 31 68 122 159
Web Applications 11 7 46 129 147
Client Letters 15 12 21 10 14
Provider Forms 15 14 0 1 12
4
< 25
Day
s
25-3
5 D
ays
> 35
Day
s Medical Letters 15 14 17 15 7
Returned Mail 20 98 147 0 34
Sharing Bedroom Forms 0 0 18 11 17
Confirmation of Interest 15 0 18 0 0
Results Explanation –
Document Processing Statistics
• In 2014, a total of 35,500 pieces of mail were received (14,900 applications and
20,600 documents) and a total of 28,300 were processed (9,300 applications
and 19,000 documents)
• Staffing related issues severely impacted the performance of the Administration
Unit in 2014. We expect to be at full complement by end of Q1, however,
staffing issues will likely be an ongoing issue throughout 2015.
• Of the 6 staff in the unit, only one performed their role throughout 2014 and in
most cases the balance of positions turned over twice during the year.
• This situation also negatively impacts management performance as it requires
spending more than expected time on the recruitment process, training and
orientation of new staff.
• Despite the staffing issues, the unit met processing targets for 77% of
documents. This is a success as the focus for 2014 was to process documents
for households who had the potential of being housed soon. Areas in which the
unit did meet its targets are directly correlated to the lack of adequate staffing
resources.
• Management has developed a backlog work plan to be implemented in early
2015 to reduce the backlog and improve the unit’s performance. Impact of
changes will not be realized until Q2 2015.
18
Rent Supplement Program
Expenditures Against Target
19
Rent Supplement Program Unit Counts
20
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-03b
Q4 2014 – Statistical Report Page 1 of 9
Quarterly Activity Report
4th Quarter 2014 October 1st 2014 – December 31st 2014
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-03b
Q4 2014 – Statistical Report Page 2 of 9
Priority applications are ranked higher than the households on the chronological waiting list and include Special
Priority Household Category, terminally ill applicants and over housed households.
Disadvantaged households are homeless applicants, separated families with a child in care of Children’s Aid
Society, and youth who are 16 years old at the time of applying.
Active
Waiting list
on
September 30,
2014
77,715
New and
reactivated
applications
4,112
Cancelled,
inactivated
and housed
applications
3,579
Housed by category:
Priority = 276
Disadvantaged = 74
General list = 364
Housed by
provider:
TCHC = 562
Co-op/PNP = 125
Rent Supp = 27
Wai
tin
g L
ist
Ho
use
d
Summary of waiting list activity
Active
Waiting List
on December
31, 2014
78,248
Total Waiting
List
91,032 78,248 (active)
12,784 (inactive)
Total Housed =
714
Housed by unit
size:
Room = 5
Bach = 294
1 bed = 187
2 bed = 167
3 bed = 56
4 bed = 4
5+ bed = 1
3 of 9
Total number of people on Housing Connections centralized waiting list for social housing is
167,616 as of December 31, 2014. The rest of the numbers in this Statistical Report refer to
household applications that may have several people on their application.
32,030 households on the waiting list include children under the age of 17 (40%)
15,739 households on the waiting list are single parent households (20%)
Q4
2013
Q1
2014
Q2
2014
Q3
2014
Q4
2014
Total active wait list
77,109 78,388 78,014 77,715 78,248
Total inactive wait list
13,881 13,545 14,227 14,035 12,784
Total waiting list 90,990 91,933 92,241 91,750 91,032
‘Active’ waiting list – on waiting list and ready to be housed
‘Inactive’ waiting list – eligible to be on the waiting list but cannot be offered housing because more
information is required to confirm their eligibility. Applications can be inactive for up to 24 months (five
years for homeless applicants) before being cancelled.
Summary of waiting list activity
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
Q4 2013 Q1 2014 Q2 2014 Q3 2014 Q4 2014
77,109 78,388 78,014 77,715 78,248
13,881 13,545 14,227 14,035 12,784
Inactive Waiting List
Active Waiting List
4 of 9
Q4
2013
Q1
2014
Q2
2014
Q3
2014
Q4
2014
New & Reactivated Applications
4,853 4,556 4,189 3,222 4,112
Active Applications Inactivated
1,245 1,676 1,854 1,651 1,809
Active Applications Cancelled
931 827 1,837 1,105 1,056
Reasons for active applications being cancelled
Applications will be cancelled at the applicant’s request, if the applicant is deceased, or if it is an
incomplete web application.
Reasons for inactive applications being cancelled
If Housing Connections is unable to contact the household and the application has been inactive for two
years (five years for homeless applicants) it can be cancelled.
Summary of active waiting list changes
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
2013 Q4
2014 Q1
2014 Q2
2014 Q3
2014 Q4
931
827
1,837
1,105
1,056
1,245
1,676
1,854
1,651
1,809
4,853
4,556
4,189
3,222
4,112
Active Waiting List Activity
New & reactivatedapplications
Active applicationsinactivated
Active applicationscancelled
5 of 9
Household type Households requesting wheelchair-accessible units
Households with no dependents 246
Households with dependents 113
Seniors 224
Totals 583
A wheelchair-accessible unit has been modified to be accessible to an individual who uses a wheelchair
or similar aid because of a physical disability. Accessible units may include wider doorways and
hallways, lowered counter tops, grab bars, etc. Applicants waiting for wheel-chair accessible units are
listed on the regular chronological waiting list.
Some units are modified to be accessible for individuals who are hearing or visually impaired. These
households are listed on the general waiting list.
42%
19%
39%
Households requesting wheelchair-accessible units
Households no dependents Households with dependents Seniors
Accessible Housing - demand for wheelchair-accessible units
6 of 9
The unit size indicated is the largest size selected by the applicant. It is possible for households to be listed
for more than one unit size. For example, many single-member households will have both bachelor and
one-bedroom units listed on their application, so it is counted as waiting for a one-bedroom.
Unit Type
Room
Bachelor
One
Bedroom
Two
Bedroom Three
Bedroom Four
Bedroom Five +
Bedrooms Total
Household no dependents 27 1,016 24,673 2,353 371 50 12 28,502
Household with dependents 0 4 440 11,747 8,560 2,045 516 23,312
Seniors 5 1,268 24,225 803 31 2 0 26,334
Totals 32 2,288 49,338 14,903 8,962 2,097 528 78,148
* This number is different than the total active waiting list on page 3 because some households with new
applications have not yet selected their housing choices.
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
45000
50000
322,288
49,338
14,903
8,962
2,097528
Number of households
waiting
Unit size
Demand by unit size
Summary of the active waiting list by unit size
7 of 9
Households with priority are ranked higher than the households on the chronological waiting list. The
three priorities on the waiting list are:
1. Special Priority Household Category for victims of abuse, which is the first priority that is
recognized by all housing providers.
2. Medical priority (terminally ill) for applicants who have less than two years to live (which is
optional for housing providers).
3. Over housed subsidized households who are living in a unit that is larger than the unit size they
qualify for. These households need to move to a smaller unit.
Households with priority on the waiting list
Priority type Q4
2013
Q1
2014
Q2
2014
Q3
2014
Q4
2014
Special Priority Household Category
1,568 1,629 1,680 1,577 1,559
Terminally ill 510 524 532 536 535
Over housed 843 811 914 886 853
Total 2,921 2,964 3,126 2,999 2,947
* The increase to the number of over housed households on the waiting list represents the Toronto
Community Housing over housed tenants that moved to the centralized waiting list in Q1.
Housed households with priority status
Priority type Q4
2013
Q1
2014
Q2
2014
Q3
2014
Q4
2014
Special Priority Household Category
236 256 268 265 229
Terminally Ill 38 32 35 31 38
Over housed 24 12 21 9 9
Total 298 300 324 305 276
52%
18%
30%
Households with priority status on the waiting list - Q4 2014
Special Priority Household Category
Terminally Ill
Overhoused
83%
14% 3%
Housed households with priority status - Q4 2014
Special Priority Household CategoryTerminally IllOverhoused
Households with priority (as of December 31, 2014)
8 of 9
In addition to the priorities, housing providers offer one‐in‐every‐seven vacancies to homeless applicants,
separated families with a child in care of Children’s Aid Society, or youth who are 16/17 years old at the
time of applying.
Disadvantaged households on the waiting list
Household type Q4
2013
Q1
2014
Q2
2014
Q3
2014
Q4
2014
Homeless* 5,033 5,041 4,820 1,719 1,844
Separated families 69 67 68 65 68
Youth 135 141 133 129 121
Total 5,237 5,249 5,021 1,913 2,033
Disadvantaged households housed
Household type Q4
2013
Q1
2014
Q2
2014
Q3
2014
Q4
2014
Homeless* 96 99 115 85 67
Separated families 0 2 3 4 2
Youth 5 4 5 5 5
Total 101 105 123 94 74
* This count does not include Special Priority Household Category living in shelters because those households are represented in the
Special Priority Household Category totals.
