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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOR-2022-104 - Housing for All Program Update - 2022 Year in Review Corporate Services Department www.kitchener.ca REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: March 7, 2022 SUBMITTED BY: Elin Moorlag Silk, Interim Director of Equity, Anti-Racism & Indigenous Initiatives PREPARED BY: Andrew Ramsaroop, Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, Equity, Anti-Racism & Indigenous Initiatives WARD(S) INVOLVED: All Wards DATE OF REPORT: February 7, 2022 REPORT NO.: COR-2022-104 SUBJECT: Housing for All Program Update 2022 Year in Review RECOMMENDATION: That Council receive report COR-2022-104 (Housing for All Program Update 2022 Year in Review) for information. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS: The purpose of this report is to provide Committee and Council and the public with an update on the work done to date to advance the actions within Housing for All along with the proposed workplan for 2022. The report also includes a list of challenges that continue to be a barrier to realizing the right to housing locally, as well as successes as a result of the implementation of Housing for All. This report supports stable, secure and affordable housing is a human right. Further, that the City will use equity, diversity and inclusion principles to realize the right to housing. BACKGROUND: In response to concern over homelessness and housing affordability the 2019-2022 Strategic Plan included an action to develop an affordable housing strategy for the City of Kitchener. The City conducted a comprehensive process with an advisory committee made up of members of the public, members of Council, non-profit providers, the development community, and the Region of Waterloo to determine what actions the City of Kitchener could uniquely take to support the Region of Waterloo in ensuring everyone has a place to call home. In December 2020, Council approved Housing for All which contained 44 actions focused on advancing 7 key priority areas that would help the City of Kitchener realize the right to housing locally and work towards creating more housing opportunities across the housing continuum. One of the 44 *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. actions in Housing for All was to provide regular reports on success and challenges in implementing the strategy. This report serves that purpose. Figure 1: Housing for All's Seven Priority Areas Issues of housing availability and affordability as well as the number of people who are experiencing unsheltered and hidden homelessness continue to be a top issue locally and nationally. Housing for All was recognized by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) as an innovative strategy and received its P.J. Marshall Award for Municipal Innovation. The strategy has positioned the City to be a leader in recognizing lived expertise, the right to housing, and demonstrating the role a lower-tier municipality can play on advancing housing opportunities. This report focuses on progress made by city staff in collaboration in community partners on implementing Housing for All, actions that are currently underway and actions that will form the work plan for the next year. The Housing Actions List summary (Appendix A) provides a summary of progress made on the Housing for All program. The 2022-2023 Housing for All Workplan is attached as Appendix B. REPORT: Staff have prepared a summary of the Housing for All program since its approval by Council in December 2020. The below graphic is a visual representation of the progress the City has made on the housing strategy. Housing for All, as approved by Council, can be found here. Figure 2: Graphic depiction of Housing for All's action implementation status. Update on Housing for All 2020, the City has begun to undertake the implementation of the 44 actions focused on created more housing opportunities in our community. Completed Actions Together City staff from across various Departments and Divisions have collaborated to advance these actions. In Table 1 (below) are actions that have been completed to date. Please note that some of these actions are ongoing and iterative. The first year of implementation was focused on setting the program on a foundation for success, resourcing the body of work and learning how to collaborate both within the City and pan-Regionally. Collectively, 14 actions have been largely completed accounting for approximately a 30% completion rate in the first year of implementation. Table 1: Completed Actions Action Provide sufficient resources to realize the right to housing. Advocate for ShelterCare to gain a permanent home. Work with the Region and operators to facilitate development of: » OneROOF supportive housing for youth » YWCA supportive housing for women » A transition plan for A Better Tent City to move to Indwell redevelopment of St Marks Church for supportive housing » Housing for people in encampments, in shelters and leaving homelessness Advocate for the Region to address encampments incorporating a human rights-based approach. Jointly develop a Region/City Charter to ensure collaboration and opportunities to identify and address housing challenges in Kitchener. Continue improving the development approval process with input from the development industry and the community Consider fast tracking non-profit and affordable housing developments through city processes Consider establishment of an Affordable Housing Reserve Fund to support affordable housing initiatives Request the Region to prioritize collaborative determination and designation of Major Transit Station Areas in the Regional Official Plan. Request the Region to consider feasibility and implications for funding for growth related (future) affordable housing developments in