Resident Services Committee (RSC) Meeting - May 30, 2016

Item 1 - Approval of Public Meeting Agenda

Action: Committee Approval

Pre-read: Public Meeting Agenda

Presenter: Chair

Item 2 - Chair’s Poll re: Conflict of Interest

Action: Declaration

Pre-read

• Public Meeting Agenda
• Conflict of Interest Policy

Presenter: Chair

Item 3 - Confirmation of Public Meeting Minutes of 
March 3, 2016

Action: Committee Approval

Pre-read: Minutes

Presenter: Chair

Item 4 - Business Arising from the Minutes and Committee Action Items Update

Action: Discussion

Pre-read: Action Item List

Presenter: Chair

Report from the Resident Services Committee Chair

Item 5 - Chair’s Report and Remarks

Action: Information

Pre-read: Verbal Report

Presenter: Chair

Reports from Management

Item 6 - Updated 2016 RSC Work Plan

Action: Approval

Pre-read: RSC:2016-20

Presenter: VP, Resident & Community Services, and VP Asset Management

Item 7 - Customer Service Strategy

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-27

Presenter: Office of the COO

Item 8 - Mental Health and Seniors, Partnerships and Community Economic Development Strategies Process Update

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-15

Presenter: VP, Resident & Community Services

Item 9 - Revitalization Engagement

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-16

Presenter: VP, Resident & Community Services

Item 10 - Resident Engagement System Refresh Update

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-17

Presenter: VP, Resident & Community Services

Item 11 - Clean Buildings and Maintenance Report 

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-28

Presenter: VP, Asset Management

Item 12 - Q1 – 2016 Arrears Collection Update

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-26

Presenter: VP, Asset Management

Item 13 - Evictions for Cause Procedure

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-21

Presenter: VP, Asset Management

Item 14 - Update: City of Toronto Review of Mayor’s Task Force report 

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-25

Presenter: Director, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations

Item 15 - Toronto Seniors Strategy Update

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-18

Presenter: VP, Resident & Community Services

Item 16 - Tenant Board Member Selection Process 2017

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-22

Presenter: General Counsel and Corporate Secretary (Interim)

Item 17 - Q1-2016 Report on Participatory Budget (PB) Program

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-23

Presenter: VP, Facilities Management

Item 18 - Q1-2016 Report on Installation and Maintenance of Security Cameras (CCTV)

Action: Information

Pre-read: RSC:2016-24

Presenter: VP, Facilities Management

TERMINATION

Public Meeting Minutes

The Resident Services Committee (“RSC”) of Toronto Community Housing Corporation (“TCHC”) held a public meeting on May 30, 2016, in the Main Floor Conference Room, 931 Yonge Street, Toronto, commencing at 9:18 a.m.

Committee Directors Present:

Linda Jackson, Chair

Councillor Frank Di Giorgio, Vice Chair

Kevin Marshman (ex-officio)

Catherine Wilkinson

Committee Directors Absent:

Robert Carlo

Councillor Raymond Cho

Also present:

Simone Atungo, Vice President, Resident and Community Services (Interim)

Andalee Adamali, Business Planner, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations

Ismail Ibrahim, Interim General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Hugh Lawson, Director, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations

Graham Leah, Vice President, Asset Management

Ted Millward, Legal Counsel, Corporate 

Patricia Narine, Director, Program Services (Operational Initiatives), Asset Management

Sheila Penny, Vice President, Facilities Management

Greg Spearn, President and Chief Executive Officer (Interim) / Chief Development Officer

Lindsay Viets, Business Planner, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations

Wayne Tuck, Chief Operating Officer

A quorum being present, Ms. Jackson, the RSC Chair, called the public meeting to order and Mr. Steven Iserhoff served as recording secretary.

Item 1 - Approval of Public Meeting Agenda

The consent Agenda items 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 18 were held for discussion. 

First motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Marshman, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC approved the Public Meeting Agenda as presented.

Second motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Marshman, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received items 15 and 17 for information.