91%
3%
6%
Disadvantaged households on the waiting list in Q4 2014
Homeless Separated Families Youth
90%
3%7%
Disadvantaged households housed in Q4 2014
Homeless Separated Families Youth
Disadvantaged households (as of December 31, 2014)
9 of 9
TCHC Room Bach 1B 2B 3B 4B 5B+ Total
Households no Dependents
5 105 59 16 3 1 0 189
Households with Dependents
0 1 3 102 37 2 1 146
Seniors 0 166 56 5 0 0 0 227
Total 5 272 118 123 40 3 1 562
Rent Supplement Room Bach 1B 2B 3B 4B 5B+ Total
Households no Dependents
0 0 9 2 0 0 0 11
Households with Dependents
0 0 0 11 4 0 0 15
Seniors 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Total 0 0 9 14 4 0 0 27
PNP and CO-OP Room Bach 1B 2B 3B 4B 5B+ Total
Households no Dependents
0 9 16 2 1 0 0 28
Households with Dependents
0 0 2 24 11 1 0 38
Seniors 0 13 42 4 0 0 0 59
Total 0 22 60 30 12 1 0 125
GRAND TOTAL 5 294 187 167 56 4 1 714
TCHC = Toronto Community Housing Corporation PNP = Private Non-Profit Housing Provider CO-OP = Co-operative Housing
Provider
TAWL = Toronto Social Housing Connections Application Waiting List
Total housed using TAWL (as of December 31, 2014)
189
146
227
11 15 128
38 47
0
50
100
150
200
250
Households No Dependents Households With Dependents Seniors
4th Quarter Housed Totals
TCHC RENT SUPPLEMENT PNP/CO-OP
Item 7
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-04
Escalated Issues Report – Quarter 4, 2014 Page 1 of 6
Item __
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Date: January 26, 2015
To: Board of Directors
From: General Manager
Subject: Escalated Issues Report – Quarter 4, 2014 (HC: 2015-04)
PURPOSE:
To provide the Housing Connections (HC) Board of Directors a summary of activity in
key issue or risk areas.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the Housing Connections Board of Directors receives this report
for information.
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:
This report summarizes the following:
Freedom of Information Requests
Ombudsman Inquiries
Fraud Allegations
Requests for Reviews
Item 7
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-04
Escalated Issues Report – Quarter 4, 2014 Page 2 of 6
Item __
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Freedom of Information Requests
Housing Connections is subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and
Protection of Privacy ACT (MFFIPA) which gives individuals the right to request access
to corporate information, including most general records and records containing their
own personal information. Housing Connections directs all inquiries to the TCHC
Information Specialist, Grace Pang, Legal Services Division. Anyone who is not
satisfied with the response they receive from Toronto Community Housing has the
ability to appeal to the Information and Privacy Commission.
Below are requests for information, to Q4 2014.
Category 2014-Q1 2014-Q2 2014-Q3 2014-Q4 Total (January 1 – December 31, 2014)
Outstanding
FOI 2 5 3 4 14 0
* One of the completed FOI requests has been sent to the Information and Privacy
Commission on appeal.
Inquiries from the Office of the Ombudsman
The Ombudsman is one of the four accountability officers of the City of Toronto. The
Ombudsman supports residents with complaints against services in the City and
includes Housing Connections. Service complaints may indicate difficulty navigating
the services we provide, issues with business processes and in either case may indicate
service gaps.
Item 7
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-04
Escalated Issues Report – Quarter 4, 2014 Page 3 of 6
Item __
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Below are the inquiries from the Office of the Ombudsman, to Q4 2014.
Category 2014-Q1 2014-Q2 2014-Q3 2014-Q4 Total (January 1 – December 31, 2014)
Outstanding
Ombudsman 2 6 2 1 11 0
Housing Connections is not aware of any ongoing investigation or outstanding
issues related to the Office of the Ombudsman.
There was one inquiry from the Office of the Ombudsman noted in Q4 2014.
Housing Connections provided a timely response to the complainant and the Office
of the Ombudsman.
Allegations of Fraudulent Activity
Housing Connections regularly receives allegations of fraudulent activity in both the
Rent Supplement Program and the Centralized Waiting List. Housing Connections
staff are governed by the Fraud Prevention Directive (August 2011). Reports of
suspicious activity, fraud and breach or program rules may come from staff, applicants,
and members of the general public as well as formal channels such as the City of
Toronto Fraud and Waste Line and the TCH Fraud Hotline.
The table below provides a summary of allegations of Fraud for Q4 2014. Housing
Connections works closely with the TCH Internal Audit Unit and all complaints
received by Housing Connections are reported to this Unit. Reporting dates against the
complaints may differ between this report and the report provided by TCH due to
timing of complaint receipt and resolution.
Item 7
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-04
Escalated Issues Report – Quarter 4, 2014 Page 4 of 6
Item __
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Rent Supplement Program
There were four reports of potential fraudulent activity related to the Rent Supplement
Program reported in Q4 2014:
Rent Supplement Program Q1 2014
Q2 2014
Q3 2014
Q4 2014
YTD Count
YTD % of Total
Unreported Extra Member in Household
4 1 2 0 7 63%
Unit/Room being sublet 0 0 0 1 1 9%
Unreported Income 1 0 2 0 3 27%
Overhoused 0 0 0 0 0 0%
Miscellaneous 0 0 0 0 0 0%
Rent Supplement Total 5 1 4 1 11 100%
Allegation of unit being sublet
Centralized Waiting List - Access to Housing
There were four reports of potential fraudulent activity related to the Centralized
Waiting List reported in Q4 2014:
Centralized Waiting List Q1 2014
Q2 2014
Q3 2014
Q4 2014
YTD Count
YTD % of Total
Applicant Not Eligible 0 0 0 1 1 10%
Special Priority Program (SPP) Fraud
1 4 2 0 7 70%
Applicant Documentation Fraud
0 0 0 0 0 0%
Disadvantage Code Misuse 1 0 0 0 1 10%
Provider Conduct 0 0 0 0 0 0%
Agency Conduct 0 0 0 0 0 0%
Unreported Income 0 0 1 0 1 10%
Unreported Extra Member(s) in Household
0 0 1 0 1 10%
Centralized Waiting List Total 2 4 4 1 11 100%
Item 7
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-04
Escalated Issues Report – Quarter 4, 2014 Page 5 of 6
Item __
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Allegation of applicant not being eligible
Requests for Reviews
Under the Housing Services Act Housing Connections is required to provide the
opportunity for applicants to request a review of Adverse Decisions. The Adverse
Decisions are set out in the Act. The City of Toronto further stipulates that reviews are
to be scheduled within 10 days of receipt. This measure is reported separately in the
quarterly performance report. Below are the requests for Internal Review up to an
including to Q4 2014.
Category 2014-Q1 2014-Q2 2014-Q3 2014-Q4 Total (January 1 – December 31, 2014)
Outstanding
Internal Review
14 29 30 12 85 0
IMPLICATIONS AND RISK:
Allegations of fraud, improper program administration and poor service delivery are
matters that provide a significant reputation risk for both Housing Connections and
Toronto Community Housing. Furthermore complaints and allegations must be
monitored to ensure compliance with program requirements and exceptional customer
service.
Item 7
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-04
Escalated Issues Report – Quarter 4, 2014 Page 6 of 6
Item __
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Litigation claims determined by the Courts or through settlement are charged to
operating budgets in the year they are paid. Unless litigation claim amounts are
relatively certain, no litigation provisions are made in the financial statements for them.
_____________________________ Paul Chisholm General Manager Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Paul Chisholm
General Manager
416-981-6120 paul.chisholm@housingconnections.ca
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-05
2015 Annual Report to the City - Centralized Waiting List Agreement Page 1 of 3
Item 8
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Date: February 26, 2015
To: Board of Directors
From: General Manager
Subject: 2014 Annual Report to the City - Centralized Waiting List Agreement
PURPOSE:
To provide a copy of the report to the City confirming Housing Connection is in
compliance with key requirements of Centralized Waiting List Agreement.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
We are asking the Board to receive this report for information and authorize the
General Manager to forward a copy of this report to the Social Housing Unit at the City
of Toronto and our shareholder.
BACKGROUND:
In 2002, The City of Toronto and Toronto Community Housing entered into an
agreement to administer the Centralized Waiting List for subsidized housing. Toronto
Community Housing has delegated the responsibility to administer this agreement to
Housing Connections through the Shareholder Agreement.