creating development charge policies Provide regular public reports on success and challenges in implementing Housing for All. Develop an annual work plan to implement Housing for All including timing and responsibilities, to be used to inform annual budgets Recommend an annual operating amount to support housing initiatives. Provide staffing to support implementation of the Affordable Housing Strategy. : Providing program updates, work plan updates and the public accessibility of staff help to ensure the community is being provided with adequate information to be able to make meaningful contributions. Resourcing the Housing for All program, providing dedicated staffing to prioritizing supportive and affordable housing developments and using our position as a municipality to advocate moves our community closer to a place where everyone is adequately and safely housed. Leveraging opportunities for collaboration, inter-municipal discourse and joint advocacy ensures we are all working towards the same goal in complementary and meaningful ways. Actions that are currently underway In addition to the completed actions, 8 out of the 44 actions are actively underway (see table 2, below) with dedicated staff support. This is equivalent to about 18% of the 44 actions. City staff continue to collaborate across the Corporation, with community partners, area municipalities and the Region of Waterloo on prioritizing housing options, as well as support the right to housing by Table 2: Actions in progress Action Collaborate with the Shift on a two-year pilot project to localize implementation of housing as a human right. Work with community organizations, to proactively identify and eliminate socioeconomic barriers to participation. Create and implement a two-year pilot project for staff to work with and learn from a Lived- Experience Working Group on addressing housing issues in the city, to gain advice on strategy implementation and monitor progress. Facilitate the creation of 450 units of new transitional and supportive housing. This includes: 60 housing units for youth, 70 housing units for women, 170 housing units for men, 50 housing units for people with acute concurrent mental health and addition challenges,100 units for people with cognitive challenges Identify City lands suitable for others to develop for affordable housing and seek to incorporate community housing, below market rental and below market ownership units. Pilot 2 city sites involving community housing in proximity to transit /major transit station areas Develop a strategy for the use of city lands for affordable housing and play a leadership role in advancing innovative mixed housing communities, as a model for other Canadian communities to replicate. Jointly advocate for Provincial and Federal funding for housing for community building, sustainability and economic recovery, including: transitional housing concept (80 units) and for supportive housing project (60 units) -KW seeking a site and funding for approximately 50 one-bedroom units of affordable supportive housing for women of housing to their portfolio new community housing and to purchase buildings to preserve affordable housing proposal to develop approximately 58 units of supportive housing for youth who are homeless on their site anity seeking sites for affordable home ownership -3 more sites in Kitchener for approximately 120 to 180 supportive housing units seeking funding for a supportive housing project Services Hub. Wigwam Project is seeking to develop a site for affordable housing Wellington seeking funding for a fulltime staff to help develop a housing strategy/model interest in redeveloping their surplus lands to accommodate affordable housing and need capital funds and development expertise affordable housing units, but face barriers around acquiring sites and capital funds. Actions in- Housing for All boldly declared and positioned the community to recognize the right to housing. A core tenant in the right to housing is centring lived expertise in decisions that affect them most like housing and homelessness policy. Accountability, relationship building and meaningful longer-term engagement helps the City to foster and repair strong relationships. Identifying what resources the City can provide to advance housing locally helps to get much needed supportive and affordable housing built. This has a direct impact on lifting our most vulnerable community members out of precarious housing situations and homelessness. Program Challenges and Success State of Housing and Homelessness Locally The City of Kitchener along with the Region of Waterloo, local community partners and the other area municipalities are working in collaboration with one another in new and innovative ways. There has been an increase in national and local attention on housing and homelessness with an increased desire to end homelessness in our communities. The latest Point in Time (PiT) count taken in the Region of Waterloo put the number of people experiencing any type of homelessness was 1,085 including 412 who were living completely unsheltered. This is an increase from the 2018 PiT count which reported 333 people experiencing any type of homelessness. It should be noted that the method used in the PiT count meant an expanded count, however the number more closely represents the anecdotal reporting point of concern. Asking rents continue to rise, along with increased prices for market housing and land to develop affordable housing. When the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation releases new housing data as well as the release of 2021 Census Data from Statistics Canada is available and staff have the capacity to do so, will be updated. Supportive Housing in our Community Housing for All focused on ending homelessness as one of its key priorities. The creation of additional supportive