Item 2 - Chair’s Poll re: Conflict of Interest

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

Item 3 Minutes - Confirmation of Public Meeting Minutes – 
March 3, 2016

The Committee had before it the draft Committee minutes for March 3, 2016.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Wilkinson, seconded by Ms. Jackson and carried, the RSC confirmed the March 3, 2016 minutes subject to the following amendments:

• RSC:2016-05 March 3, 2016:  Resident Engagement Refresh Strategy

Delete the words “To date, 900 completed surveys were collected” from the following paragraph:

1. Management reported that the Tenant Engagement System Refresh Consultation Planning Group is doing a survey which is being circulated to tenants. The survey was mailed to 900 tenant representatives and tenant leaders. Staff also used a door-to-door approach to distribute the survey. To date, 900 completed surveys were collected.

• Q4-2016-06 March 3, 2016: Q4-2015 Pest Management Report

Add the words “..to tenants in high needs buildings” to the following paragraph:

1. RSC and Management discussed the report. Management advised that the Pest Management Unit successful implemented a tenant education system with regard to pest management to tenants in high needs buildings. 

Item 4 - Business Arising from the Minutes and Committee Action Items Update

The Chair noted that there are many items coming forward to this list, and a goal is to close items out instead of these items building up. 

The Committee emphasised the need for items to be addressed in a timely manner. The Chair requested that the Committee look to provide clarification on the Action Items to determine if they can be satisfied by providing information offline, rather than coming back with a report where one may not be necessary. The Chair asked that Management look at forwarding any current documents between meetings that may be available, instead of waiting for when a full report is to be provided. 

Regarding RSC: 2016-09, the Committee requested that management provide the current CSU deployment model that is subject to being updated. 

Action Item:

1. Current CSU deployment model from RSC:2016-09 (Safer and More Secure Communities, Q4 2015 Update) to be provided offline to RSC members.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Wilkinson, seconded by Mr. Marshman and carried, the RSC received the report for information

Item 5 - Chair’s Report and Remarks – Verbal

The Chair welcomed and thanked the tenants for their attendance and participation. She noted there has been a lot of tenant participation and emphasized how important it is. The Chair also congratulated Susan Gapka on the recent victories for the trans community.

The Chair also noted that there are many items for information on the agenda, which detracts the Committee’s from completing key work and helping staff focus on what is most important. The Chair acknowledged the Committee needs background information, but going forward the goal should be to reduce information items on the agenda and pinpoint those matter that are most important to residents and require the Committee’s deliberation

Item 6 - Updated 2016 RSC Work Plan, Review of 2015 RSC Work Plan and Review of RSC Charter, RSC:2016-20

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2016-20). 

The Vice President, Resident and Community Services (Interim), spoke about the work plan, and indicated that the Committee’s request for reporting on tenant vulnerability is scheduled to come to RCS in November, and that regular updates can be provided to committee members on this and other critical items on the work plan. 

The Committee noted that there are many items on the work plan for November and that consideration may need to be given to scheduling an additional meeting in the fall to address all items.  It was noted by the Committee that with the implementation of the Mayor’s Task Force recommendations still uncertain, that there are many moving parts that may influence the work plan between now and year-end. 

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Marshman, seconded by Councillor Di Giorgio and carried, the RSC approved the above-captioned report (RSC:C2016-20).

Item 7 - Customer Service Strategy, RSC:2016-27

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC: 2016-27) from the Chief Operating Officer. 

Mr. Tuck went through the PowerPoint presentation with the Committee. He noted that the framework is cyclical, and that it is a continuum that staff will keep working through, involving ongoing learning and improvement.  

Mr. Tuck noted that during the consultation with tenants, issues were identified related to consistency and quality of communications, follow-up times, and response to complaints.  Improvements in these areas will be a focus during the strategy development. 

Mr. Tuck referenced the Tenant Charter Advisory Committee that will meet weekly during June.  He thanked the tenant members for their involvement and feedback which will be considered throughout the development of the strategy.  

Management also noted that there is customer service training happening during June and July 2016.  

The Committee asked to see the models of customer service training that TCHC is using, so the Committee can align itself with the expectations of staff.  Management will provide the training material most recently used, which was obtained from a vendor used by the City of Toronto. Mr. Tuck noted that training will be made more robust and will be better informed by TCHC’s Mission, Vision and Values. 

The Committee commented on the lack of measurements or expectations regarding timelines for implementation. The Committee also asked how residents are informed of this new customer service strategy. 