Section 15.2(e) of this agreement sets out a requirement for Toronto Community
Housing to report to the City no later than February 28th of every year that it is in
compliance with key program requirements delegated through the agreement. Specific
requirements of the report are:
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-05
2015 Annual Report to the City - Centralized Waiting List Agreement Page 2 of 3
Item 8
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
The centralized waiting list system meets all of the requirements of the Act and
Regulations
There is a system to ensure that all housing providers in the City of Toronto
required to use the centralized waiting list system use the system for the
placement of households in their housing projects
Compliance with Part V of the Act and the provisions of the Regulation with
regard to eligibility for rent-geared-to-income assistance, eligibility rules,
occupancy standards, priority designations, decisions and internal reviews
Services are provided with respect to the administration and provision of
housing in both English and French
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:
Housing Connections works closely with the Social Housing Unit of the City of Toronto
on matters related to administration of the Centralized Waiting List for subsidized
housing. To ensure ongoing compliance with the agreement:
Staff at Housing Connections and the Social Housing Unit at the City of Toronto
meet quarterly to review program administration
Housing Connections prepares public monthly, quarterly and annual statistical
reports
Housing Unit and are available to the public on our website
Housing Connections provides reports, data and analysis on a regular and ad
hoc manner to support effective administration of the Centralized Waiting List
The attached report provides confirmation that key requirements have been met.
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-05
2015 Annual Report to the City - Centralized Waiting List Agreement Page 3 of 3
Item 8
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:
Housing Connectison is required to comply with the Centralized Waiting List
Agreement as parts of its delegated responsibilites from our shareholder Toronto
Community Hosuing.
COMMUNICATIONS IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
_____________________________ Paul Chisholm General Manager Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Paul Chisholm
General Manager
416-981-6120 paul.chisholm@housingconnections.ca
Attachment: #1 - 2014 CWL Compliance Report
#2 - 2014 CWL Stats for Service Manager
Attachment #1 to HC: 2015-05
Office of the General Manager
176 Elm Street
Toronto On M5T 3M4
Phone (416) 981-6129
Fax (416) 981-6112
www.housingconnections.ca
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-05(1)
2014 Centralized Waiting List Compliance Report Page 1 of 5
MEMORANDUM
To: Rob Cressman, Director, Social Housing Unit City of Toronto From: Paul Chisholm, General Manager,
Housing Connections Date: February 27, 2015 Subject: 2014 Centralized Waiting List Compliance Report ____________________________________________________
Housing Connections has been delegated administration of the Centralized
Waiting List Agreement signed between the City of Toronto and Toronto
Community Housing on March 1, 2002. Section 15.2(e) of this agreement sets
out a requirement for Toronto Community Housing to report to the City no later
than February 28th of every year that it is in compliance with key program
requirements delegated through the agreement. This letter serves as a report
confirming compliance with this agreement.
The requirements set out in the Operating Agreement include:
The centralized waiting list system meets all of the requirements of the Act
and regulations;
There is a system to ensure that all housing providers required to use the
system in the City are using the system for placement of households in
their housing projects;
There is compliance with the Act and regulations with regard to eligibility
for rent-geared-to-income assistance, eligibility rules, occupancy
standards, priority designations, decisions and internal reviews; and,
Services are provided in both English and French.
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-05(1)
2014 Centralized Waiting List Compliance Report Page 2 of 5
System Meets Requirements of the Act and Regulations
Housing Connections confirms that we are in compliance with the Act and
Regulations. Detailed business procedures were developed and revisions were
made to the business system ‘TAWL’ (Toronto Applicant Waiting List) to ensure
compliance with the Social Housing Reform Act and revised, where required,
upon implementation of the Housing Services Act in January 2012. In addition,
the business processes have been revised to reflect service manager requirements
as expressed through City Guidelines.
Housing Connections has established strong relationships with staff of the Social
Housing Unit to ensure there are proper mechanisms in place to seek
clarification, identify risks and review systems to ensure ongoing compliance
with the Act and regulations.
System in place for Housing Providers
Housing Connections has received a list of providers that are required to use the
Centralized Waiting List. This list includes buildings with mandates, where
approved by the Service Manager.
Housing Connections has put a system in place for Housing Providers to access
the waiting lists specific to their buildings and units. Housing Providers identify
staff responsible for vacancy management and these staff are trained on general
wait list administration guidelines by staff of the Social Housing Unit and in the
use of TAWL by staff of Housing Connections.
To support ongoing compliance with the system Housing Connections provides
technical IT helpdesk support for TAWL users and providers have access to
support from staff of the Social Housing Unit and Housing Connections for
business process or eligibility issues. In addition to direct support to providers,
Housing Connections provides additional oversight of this system through the
following:
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-05(1)
2014 Centralized Waiting List Compliance Report Page 3 of 5
A Monthly report on aged vacancies identifies units that have not been
filled in a timely manner. Staff follow up with the provider to ensure the
provider is supported in filling their vacancies.
A corporate policy requirement for staff to report fraud complaints to their
manager or the TCH Internal Auditor.
An escalation process for supervisors and managers to formally request
follow up and response to suspicious activity and/or fraudulent activity.
A Monthly internal report indicating the use of TAWL to make housing
offers is reviewed by staff to identify adherence to the Rank Order System.
A report is provided to the Social Housing Unit that documents vacancy
management activity for each social housing provider for each vacancy
filled. This information is used by staff in the Social Housing Unit as part
of their annual review process.
A report is provided annually to staff at the Social Housing Unit detailing
all vacancy activity in the prior year.
Compliance with Regulations related to Rent-Geared–to-Income
Assessment
Housing Connections confirms that we are in compliance with the Regulations
related to RGI Assessment. Housing Connections has established strong
relationships with staff of the Social Housing Unit to ensure there are proper
mechanism in place to seek clarification, identify risks and review regulations to
ensure ongoing compliance with the regulations.
Housing Connections has conducted a full review of compliance as part of the
implementation of the Housing Services Act in January 2012 and subsequent
changes to the City Guidelines that impact assessment for RGI. We are actively
collaborating with Staff in the Social Housing Unit to support Toronto joining the
Province Wide Arrears Database and have provided input into discussions on
changes to local rules that may impact eligibility for RGI.
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-05(1)
2014 Centralized Waiting List Compliance Report Page 4 of 5
Compliance with Language
Housing Connections provides full services in both English and French. A
designated staff person provides supports to applicants and providers requiring
French language services. In addition to the direct French language services
Housing Connections provides a French language Application and information
package to support applicants.
Housing Connections Board of Directors approved the Translation Policy in
March 2011. This policy confirms its commitments to provision of French
Language Services and also outlines the approach to providing services to the
diverse population of Toronto. This commitment includes translation of general
information on ‘How to Apply’ for subsidized housing in the following
languages:
Chinese
Spanish
Russian
Punjabi
Arabic
Tamil
Tagalog
Urdu
This material is available on our website as well as in our resource centre.
Approval of Access Review Initiatives
In April 2009 City Council approved a comprehensive review of the social
housing access system to “explore how to improve service to clients, more
effectively match applicants with units and provide fair and efficient access to
housing for the most vulnerable.”
Staff at Housing Connections have been working closely with staff in the Shelter,
Support and Housing Administration Division since 2010 to inform and support
this review.
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-05(1)
2014 Centralized Waiting List Compliance Report Page 5 of 5
The recommendations in this report were approved at the June 2, 2014 City of
Toronto Community Development and Recreation Committee meeting, and the
July 8, 2014 City Council meeting.
At the December 4 meeting of the Board of Directors, the Board received the
Access Review Implementation Plan for approval. The Board approved the
implementation of the changes to the Confirmation of Interest Process and the
Change in age for Senior Mandated Providers as outlined in the December 4
report. Housing Connections has approved an implementation plan that will
ensure these changes are completed by the end of February 2015.
Staff from Housing Connections and the Social Housing Unit at the City of
Toronto meet regularly to develop an implementation plan and obtain approvals
as required. Changes to the Occupancy Standards and the introduction of a
Single Date rule are anticipated to be complete by May 1, 2015.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have questions about the
information provided in this report or questions related to our administration of
the Centralized Waiting List Agreement.
Regards,
_____________________________
Paul Chisholm
General Manager
Housing Connections
CC: Greg Spearn, Interim President
and Chief Executive Officer,
Toronto Community Housing
2014 Central Waiting List Annual Statistics
Housing Connections
Board of Directors
February 26, 2015(HC: 2015-05(2)
Applicants on the Centralized Waiting List in 2014
2
Active waiting list on December 31, 2013 =
77,109
New and reactivated applications = 16,080
Cancelled, inactivated and housed
applications = 14,940
Active waiting list on December 31, 2014 =
78,248
Total waiting list = 78,248 (active)
+12,784 (inactive)
Prior to 2014, on average, the waiting list grew 4-5% year over year. In 2014, the waitlist grew by 1-2%. There was an increased in outstanding application to process at the end of 2014 which partially explains the reduced growth in the size of the wait list in 2014.
