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2. FEDERAL BILL C-304 - AN ACT TO ENSURE SECURE,
ADEQUATE, PROJET DE LOI FÉDÉRAL C-304
- LOI VISANT À ASSURER AUX |
Committee RecommendationS as amended
That City Council support, in principle, Bill C-304, and notify the
Federal Government, Opposition House Leaders and Local Area MPPs of this
support, to include the following:
·
include funding for a wide range of
supports for people with complex needs to obtain and maintain their housing,
and;
·
be integrated with a strategy to end
homelessness.
RecommandationS modifiées DU Comité
Que le Conseil municipal appuie en principe le projet de loi C‑304
et d'informer le gouvernement fédéral, les chefs des partis de l'opposition
et les députés provinciaux de la région de cet appui, le projet de loi
devant :
·
être axé sur un engagement de
financement continu et durable pour assurer un logement adéquat, sécuritaire,
sûr et abordable aux Canadiens de tous niveaux de revenu;
·
prévoir le financement d'une vaste
gamme de services de soutien aux personnes ayant des besoins complexes pour
leur permettre de trouver et de conserver un logement;
·
s'intégrer à une stratégie pour
mettre fin au sans-abrisme.
Documentation
1. Health and Social Services Advisory
Committee Coordinator’s report dated
28 June 2010 (ACS2010-CCV-HSS-0001).
2. Extract
of Draft Minute, 16 September 2010.
Community and
Protective Services Committee
Comité des services
communautaires et de protection
and Council / et au
Conseil
28 June 2010 /
le 28 juin 2010
Submitted by/Soumis par : Health and Social Services Advisory Committee
Comité consultatif sur la santé et les services sociaux
Contact
Person/Personne ressource : Melinda Aston, A/Advisory Committee Coordinator/
Coordonnatrice intérimaire des
Comités consultatifs
City Clerk and Solicitor / Greffier
et Chef du contentieux
(613) 580-2424 ext / poste : 21838 Melinda.Aston@ottawa.ca
The Health and Social
Services Advisory Committee recommends that the Community and Protective
Services Committee recommend Council to support, in principle, Bill C-304.
Le Comité consultatif
sur la santé et les services sociaux recommande au Comité des services
communautaires et de protection de recommander au Conseil municipal d’accorder
son appui, en principe, au Projet de loi C-304.
At its 22 June 2010 meeting, the Health and
Social Services Advisory Committee (HSSAC) received a PowerPoint presentation
from the Chair outlining the importance of having a National Housing Strategy.
The Health and Social Services Advisory
Committee approved the following motion:
WHEREAS Homelessness and Affordable Housing are
inseparably linked to poverty; and
WHEREAS the City of Ottawa’s Poverty Reduction
Strategy is in keeping with the City’s Strategic Plan, including municipal
housing strategies; and
WHEREAS 7,445 individuals in Ottawa stayed in
emergency shelters in 2009; and
WHEREAS there are 10,235 households on the
Social Housing registry wait list; and
WHEREAS Ontario Works and Ontario Disability
Support program baseline funding for housing did not keep pace with rising cost
of rental accommodations in the Ottawa housing market; and
WHEREAS the United Nation’s Special Rapporteur
on the Right to Adequate Housing recommended re-establishing a National Housing
Plan in Canada; and
WHEREAS homelessness and affordability is in a
National Crisis in Canada.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Health and
Social Services Advisory Committee asks that the Community and Protective
Services Committee bring this action before City Council to support, in
principle Bill C-304.
Historically, Canada has had an exemplary
social housing record. However, since the 1990's government
investment declined while the demand for affordable housing increased
(increased immigration, inflationary increases to utilities and associated
expenses, and the inability of wages in keeping up with cost of
living).
A Federal Bill (C-304) is currently before the
House of Commons (3rd reading) which, if approved, will enable the
establishment of a national housing strategy to secure adequate, accessible and
affordable housing to those without housing and to members of various
vulnerable groups.
Approval of this motion by Council will enable
the City of Ottawa to relay its endorsement of Bill C-304 to area MP's and
to the Government of Canada through the office of Prime Minister Stephen
Harper.
There are
no rural implications associated with this report.
Community
and Social Services Department (CSSD)
The Community and Social Services Department
(CSSD) supports the memo coming forward from Health and Social Services
Advisory Committee seeking Council’s support in principle for the enactment of
this Bill by Canada’s parliament.
The City of Ottawa has long advocated for, and
will continue to advocate for, the federal government to create a national
housing strategy. Therefore, the City’s CSSD supports the request from HSSAC,
with the addition of a request that the federal bill be amended to include the
following:
·
have
at its core a commitment to ongoing, sustainable funding for adequate, safe,
secure affordable housing for Canadians of all income levels;
·
include
funding for a wide range of supports for people with complex needs to obtain
and maintain their housing; and
·
be
integrated with a strategy to end homelessness.
There are no legal/risk management impediments
to implementing the recommendation in this report.
This report is aligned with the City Strategic
Plan priorities; specifically the Sustainable, Healthy and Active City Priority
which supports a healthy and active community by addressing homelessness and
ensuring a supply of affordable housing for people on low incomes.
There are no financial implications with the
approval of the recommendation contained in this report.
The HSSAC Coordinator to notify
the Advisory Committee of City Council’s decision.
FEDERAL BILL C-304 - AN ACT TO
ENSURE SECURE, ADEQUATE, ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR CANADIANS
PROJET DE LOI FÉDÉRAL C-304 - LOI VISANT À
ASSURER AUX CANADIENS UN LOGEMENT SÛR, ADÉQUAT, ACCESSIBLE ET ABORDABLE
ACS2010-CCV-HSS-0001 CITY-WIDE / À L’ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE
Chair Deans introduced Ms. Carol
Lever, Chair, Health, Recreation and Social Services Advisory Committee (HSSAC),
who addressed CPSC to ask for its support in endorsing Bill C-304. Referencing a prepared statement (held on
file with the City Clerk), Ms. Lever explained that the purpose of the Act is to ensure secure, adequate, accessible
and affordable housing for Canadians.
She outlined that the report had been tabled on 24 March 2010,
introduced by Ms. Libby Davis, Member of Parliament for Vancouver East.
Chair Deans thanked Ms. Lever for
her presentation and for the work undertaken by the Advisory Committee. She believed the Motion HSAAC was
supportable, and that the Committee was aware of the need for a national
housing strategy. She expressed that
Bill C-304 would help to address identified needs, and to provide long-term, guaranteed,
predictable and sustainable funding for municipalities, to create local housing
strategies to address the problem of social housing and the gaps between what
is needed and a municipality’s ability to provide. Councillor Deans then recommended an
amendment to the HSSAC’s Motion to include that the Federal Government,
Opposition House Leaders and Local Area MPPs be made aware of this support.
Councillor Holmes pointed out that
the report also spoke to what staff would like to see included in Bill C-304,
and she suggested adding the three bulleted points contained within the
report’s “Consultation” section to strengthen the Motion from the HSSAC.
There being no further discussion,
the Committee then considered the recommendation as amended.
Moved by Councillor D. Holmes:
The Health and Social Services Advisory Committee recommends that the
Community and Protective Services Committee recommend that City Council
support, in principle, Bill C-304, and notify the Federal Government,
Opposition House Leaders and Local Area MPPs of this support, to include the
following:
·
have at its core a commitment to
ongoing, sustainable funding for adequate, safe, secure affordable housing for
Canadians of all income levels;
·
include funding for a wide range of
supports for people with complex needs to obtain and maintain their housing,
and;
·
be integrated with a strategy to end
homelessness.
CARRIED
as amended