Management responded by stating that residents will continue to  be engaged throughout the process of developing the strategy, including potentially new engagement strategies that emerge from the tenant engagement refresh, and through new technology.  Mr. Tuck indicated that through tenant surveys the goal will be for tenant feedback on both the relational and transactional aspects of service.  

Action Item:

1. Management to provide the staff training presentation to the committee offline. 

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Di Giorgio, seconded by Mr. Marshman and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 8 - Mental Health and Seniors, Partnerships, and Community Economic Development Strategies Update, RSC:2016-15

RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2016-15) from the Interim Vice President, Resident and Community Services. 

Ms. Gapka deputed the item. She emphasized the urgency of having a strategy related to mental health, and suggested that GCHRCC should have a process to ensure that focus on these items is not lost over time when there is organizational change. 

Management noted that it is looking at a framework and will be taking lessons learned to build the strategies. Development of the strategies will include resident and stakeholder consultations. 

The Committee noted that OCHE needs to be included in conversations about the development of the strategies moving forward, given the impact of the strategies on seniors, and that OCHE’s involvement should be included in the work plan for these strategies. 

The Committee asked that the RCS’s Operational Plan be circulated to members offline. 

The Committee noted that TCHC may not have the expertise to provide the services required by the strategies, and emphasized the need to keep this in mind when developing the strategies.

The Committee noted the importance of being able to track progress related to the strategies, and requested that management provide progress metrics in future reports on the strategies. 

Action item:

• Circulate the RCS Operational Plan to the Committee. 

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Di Giorgio, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 9 - Revitalization Engagement, RSC:2016-16

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2016-16) from the Interim Vice President, Resident and Community Services. 

The Committee noted that 450 residents applied for jobs at Lawrence Heights.  Management advised 25 residents obtained jobs from the job fair.

The Committee asked about resident access to the new athletic grounds at Regent Park, and whether tenants have unrestricted access or if they need to register and qualify for programs through the City. 

Management noted that the City and MLSE have not yet set the operating model for Regent Park athletic grounds. Management indicated that the operation of the Regent Park athletic grounds will be similar to the operation of the grounds at 261 Jarvis Street, which is to be run by MLSE and that has a focus on TCHC residents. Management will provide information on 261 Jarvis athletic grounds including the costs to TCHC residents and the programs provided to residents.

The Committee emphasized the importance of obtaining role clarity as an advocate for residents rather than having the responsibility to deliver and administer programs that are out of TCHC’s mandate. 

Action item:

1. Provide information on the athletic facilities at 261 Jarvis and the new athletic grounds at Regent Park, specifically regarding access to the programs provided and the related costs to TCHC residents.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Wilkinson, seconded by Mr. Marshman and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 10 - Resident Engagement System Refresh Update, RSC:2016-17

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2016-17) from the Interim Vice President, Resident and Community Services.

Ms. Gapka deputed this item. She noted there is some confusion created from the different types of surveys conducted and the amount of information provided. She also noted that the tenant engagement processes is the means to ensure the Board is relevant to the tenants.   

Management noted that work is being undertaken with Strategic Communications to post the tenant survey information on the website.  

The Chair noted that there was almost too much information and it is difficult to understand what management was going to move forward with. Management noted that it will be drawing out the key themes from the surveys and what will be moved forward.

Action item:

1. Report back on the timeline for publishing the results of the tenant survey. 

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Wilkinson, seconded by Councillor Di Giorgio and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 11 - Clean Buildings and Maintenance Report, RSC:2016-28

The Committee had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2016-28) from the Vice President, Asset Management.

Mr. Leah noted that this report is a quarterly report and indicated that, subject to the Committee’s direction otherwise, that the quarterly pest management reporting will be integrated into the quarterly clean building and maintenance report, given that that these topics are related. 

Management clarified that the proposed centralized dispatch is intended for superintendents, and that there is no change for residents to report issues to site staff.

The Committee asked when is there going to be a unit that integrates pests, hoarding, etc. so there is one stop for tenants to have these matters addressed.  Management noted that it is looking into this.

The Committee asked if TCHC can get to the root cause of pest management issues or whether much of it is the reality of being a large landlord. Management noted complex factors such as tenant mental health that impact addressing this issue.  Management noted that the need is to support people with their tenancies, and confirmed that work is being done in this area.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Di Giorgio, seconded by Mr. Marshman and carried, the RSC received the report for information.