20809 2306925616 27773 2922631468 33793 35259 36109 35209
24272 25276 26611 27108 26727
7654982138
8748690990 91162*
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Centralized Waiting List applicant volumes: five year waiting list trend
Senior Household no dependents Household with dependents Total
3*Data from early January 2015
66556 67083 66186 6660071498
7654982138
8748690990 91032
48063 48601 4947852257
60197
66460 6934272696
77109 78248
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
90000
100000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
10 Year Trend of Waiting List Volumes
Total Households (Active + Inactive) Active Households
4
The size of the the total waiting list has grown by 37% since 2005. In that time 10-15% of applicants are considered inactive at any given time. They are not able to be housed but are eligible to return to the waiting list.
12362 12646 1348414450
16400
1874120597
22690
2467626393
17723 1827619447 19945
23745
26572 27147 2734328872 28582
17601 17005 1654417862
2005221147
2159822556
23401 23388
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
10 Year Trend of Active Waiting List Applicant Types
Seniors Households with no dependents Households with dependents
5
The number of households in all categories has increased over the past 10 years. Seniors applicants increased the most with an increase or more than 100% since 2005.
19051
22230 22767
24871
28174
25816
23552 2315421632
16080
10788 94318489
7466
5312 5403
9427
56568906
2390
5111
7407 80099146
10523 10261
7185
1028410726
9432
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
10 Year Trend of Active Waiting List Activity
New & Reactivated Applications Inactivated Applications Cancelled Applications
6
Even though the number of new and reactivated applications has dropped since 2009, the waiting list continues to grow. In 2014, there was a reduced amount of inactivated, cancelled and house applicants which drove the waiting list volume up.
General applicants make up 96% of our current active waiting list and received 52% of the available housing stock. While priority applicants make up 4% of our current active waiting list but received 48% of housing.
7C
hro
no
logical, 1
61
8, 5
2%
Ch
ron
olo
gical, 75
40
8, 9
6%
Prio
rity*, 15
04
, 48
%
Prio
rity*, 29
55
, 4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Applicants housed in 2014
Active applicants on waitlist by end of 2014
Comparing the categories of applicants who are on the waitlist to those who were housed
*Priority includes SPP, Terminally Ill, DA and Over housed applicantsNotes: Run on January 9, 2015
63% of the current active waiting list is made up of applicants who have identified a 1B unit as their preferred choice, however, only 28% of applicants were housed in a 1B unit. 3% of applicants have identified a bachelor unit as their preference, while 40% of applicants were housed in a bachelor unit.
2294
49388
14930
8982
21084901256 862 690 256 16 1
Bachelor 1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom 5 Bedroom
Demand vs. Supply
Active households (demand)* Housed applicants (supply)
*Data from early January 2015
Of the active applicants still currently on the Centralized Waiting List, 63% have been on for 0-5 years and 27% for 5-10 years. Approximately 10% of Applicants have been on the waiting list longer than 10 years.
0-5 Years, 63%
5-10 Years, 27%
10-15 Years, 8%
15-20 Years, 2%20+ Years, <1%
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
Active applicant wait time
Length of time an active applicant has been waiting on the centralized waiting list*
0-5 Years 5-10 Years 10-15 Years 15-20 Years 20+ Years
9*Data from early January 2015
Housed Activity in 2014
Housed by unit size:
Room – 41Bachelor – 1,2561 Bedroom – 8622 Bedroom – 6903 Bedroom – 2564 Bedroom – 165+ Bedroom – 1
10* Data from early January 2015
Total housed in 2014 as of December 31, 2014 = 3,122
Housed with Priority
Priority – 1,157Disadvantaged – 347
Chronological List– 1,618
Housed by provider Type:
TCHC – 2,495Co-op/PNP – 490
Rent Supplement – 137
4418
5160
4336
4872
4256
37333937 3890
3702
3122
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
10 Year Trend of Housed Applicants
Housed Applicants
11
Even though the waiting list continues to grow, the volume of housed applicants continues to decline. 2014 was the lowest in the last 10 years.
12
Of the applicants housed in 2014, approximately 31% were housed within 2 years of applying, 62% within 5 years and 86% within 8 years. This refers to the date they applied with Housing Connections to the date they were housed. Households housed in the first two years have been assigned a priority based on the Housing Services Act.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9 9-10 10-15 15+
# o
f u
nit
s h
ou
sed
Years
Time lapse of housed applicants by unit type
Bachelor 1B 2B 3B 4B
6
98.5
7.5
5
6
0.250.75 0.75
11.5
00.5
10.75
0.50 0
4
5
4
3
4
0
Bachelor 1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom 5 Bedroom
Average number of years an applicant waits to be housed, based on the size of the unit they are looking for
Chronological Special Priority* Terminally Ill* DA Code
1B and 2B units have the highest wait times as they are the most popular unit sizes. However, across all bedroom sizes, there is a significant variance in the wait time between chronological applicants, and those with a priority status (SPP, Terminally Ill and DA).
13*Average wait time based on when approval was received to when applicant was housedNote: Weighted averages were used to calculate average wait times. Average wait times of 0 indicates no applicant was housed in 2014 under that priority category and bed size
14251471 1436
1481
1254
957
1129 11041031
864915
860802 772
691
332
431344 314
255
46 81 58 47 1622 29 9 9 10
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
5 Year Trend of Housed Applicants by Unit Type
Bachelor 1B 2B 3B 4B 5B
14
Proportionally, the types of units applicants are being housed in has not fluctuated greatly. However, the number of housed applicants has dropped since 2011.
Bachelor, 1256, 41%
1B, 862, 28%
2B, 690, 22%
3B, 256, 8%
4B, 16, 1%5B, 1, 0%
Housed applicants in 2014
Bachelor units continue to account for the majority of units which applicants were housed in, followed by 1B units. The total number of housed applicants dropped in 2014 when compared to 2013, proportionally, both years are consistent.
Bachelor, 1434, 41%
1B, 949, 27%
2B, 742, 21%
3B, 310, 9%
4B, 45, 2% 5B, 8, 0%
Housed applicants in 2013
The proportion of applicant types still waiting are similar to those that are being housed. The equal proportions speak to the fairness of those who have applied compared those receiving housing.
16
Households with no dependents,
1096, 35%
Households with dependents,
879, 28%
Seniors, 1147, 37%
Housed in 2014
Households with no dependents,
28582, 36%
Households with dependents, 23388, 30%
Seniors, 26393, 34%
On Centralized Waiting List in 2014*
*Run on January 9, 2015
Even though there was a drop in the total number of housed applicants in 2014, the total number of SPP applicants grew by 3% when compared to 2013, while Chronological applicants dropped by 2%. Overall, the volume of housed applicants in 2014 dropped by 16% when compared to 2013.
Comparing the category of applicant housed in 2014
17
Chronological, 1618, 52%SPP, 1019, 33%
Terminally Ill, 138, 4%
DA Code, 347, 11%
2014
Chronological, 2004, 54%
SPP, 1119, 30%
Terminally Ill, 138, 4% DA Code, 441,
12%
2013
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-06
2013 Annual Report to the Shareholder Page 1 of 3
Item 9
Date: February 26, 2015
To: Board of Directors
From: General Manager
Subject: 2014 Annual Report to the Shareholder
PURPOSE:
Management is presenting the attached Annual Report letter to the shareholder for the
Board’s review and approval. This letter will meet the requirements of Section 9.2 of
the Shareholder Direction.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the Board of Directors:
(1) Approve the attached 2014 Annual Report letter to the shareholder;
(2) Authorize the General Manager to forward the attached 2014 Annual Report to
the Shareholder as part of our request for an Annual General Meeting and as
outlined in the Shareholder Direction; and,
(3) Authorize the appropriate staff to take the necessary action to give effect to the
above recommendations (1) and (2).
BACKGROUND:
Toronto Community Housing, as the sole Shareholder for Housing Connections, has put
in a place a Shareholder Direction. This Shareholder Direction requires that Housing
Connections, within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year (December 31 of each year),
prepare and submit an Annual Report and submit this report to the Board of Directors of
Toronto Community Housing. The report will include:
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-06
2013 Annual Report to the Shareholder Page 2 of 3
Item 9
a) Such explanations, notes and information as is required to explain and account for
variances between actual funds expended by AHCI and the budgeted amounts
approved and set forth by the Board of Directors of TCH, and any material
variance in the projected ability of any business activity to meet or continue to
meet the financial objectives of the shareholder;
b) Information that is likely to materially affect the Shareholder’s Financial
objectives;
c) Information regarding and matter, occurrence or other event which is a material
breach or violation of any law, including major findings or internal and other
audits;
d) Information regarding the performance of AHCI such as the shareholder can
determine that this direction has been respected, including reporting against
established indicators;
e) Any such additional information as the shareholder may specify from time to time;
and,
f) An overall analysis of the access to housing and related services provided by
AHCI and efforts to market same.
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:
Housing Connections has prepared the attached letter to meet the requirements set out
in section 9.2 of the Shareholder Direction between Toronto Community Housing and
Housing Connections.
The letter to the shareholder will be accompanied by three supplemental reports:
(1) The audited financial statements and related reports to be approved at a future
meeting of the Board;
(2) 2014 Performance Report (provided as a separate item); and,
(3) The Centralized Waiting List - 2014 Annual Activity Report.
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-06
2013 Annual Report to the Shareholder Page 3 of 3
Item 9
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:
Housing Connections is required to meet the obligations set out in Shareholder Direction.
_________________________
Paul Chisholm General Manager Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Paul Chisholm
General Manager paul.chisholm@housingconnections.ca
416-981-6120
Attachments: #1 - 2014 Annual Report (letter and report)
#2 - The Centralized Waiting List - 2014 Annual Activity Report
Attachment #1 to HC: 2015-09
Office of the General Manager
176 Elm Street
Toronto On M5T 3M4
Phone (416) 981-6129
Fax (416) 981-6112
www.housingconnections.ca
April 30, 2015 N.W. (Bud) Purves, Chair, Board of Directors Toronto Community Housing Corporation 931 Yonge Street, 7th Floor Toronto, Ontario M4W 2H2 ___________________________________________________________________
Subject: Housing Connections 2013 Annual Report to the Shareholder
Dear Mr. Purves: I am pleased to submit the enclosed Annual Report to you, on behalf of the Board of Directors of Access Housing Connections Inc. (Housing Connections). This report is Housing Connections’ Annual Report to our sole shareholder, Toronto Community Housing. This letter and attachments fulfil all shareholder reporting requirements as outlined in the October 29, 2003 Shareholder Direction. If you have any questions regarding the contents of this report, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at 416-981-6120 or Paul.Chisholm@housingconnections.ca. Respectfully, Paul Chisholm General Manager
2013 Annual Report
Page 2 of 4
Shareholder Reporting Requirements
Toronto Community Housing, as the sole Shareholder for Housing Connections, has put
in a place a Shareholder Direction (October 29, 2003). This Shareholder Direction
requires that Housing Connections, within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year
(December 31 of each year), prepare and submit an Annual Report and submit this
report to the Board of Directors of Toronto Community Housing.
The report includes:
a) Such explanations, notes and information as is required to explain and account
for variances between actual funds expended by AHCI and the budgeted
amounts approved and set forth by the Board of Directors of TCH, and any
material variance in the projected ability of any business activity to meet or
continue to meet the financial objectives of the shareholder;
b) Information that is likely to materially affect the Shareholder’s Financial
objectives;
c) Information regarding any matter, occurrence or other event which is a material
breach or violation of any law, including major findings of internal and other
audits;
d) Information regarding the performance of AHCI such as the shareholder can
determine that this direction has been respected, including reporting against
established indicators;
e) Any such additional information as the shareholder may specify from time to
time; and
f) An overall analysis of access to housing and related services provided by AHCI
and efforts to market same.
Financial Performance
Housing Connections has attached (Appendix A – AHCI 2014 Financial Statements) to
this report, prepared by Housing Connections and Toronto Community Housing
finance staff.
Housing Connections operated within its 2014 operating budget approved by the
Housing Connections Board of Directors, and included in Toronto Community
Housing’s approved consolidated 2014 budget.
2013 Annual Report
Page 3 of 4
The 2014 financial statements have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the
auditor appointed by the shareholder. The auditor has reported that the financial
statements are free from material misstatements, including omissions.
Housing Connections is not aware of any information that is likely to materially affect
the Shareholder’s financial objectives.
Risk Management
Housing Connections is not aware of material breaches or violations that put the
shareholder at risk.
Housing Connections operates in the same legislative and operating environment as our
shareholder Toronto Community Housing. As part of effective risk management
Housing Connections and Toronto Community Housing have established the following
risk framework:
Financial transactions are conducted in accordance with Toronto Community
Housing polices and are managed within the same financial system as used by
Toronto Community Housing;
Housing Connections falls within the mandate of the Chief Internal Auditor of
Toronto Community Housing for both investigations and audits;
Human Resources Services and supports are provided by Toronto Community
Housing Human Resources;
IT Services and supports for Housing Connections are provided by Toronto
Community Housing.
Legal services and supports for Housing Connections are available through
Toronto Community Housing if required.
Updates from the Auditor General for the City of Toronto audit:
The 2014 Audit Work Plan submitted by the Auditor General included a new
audit project “Toronto Community Housing Corporation – Review of Housing
Connections” The purpose of the review is to evaluate the prioritization and
maintenance of the wait list for social housing. This review was not initiated in
2014.
2013 Annual Report
Page 4 of 4
Housing Connections Performance
Housing Connections management reports on a quarterly basis on progress against
strategic priorities, legislated requirements and internal service standards. These reports
are provided to the shareholder for their information.
Attached to this report (Appendix B – 2014 Performance Report) is an overview of 2014
performance for the information of the shareholder.
Overview of Access to Housing
Housing Connections continues work collaboratively with the service manager to
promote effective and efficient operations of the centralized waiting list for subsidized
housing. We have attached a report that highlights key wait list activities (Appendix C –
The Centralized Waiting List – 2014 Annual Activity Report) to help the shareholder
understand the size of the waiting list, the wait for subsidized housing and who is
receiving housing. This information will assist the shareholder understand the current
state for applicants for Toronto Community Housing and other social housing providers
in Toronto.
Overview of Housing Program
Housing Connections administers the Rent Supplement Program with private landlords
in the City of Toronto. Through this program we administer subsidies for approximately
2700 Households in Toronto. We continue to adjust this program to meet financial and
program outcomes provided by the City of Toronto Social Housing Unit on an annual
basis.
Attachments
Appendix A 2014 AHCI Financial Statements (audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP)
Appendix B 2014 Performance Report
Appendix C The Centralized Waiting List – 2014 Annual Activity Report
2014 Central Waiting List Annual Statistics
Housing Connections
Board of Directors
February 26, 2015(HC: 2015-06(2)
Applicants on the Centralized Waiting List in 2014
2
Active waiting list on December 31, 2013 =
77,109
New and reactivated applications = 16,080
Cancelled, inactivated and housed
applications = 14,940
Active waiting list on December 31, 2014 =
78,248
Total waiting list = 78,248 (active)
+12,784 (inactive)
Prior to 2014, on average, the waiting list grew 4-5% year over year. In 2014, the waitlist grew by 1-2%. There was an increased in outstanding application to process at the end of 2014 which partially explains the reduced growth in the size of the wait list in 2014.
20809 2306925616 27773 2922631468 33793 35259 36109 35209
24272 25276 26611 27108 26727
7654982138
8748690990 91162*
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Centralized Waiting List applicant volumes: five year waiting list trend
Senior Household no dependents Household with dependents Total
3*Data from early January 2015
66556 67083 66186 6660071498
7654982138
8748690990 91032
48063 48601 4947852257
60197
66460 6934272696
77109 78248
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
90000
100000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
10 Year Trend of Waiting List Volumes
Total Households (Active + Inactive) Active Households
4
The size of the the total waiting list has grown by 37% since 2005. In that time 10-15% of applicants are considered inactive at any given time. They are not able to be housed but are eligible to return to the waiting list.
12362 12646 1348414450
16400
1874120597
22690
2467626393
17723 1827619447 19945
23745
26572 27147 2734328872 28582
17601 17005 1654417862
2005221147
2159822556
23401 23388
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
10 Year Trend of Active Waiting List Applicant Types
Seniors Households with no dependents Households with dependents
5
The number of households in all categories has increased over the past 10 years. Seniors applicants increased the most with an increase or more than 100% since 2005.
19051
22230 22767
24871
28174
25816
23552 2315421632
16080
10788 94318489
7466
5312 5403
9427
56568906
2390
5111
7407 80099146
10523 10261
7185
1028410726
9432
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
10 Year Trend of Active Waiting List Activity
New & Reactivated Applications Inactivated Applications Cancelled Applications
6
Even though the number of new and reactivated applications has dropped since 2009, the waiting list continues to grow. In 2014, there was a reduced amount of inactivated, cancelled and house applicants which drove the waiting list volume up.
General applicants make up 96% of our current active waiting list and received 52% of the available housing stock. While priority applicants make up 4% of our current active waiting list but received 48% of housing.
7C
hro
no
logical, 1
61
8, 5
2%
Ch
ron
olo
gical, 75
40
8, 9
6%
Prio
rity*, 1
50
4, 4
8%
Prio
rity*, 2
95
5, 4
%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Applicants housed in 2014
Active applicants on waitlist by end of 2014
Comparing the categories of applicants who are on the waitlist to those who were housed
*Priority includes SPP, Terminally Ill, DA and Over housed applicantsNotes: Run on January 9, 2015
63% of the current active waiting list is made up of applicants who have identified a 1B unit as their preferred choice, however, only 28% of applicants were housed in a 1B unit. 3% of applicants have identified a bachelor unit as their preference, while 40% of applicants were housed in a bachelor unit.