Item 12 - Q1 – 2016 Arrears Collection Update, RSC:2016-26

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2016-26).

The Vice President of Asset Management presented the report to the Committee.

The Committee noted that the goals for the referral of the vulnerable tenant process has been active for 12 months but the referral rates have been low. The Committee went on to ask if there is anything to be done to improve this.

Management responded by stating that referrals are being tracked to enhance reporting, and that a table has been convened with Asset Management, Resident Services and the Commissioner of Housing Equity to look at conducting a gap analysis and assess changes to managing and measuring referrals of vulnerable tenants.

The Committee asked what has driven up the number of files. Management noted that there are more files because of the increased  focus on preserving tenancies, and more tenants now appear to carry a small balance. Management also noted that these same tenants are also the ones that readily enter the repayment agreements.

The Committee noted that the amount of write-offs of rent have become much lower because the focus is less on evicting tenants and more on creating repayment plans for tenants in arrears.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Marshman, seconded by Councillor Di Giorgio and carried, the RSC received the report for information

Item 13 - Evictions for Cause Procedure, RSC:2016-21

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2016-21) from the Vice President, Asset Management.

Mr. Leah presented the report to the Committee, and indicated that it is an update on a cross divisional project that is in progress. Mr. Leah clarified that we have an Evictions Policy in place, and that this report deals with the procedures to facilitate implementation. 

The Committee asked when the procedure will be implemented. Management noted that most components will be rolled out in Q3, but that some will be delayed as a result of IT issues. 

The Committee expressed confusion on the status and timing of the revisions to the policy. Management responded by saying that the policy was updated in 2015, but the revisions were not substantive. 

The Committee further noted that the community standards referenced in the policy have not been rolled out, and questioned whether the policy requires updating.

Management noted that the fact the community standards were not rolled out does not change the relevance of the policy. Management will remove the reference to the community standards in the policy. 

The Committee questioned the lack of timelines for the process.  Management indicated that the training materials have service standards attached to the steps in the process, and that the service standards could be appended to the procedure. 

Action items:

1. Provide to the Committee the service standards that apply to the procedure. 
2. Update the policy to remove the reference to the community standards.

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Marshman, seconded by Ms. Wilkinson and carried, the RSC received the report for information

Item 14 - Update: City of Toronto Review of Mayor’s Task Force report, RSC:2016-25

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2016-25) from the Interim President and Chief Executive Officer.

The Director of Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations provided the report to the Committee. Mr. Lawson advised that beyond the fact that the forthcoming report from City staff will address the five major areas identified by the Task Force and request direction from Council, there is no additional substantive information that Management has to provide to the Committee at this time.  The Committee’s feedback may be required subsequent to the release of the City’s report. 

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Di Giorgio, seconded by Mr. Marshman and carried, the RSC received the report for information

Item 16 - Tenant Board Member Selection Process 2017, RSC:2016-22

The RSC had before it the above-captioned report (RSC:2016-22) from the Interim General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.

Ms. Gapka deputed this item. She expressed that the review of the process is past due, and that tenant engagement in establishing the framework is critical. Ms. Gapka emphasised the importance of consistency in the process and its implementation, a focus on eligibility requirements, and the need to measure outcomes. 

Concerns were expressed by the Committee regarding the past process being biased. The Committee also expressed the importance that tenants with the right skillsets are appointed as Board members. The Committee suggested that Management also consider a process where tenants apply directly to the City to be appointed to the Board, in a manner similar to the process utilized for other citizen Board members. 

Management noted that the Shareholder Direction provides that the process needs to be tenant led, so tenant consultation is required to bring forward a change in the appointment process. 

The Committee suggested that as part of the process Management conduct a targeted environmental scan and leverage existing tenant groups for consultation. 

Motion carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Wilkinson, seconded by Mr. Marshman and carried, the RSC received the report for information

Item 18 - Q1-2016 Report on Installation and Maintenance of Security Cameras (CCTV), RSC:2016-24

Item 18 was deferred to the RSC Meeting on July 7, 2016. 

TERMINATION

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Wilkinson, seconded by Mr. Marshman and carried, the RSC resolved to terminate the public meeting at 11:27 a.m.