2294
49388
14930
8982
21084901256 862 690 256 16 1
Bachelor 1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom 5 Bedroom
Demand vs. Supply
Active households (demand)* Housed applicants (supply)
*Data from early January 2015
Of the active applicants still currently on the Centralized Waiting List, 63% have been on for 0-5 years and 27% for 5-10 years. Approximately 10% of Applicants have been on the waiting list longer than 10 years.
0-5 Years, 63%
5-10 Years, 27%
10-15 Years, 8%
15-20 Years, 2%20+ Years, <1%
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
Active applicant wait time
Length of time an active applicant has been waiting on the centralized waiting list*
0-5 Years 5-10 Years 10-15 Years 15-20 Years 20+ Years
9*Data from early January 2015
Housed Activity in 2014
Housed by unit size:
Room – 41Bachelor – 1,2561 Bedroom – 8622 Bedroom – 6903 Bedroom – 2564 Bedroom – 165+ Bedroom – 1
10* Data from early January 2015
Total housed in 2014 as of December 31, 2014 = 3,122
Housed with Priority
Priority – 1,157Disadvantaged – 347
Chronological List– 1,618
Housed by provider Type:
TCHC – 2,495Co-op/PNP – 490
Rent Supplement – 137
4418
5160
4336
4872
4256
37333937 3890
3702
3122
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
10 Year Trend of Housed Applicants
Housed Applicants
11
Even though the waiting list continues to grow, the volume of housed applicants continues to decline. 2014 was the lowest in the last 10 years.
12
Of the applicants housed in 2014, approximately 31% were housed within 2 years of applying, 62% within 5 years and 86% within 8 years. This refers to the date they applied with Housing Connections to the date they were housed. Households housed in the first two years have been assigned a priority based on the Housing Services Act.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9 9-10 10-15 15+
# o
f u
nit
s h
ou
sed
Years
Time lapse of housed applicants by unit type
Bachelor 1B 2B 3B 4B
6
98.5
7.5
5
6
0.250.75 0.75
11.5
00.5
10.75
0.50 0
4
5
4
3
4
0
Bachelor 1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom 5 Bedroom
Average number of years an applicant waits to be housed, based on the size of the unit they are looking for
Chronological Special Priority* Terminally Ill* DA Code
1B and 2B units have the highest wait times as they are the most popular unit sizes. However, across all bedroom sizes, there is a significant variance in the wait time between chronological applicants, and those with a priority status (SPP, Terminally Ill and DA).
13*Average wait time based on when approval was received to when applicant was housedNote: Weighted averages were used to calculate average wait times. Average wait times of 0 indicates no applicant was housed in 2014 under that priority category and bed size
14251471 1436
1481
1254
957
1129 11041031
864915
860802 772
691
332
431344 314
255
46 81 58 47 1622 29 9 9 10
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
5 Year Trend of Housed Applicants by Unit Type
Bachelor 1B 2B 3B 4B 5B
14
Proportionally, the types of units applicants are being housed in has not fluctuated greatly. However, the number of housed applicants has dropped since 2011.
Bachelor, 1256, 41%
1B, 862, 28%
2B, 690, 22%
3B, 256, 8%
4B, 16, 1%5B, 1, 0%
Housed applicants in 2014
Bachelor units continue to account for the majority of units which applicants were housed in, followed by 1B units. The total number of housed applicants dropped in 2014 when compared to 2013, proportionally, both years are consistent.
Bachelor, 1434, 41%
1B, 949, 27%
2B, 742, 21%
3B, 310, 9%
4B, 45, 2% 5B, 8, 0%
Housed applicants in 2013
The proportion of applicant types still waiting are similar to those that are being housed. The equal proportions speak to the fairness of those who have applied compared those receiving housing.
16
Households with no dependents,
1096, 35%
Households with dependents,
879, 28%
Seniors, 1147, 37%
Housed in 2014
Households with no dependents,
28582, 36%
Households with dependents, 23388, 30%
Seniors, 26393, 34%
On Centralized Waiting List in 2014*
*Run on January 9, 2015
Even though there was a drop in the total number of housed applicants in 2014, the total number of SPP applicants grew by 3% when compared to 2013, while Chronological applicants dropped by 2%. Overall, the volume of housed applicants in 2014 dropped by 16% when compared to 2013.
Comparing the category of applicant housed in 2014
17
Chronological, 1618, 52%SPP, 1019, 33%
Terminally Ill, 138, 4%
DA Code, 347, 11%
2014
Chronological, 2004, 54%
SPP, 1119, 30%
Terminally Ill, 138, 4% DA Code, 441,
12%
2013
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-07
General Manager’s Expense Report – Quarter 4, 2014 Page 1 of 2
Item 10
Date: February 6, 2015
To: Board of Directors
From: General Manager
Subject: General Manager’s Expense Report for Quarter 4, 2014 (HC: 2015-07)
PURPOSE:
To provide the Board of Directors with the General Manager’s expenses for the fourth
quarter of 2014.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the Board of Directors receive the General Manager’s expenses
for the fourth quarter of 2014 for information.
BACKGROUND:
At the June 21, 2010 meeting of the Board of Directors the Executive Limitations Policy
was approved. The General Manager is accountable for reporting on a monthly basis
all personal expenses incurred in conducting the business of the corporation. The policy
outlines that the General Manager’s expenses must be in compliance with corporate
policies and guidelines and must be approved by the Chair of the Board or his/her
delegate Board member, and a summary reported quarterly to the Finance Committee
of AHCI. Now that this task in no longer being delegated to the Finance Committee the
Board of Directors is receiving the report directly.
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-07
General Manager’s Expense Report – Quarter 4, 2014 Page 2 of 2
Item 10
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
COMMUNICATIONS IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
_____________________________ Paul Chisholm General Manager Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Keith Madley,
Manager, Finance and Administration
416-981-6126
keith.madley@housingconnections.ca
Attachment: Quarter 4, 2014 General Manager’s Expense Report
NAMES Paul Chisholm
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4 27.50
Q1
Q2
Q3 -
Q4 -
Q1 -
Q2
Q3 -
Q4
Q1 -
Q2 -
Q3 -
Q4 75.00
Q1 -
Q2 -
Q3 - Q4 -
Q1 -
Q2 -
Q3 -
Q4 102.50
Cumulative Totals in $ $102.50 TO
TALS
Individual Total Expenses Per
Quarter - a total sum of all
payments made in each quarter
is indicated in the last column
GENERAL MANAGER's EXPENSES 2014
EX
PEN
SE T
YP
E A
ND
DES
CR
IPTI
ON
Transportation [Taxi, Mileage,
Parking] - Reimbursement of
costs incurred to business
meetings, interviews, media
conferences/ sessions and
events/ functions
Business Meetings [Incurred in
meetings and hospitality,
interviews. Media events or
functions and networking
Per diem/Flights/Hotels - out of
Town travel, Accomodation,
Per diem for conferences/
presentation/ key note
speaking on sessions or
business meetings and
Conferences/ Seminars/
Networking - as presenter/
Speaker at Conferences/
Seminars/ membership
registration
Professional Training and
Development-
Courses/educational
development
Board of Directors (February 18, 2015)
General Manager's Expenses - Quarter 4, 2014 HC: 2015-07
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-08
Changes to Local Occupancy Standards Page 1 of 4
Item 11
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Date: February 4, 2015
To: Board of Directors
From: General Manager
Subject: Changes to Local Occupancy Standards
PURPOSE: To update the Board of Directors of the plan to implement the required changes to the
Local Occupancy Standards that was approved by Toronto City Council on July 8, 2014.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the Board of Directors:
1. Receive City Guideline 2015-01 – Local Occupancy Standards for information; and
2. Authorize the appropriate staff to take the necessary action to implement the
changes required to comply with City Guideline 2015-01
3. Direct the General Manager to report back to the Board when the changes are
implemented and on any additional costs incurred by Housing Connections to
implement the change.
BACKGROUND:
Staff at Housing Connections have been working closely with staff in the Shelter,
Support and Housing Administration Division since 2010 to inform and support a
review of the Access System.
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-08
Changes to Local Occupancy Standards Page 2 of 4
Item 11
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
The recommendation to change the Local Occupancy Standards were approved at the
June 2, 2014 City of Toronto Community Development and Recreation Committee
meeting, and the July 8, 2014 City Council meeting.
Staff at Housing Connections have been working with internal and external
stakeholders to develop an implementation plan in anticipation of written direction
from the service manager to comply with the new standards.
Reason for recommendation #1
From time to time, City Guidelines are issued by the City of Toronto in its capacity as
Service Manager, to communicate the mandatory policies and procedures that housing
providers must follow. As per City Guideline 2002-0, it is suggested that City
Guidelines be presented to the Board of Directors and recorded in the minutes as
accepted and reviewed by the Board.
Reason for recommendation #2
Housing Connections is required to comply with City Guidelines issues by the Social
Housing Unit. City Guideline 2015-01 – Local Occupancy Standards will require changes
in the administration of the Rent Supplement Program and the Centralized Waiting
List. The guideline requires changes to be implemented by May 1, 2015.
A plan is being finalized to provide required staff training, communicate to impacted
households, update communication material and identify additional requirements of
this change. The guideline requires changes to be implemented no later than May 1,
2015.
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-08
Changes to Local Occupancy Standards Page 3 of 4
Item 11
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Reason for recommendation #3
The Board of Directors requested that management record additional costs associated
with the implementation of the changes approved by City Council which includes the
changes to Local Occupancy Standards. Housing Connections is tracking the work
required for this initiative. Additional resources will be allocated to support the changes
to the database, communicate these changes to applicants and assign staff support the
application of the new Local Occupancy Standards. At this time it is not clear if these
tasks can be accomplished through allocation of existing resources or if there are
additional costs.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
To date the work completed was accomplished using the existing staffing resources. It
is estimated that to complete the project 1 FTE will be required for a 4-6 week period.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:
Housing Connections must comply with the requirements set out in the Housing
Service Act, the Centralized Waiting List Agreement and written direction from the
Service Manager.
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-08
Changes to Local Occupancy Standards Page 4 of 4
Item 11
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
COMMUNICATIONS IMPLICATIONS:
Housing Connections is developing a Communication Plan to cover all changes to
Centralized Waiting List in 2015 with key audiences of applicants, social housing
providers, staff, community agencies, advocates and elected officials
_____________________________ Paul Chisholm General Manager Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Paul Chisholm
General Manager
416-981-6120 paul.chisholm@housingconnections.ca
Attachment: City Guideline 2015-1
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-09
RGI Administration Manual Page 1 of 4
Item 12
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Date: February 4, 2015
To: Board of Directors
From: General Manager
Subject: RGI Administration Manual
PURPOSE: To update the Board of Directors of the receipt of two new City Guidelines that identify
required changes to the RGI Administration Manual.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the Board of Directors:
1. Receive City Guideline 2015-02 – Re-Issue of Chapter 8 – RGI Administrative
Manual for information; and
2. Receive City Guideline 2015-03 - RGI Administration Manual Re-Issue of
Chapters “How to use the RGI Administration Manual”, 1,2,5,6 and 9 for
information; and
3. Authorize the appropriate staff to take the necessary action to implement the
changes required to comply with City Guideline 2015-02 and 2015-03
BACKGROUND:
From time to time, City Guidelines are issued by the City of Toronto in its capacity as
Service Manager, to communicate the mandatory policies and procedures that housing
providers must follow. As per City Guideline 2002-0, it is suggested that City
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-09
RGI Administration Manual Page 2 of 4
Item 12
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Guidelines be presented to the Board of Directors and recorded in the minutes as
accepted and reviewed by the Board.
Housing Connections regularly receives City Guidelines that set out requirements that
Social Housing Providers and Housing Connections must comply with. In the past they
have been used to clarify if and how the service manager is going to exercise any
discretion under the Housing Services Act (HSA) and to communicate information to
ensure consistent administration of the program.
City Guideline 2014-1 was issued on August 22, 2014 by the Social Housing Unit of the
City of Toronto. The Guideline is effective the same date. Housing Connections is
required to comply with this guideline as we are considered a RGI Administrator for
the Rent Supplement Program in the City of Toronto.
Prior to the issuance of this guideline the City provided both recommendations to
Housing Providers on how to administer the program that included best practices,
suggested process, forms and letters and provided City Guidelines to communicate
required processes for Housing Providers to follow. Through the issuance of this
guideline the City of Toronto now requires housing providers to comply with the
requirements set out in the RGI Administration Manual.
The City has issued two new City Guidelines that inform Housing Connections, Social
Housing Providers and RGI Administrators of changes within the RGI Administration
Manual:
Re-Issue of Chapter 8 – RGI Administrative Manual (City Guideline 2015-2);
and
RGI Administration Manual Re-Issue of Chapters “How to use the RGI
Administration Manual”, 1,2,5,6 and 9 (City Guideline 2015-3)
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION #1
City Guideline 2015-2 was issued on February 1, 2015 and must be implemented by
May 1, 2015. This Guideline revokes a number of City Guidelines previously issued by
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-09
RGI Administration Manual Page 3 of 4
Item 12
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
the Social Housing Unit of the City of Toronto with the intent that the direction
previously received through the Guidelines are now incorporated in Chapter 8 of the
RGI Administration Manual.
The revisions to Chapter 8 include recommendations to change administration of the
Centralized Waiting List approved at the June 2, 2014 City of Toronto Community
Development and Recreation Committee meeting, and the July 8, 2014 City Council
meeting. Through these revisions Housing Connections has received written direction
to implement the changes to the Confirmation of Interest Process and allow applicants
reaching the age of 59 to add their name to waiting lists for Senior’s Mandated
Buildings.
Staff at Housing Connections have been working with internal and external
stakeholders to develop an implementation plan in anticipation of written direction
from the service manager to comply with the new standards. Both of these changes will
be implemented by March 1, 2015.
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION #2
City Guideline 2015-3 was issued on February 1, 2015 and must be implemented by
May 1, 2015. This Guideline revokes a City Guidelines previously issued by the Social
Housing Unit of the City of Toronto with the intent that the direction previously
received through the Guidelines are now incorporated in the RGI Administration
Manual.
The changes in Chapters 1,2,5,6 and 9 do not appear to have an operational impact on
Housing Connections in the administration of the Rent Supplement Program or the
Centralized Waiting List. Program Managers are currently reviewing the revisions and
will advise at a later meeting if changes requiring Board approval are identified.
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-09
RGI Administration Manual Page 4 of 4
Item 12
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:
Housing Connections must comply with the requirements set out in the Housing
Service Act, the Centralized Waiting List Agreement and written direction from the
Service Manager.
COMMUNICATIONS IMPLICATIONS:
Housing Connections is developing a Communication Plan to cover all changes to
Centralized Waiting List in 2015 with key audiences of applicants, social housing
providers, staff, community agencies, advocates and elected officials
_____________________________ Paul Chisholm General Manager Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Paul Chisholm
General Manager
416-981-6120 paul.chisholm@housingconnections.ca
Attachment: City Guideline 2015-2 City Guideline 2015-3
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-10
Single Date Rule Page 1 of 4
Item 13
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Date: February 4, 2015
To: Board of Directors
From: General Manager
Subject: Single Date Rule
PURPOSE: To update the Board of Directors of the plan to implement a Single Date Rule for
administration of the Centralized Waiting List that was approved by Toronto City
Council on July 8, 2014.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the Board of Directors:
1. Authorize the General Manager to implement the “Single Date Rule” and
authorize the appropriate staff to take the necessary action to implement the
changes once a City Guideline is received from the City of Toronto; and
2. Direct the General Manager to report back to the Board when the changes are
implemented and on any additional costs incurred by Housing Connections to
implement the change.
BACKGROUND:
Staff at Housing Connections have been working closely with staff in the Shelter,
Support and Housing Administration Division since 2010 to inform and support a
review of the Access System.
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-10
Single Date Rule Page 2 of 4
Item 13
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
The recommendation to change the rules that generate waiting lists for social housing
providers approved at the June 2, 2014 City of Toronto Community Development and
Recreation Committee meeting, and the July 8, 2014 City Council meeting.
Staff at Housing Connections have been reviewing options to implement the required
changes, meeting with staff of the Social Housing Unit of the City of Toronto and
meeting internally to identify the best approach to implement this required change.
As of February 12, 2015 no formal direction to implement the change has been received
from the Social Housing Unit.
Reason for recommendation #1
Housing Connections has developed a plan to implement this change. The attached
plan sets out the recommended approach to ensure this change is implemented. The
plan considers:
how to best leverage technology and systems to manage this requirements;
How to manage any potential risk identified with this change;
How to best communicate this change key stakeholders; and
How to monitor and track costs associated with the change.
The plan represents Housing Connections understanding of the change required and
potential impact to applicants, staff and other stakeholders. Should the written direction
received from the City of Toronto change Housing Connections will be required to
adjust the plan accordingly.
Housing Connections is required to comply with City Guidelines issues by the Social
Housing Unit. It is expected that a Guideline providing direction to implement the
Single Date Rule will happen by the end of Q1 2015. Implementation of the Guideline
will be required before the next scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors.
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-10
Single Date Rule Page 3 of 4
Item 13
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
As Housing Connections is required to comply with City Guidelines. Housing
Connections is requesting the Board to approve the attached plan and authorize staff to
implement required changes once written direction is received from the Social Housing
Unit.
Reason for recommendation #2
The Board of Directors requested that management record additional costs associated
with the implementation of the changes approved by City Council which includes the
changes required to implement a Single Date Rule. Housing Connections is tracking the
work required for this initiative. Additional resources will be allocated to support the
changes to the database, communicate these changes to applicants and assign staff
support the application of the new rule. At this time it is not clear if these tasks can be
accomplished through allocation of existing resources or if there are additional costs.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Additional costs associated with this report are unknown. Costs will be monitored and
tracked in a subsequent report to the Board.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:
Housing Connections must comply with the requirements set out in the Housing
Service Act, the Centralized Waiting List Agreement and written direction from the
Service Manager.
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-10
Single Date Rule Page 4 of 4
Item 13
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
COMMUNICATIONS IMPLICATIONS:
Housing Connections is developing a Communication Plan to cover all changes to
Centralized Waiting List in 2015 with key audiences of applicants, social housing
providers, staff, community agencies, advocates and elected officials
_____________________________ Paul Chisholm General Manager Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Paul Chisholm
General Manager
416-981-6120 paul.chisholm@housingconnections.ca
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-11
Fiscal 2015 Budget Changes Page 1 of 6
Item 14
Date: February 18, 2015
To: Board of Directors
From: General Manager
Subject: Fiscal 2015 Budget Changes
PURPOSE:
To request approval of the Board of Directors to amend the 2015 Operating and Capital
Budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board:
(1) Receive City Guideline RS 2015-01 for information; and
(2) Approve the adjustments to 2015 Operating and Capital Budget as outlined in
this report; and
(3) Authorize the General Manager to continue operations based on the attached
Budget through December 31, 2015; and
(4) Authorize the appropriate staff to take the necessary action to give effect to the
recommendation (1, 2 and 3).
FINANCE COMMITTEE COMMENTS ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS:
Finance Committee reviewed the recommendations and discussed the accounting
approach to making the requested changes. The Chair of the Finance Committee
recommended that these changes be brought forward for discussion with the full Board
of Directors of Housing Connections.
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-11
Fiscal 2015 Budget Changes Page 2 of 6
Item 14
BACKGROUND:
On December 4, 2014 the Board of Directors approved the 2015 Operating and Capital
Budget (HC: 2014-49). During the budget presentation to the Board it was noted that
management would present a revised budget if there were significant changes to the
Rent Supplement Program Targets or other material changes. The Social Housing Unit
has adjusted unit and budget targets for the Rent Supplement Program, this impacts the
2015 operating budget.
In addition Housing Connections ran an operating surplus of $191.5K in fiscal 2014 due
to underspending and late receipt of funding from the City of Toronto to reimburse
Housing Connections for costs incurred re the My Choice Rental Project. Management
is proposing that $182.2K of this surplus be allocated to 2015 to support the creation of a
$100K capital reserve and $82.2K to support operational requirements.
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION #1
From time to time, City Guidelines are issued by the City of Toronto in its capacity as
Service Manager, to communicate the mandatory policies and procedures that housing
providers must follow. As per City Guideline 2002-0, it is suggested that City
Guidelines be presented to the Board of Directors and recorded in the minutes as
accepted and reviewed by the Board.
The purpose of this City Guideline is to provide specific unit targets for the Commercial
Rent Supplement Program and spending targets for the Strong Communities Rent
Supplement Program.
The target for what is reported as the Commercial Rent Supplement Program is set
based on the number of households or units supported by the Program. Housing
Connections is reimbursed in full for all landlord payments made in this program up to
and including the maximum number of units specified in the Guideline.
The target for the Strong Communities Rent Supplement Program are set as a dollar
amount based on the maximum funding available to Housing Connections for
reimbursement of landlord payments. Targets are set at both an overall program level
as well as the sub-program level. The Guideline sets out any rules that provide
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-11
Fiscal 2015 Budget Changes Page 3 of 6
Item 14
flexibility sub-program targets and specifically states total program funding is not to be
exceeded.
The Guideline also sets out the requirements to be followed in refilling units should
they become vacant. While the majority of households are housed through the
Centralized Waiting List a number of sub-programs are filled through referral
agreements authorized by the service manager.
Through this Guideline Housing Connections received direction to reduce expenditures
in the Strong Communities Rent Supplement Program (by -$651,177) and increase the
service level (unit count) in the Commercial Rent Supplement Program (increase 63
units). This change relates to service level standard and program funding requirements.
No households will be negatively impacted or at risk of losing their subsidy as a result
of this change.
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION #2
Approval of funding to create a capital reserve, to increase the funding available to
support increased operating needs on a one-time basis, and the change in the targets for
the Rent Supplement Programs all have budget impacts:
Capital Reserve
Housing Connections is redeveloping our website. This project was initiated in 2014
and will be completed in 2015. Holding these funds in reserve and allocating them to
the website improvement project in 2015 will offset the future costs to Housing
Connections for this cost.
Operating Increase
Housing Connections received $82,200 in operating funds in January of 2015 as a
reimbursement for costs incurred in fiscal 2014 for the My Choice Rental Project. As a
result of this late receipt of funding Housing Connections was unable to backfill
positions during 2014 and underspent in salaries and benefits due to the uncertainty
over funding support. This entire amount of $82,200 served to further increase the
operating surplus for 2014 fiscal year.
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-11
Fiscal 2015 Budget Changes Page 4 of 6
Item 14
My Choice Rental Project was an 8 month pilot project to test a new way of connecting
applicants on Toronto’s centralized waiting list with subsidized properties that are
available to rent now. My Choice Rentals follows a choice-based model where the
applicant shows interest or bids for a particular unit, and let’s their chronological order
and priority on the wait list determine whether they will be awarded the unit.
The allocation of these funds to 2015 will support spending on a number of operational
issues (largely by backfilling staff positions) that would have happened in 2014 had the
funds been available on a timely basis.
Labour and related Costs $62,200
Systems $20,000
City Guideline RS 2015-1
Housing Connections is working with staff of the Social Housing Unit to develop a
revised forecast for the Commercial Program to reflect the increase in costs of the 63
units. It is anticipated that this will be completed in time to report Q1 2015 financial
results.
Subsidy estimates for landlord payments provided through Rent Supplement Programs
includes an assumption that the average unit cost will inflate by 2.15% allowing for
market rent increases. This inflation factor is calculated in conjunction with the Market
Rent Increase Guideline issued by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and
has been applied to recently realized Rent Supplement Program take-up levels and
established unit targets.
Specific Changes to the Strong Communities Rent Supplement Program for 2015 are as
follows:
SCRS Program 2014 Targets 2015 Targets Change in Target
Regular $9,354,043 $8,819,364 ($534,679)
DEVD $666,412 $678,975 $12,563
VAW $1,433,929 $1,321,320 ($112,609)
MOHLTC $188,283 $224,160 $35,877
Total $11,642,667 $11,043,819 ($598,848)
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-11
Fiscal 2015 Budget Changes Page 5 of 6
Item 14
These costs are reported under Subsidy – Rent Supplement. This budget line is not
being adjusted at this time. Once the revised Commercial Forecast is approved by the
City it is expected this budget line will be reduced.
CONCLUSION:
The changes being proposed by Management represent modest new capital investment
and no increase in the full time staffing complement. They represent small increases to
budget allocations and reallocation of funding required by the Social Housing Unit.
Housing Connections has requested additional funding from the Social Housing Unit to
support the implementation of changes requested by the City of Toronto. When this
funding is approved Housing Connections will advise the Board and submit a revised
budget for the Board’s review.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Housing Connections must reduce the costs in the Strong Communities Program.
Failure to maintain the program within budget may result in less than full
reimbursement of expenses in the program. Given the monthly monitoring of these
costs the risk of over-spending is small and management has strategies in place to best
ensure that costs are within the approved spending envelope.
Housing Connections is required to maintain a service level of units in the Commercial
Program. The City is required to reimburse costs of all eligible units/household in full to
Housing Connections.
These expenses are monitored and reported monthly to the Social Housing Unit.
Forecasts are reviewed and revised to identify need to make adjustments to the
program to achieve budgets and service levels.
February 26, 2015 Meeting of the Board
Board of Directors (February 26, 2015) HC: 2015-11
Fiscal 2015 Budget Changes Page 6 of 6
Item 14
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:
Housing Connections is required to comply with all applicable service manager
guidelines issued by the City of Toronto.
COMMUNICATIONS IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
_____________________________
Paul Chisholm
General Manager
Housing Connections
Staff Contact: Keith Madley
Manager, Finance and Administration
416-981-6126
keith.madley@housingconnections.ca
Attachments: City Guideline RS 2015-1 My Choice Rental Approval
top related