housing is one way to directly lift people out of homelessness. Since the adoption of the strategy the City has supported the creation of 128 units of supportive housing through a mix of financial support, fee waivers, city land and expedited approvals. Further, the there is approximately an additional 115 units of supportive housing confirmed in the development queue that staff will also support in collaboration with community partners and the Region of Waterloo. This means that there is 243 units of supportive in various parts of the development process which brings the City to just over 50% of its target of 450 supportive housing units in its first year. A Better Tent City (ABTC) Alternative Housing Pilot Housing for All positioned the City to support ABTC as a program that filled unique housing gaps in the community, in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increasing presence of and other resources along with support from the Region of Waterloo and the community has ensured that 50 individuals experiencing homelessness could still have a place to call home. The City and the Region of Waterloo continue to work closely with ABTC leadership for a long-term solution for this program. Advocacy of community partners who were looking to build units. In addition to the 243 units slated to be built in Kitchener, the City was an early advocate for House o which successfully found a home in the City of Waterloo. Further, the City was also an early supporter of the KW Urban Native Wigwam Project which successfully secured funding for an additional housing site in the City of Cambridge. Future Direction and Conclusion The recommended 2022-2023 workplan is attached to this report as Appendix B. The future workplan leverages a number of timely opportunities: equity through the establishment of the Kitchener Housing Lived Expertise Working Group in partnership with the Social Development Centre of Waterloo Region. $2M one-time funding infusion from 2022 Budget to create Affordable Housing Reserve Fund. Council will be presented with a recommended policy later this quarter. Holistically look at incentive and fee waiver offerings in conjunction with the Region of plan and our area municipal partners. Holistically look at housi Official Plan Review and the Tri-City Inclusionary Zoning Working Group. Dedicated staffing to support and streamline Affordable Housing Development and Purpose-Built Rental Construction. Leverage the expertise of the new Realty Team to help establish and track local housing related data. The workplan was co-developed with internal stakeholders across the Corporation to ensure dedicated resourcing to advance the plan was available. Future workplans and reports will include the input of the Kitchener Lived Expertise Working Group who will also be responsible for measuring the success of implementation. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: This report supports A Caring Community. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Capital Budget The recommendation has no impact on the Capital Budget. Operating Budget The recommendation has no impact on the Operating Budget. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting. PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES: DSD-20-214 Housing for All City of Kitchener Housing Strategy DSD-20-108 Draft Housing Strategy DSD-20-034 Council Strategy Session Affordable Housing Issues and Options DSD-20-006 Affordable Housing Strategy Phase 2: Housing Needs Assessment DSD-19-135 Affordable Housing Strategy Work Program Overview APPROVED BY: Victoria Raab, General Manager, Corporate Services Justin Readman, General Manager, Development Services ATTACHMENTS: Appendix A Housing for All Actions Summary Appendix B 2022-2023 Housing for All Workplan APPENDIX A Housing for All Actions Summary Priority 1: Human Rights Based Approach to Housing Action: Address Nimbyism Status: City staff has begun work to address Nimbyism through the development of the Housing Strategy. City staff is currently working on a lived experience working group focused on the research from the SDCWR and The SHIFT Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, EARII Division Action: Develop and promote fact-based research Status: City staff has begun work to address fact-based research and its role in addressing Nimbyism through the development of the Housing Strategy. The City supported the Social Development Centre and UW to promote lived experience-based research around displacement. City staff are currently working on a lived experience working group focused on the research from the SDCWR and The SHIFT. Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, EARII Division Action: Ensure that the right to housing informs and is responsive to climate change Status: Sustainability Office and as well as REEP to look into energy poverty, and climate change vulnerability. Further work needs be done in future. Staff: Corporate Sustainability Action: Provide sufficient resources to realize the right to housing Status: A permanent staffing resource and budget has been allocated to the implementation of Housing for All. Further, staffing resources and plans to establish a lived experience working group will bring the City closer to realizing the right to housing. Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, Action: Collaborate with the Shift on a two-year pilot project to localize implementation of housing as a human right Status: Underway. Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, EARII Division Priority 2: Commitment to Lived Experience Collaboration Transparent and Participatory Decision-Making Action: Recognize and treat those in need of housing or related social benefits as experts in what is required and able to positively inform the outcome of decision-making processes Status: City staff, through the Advisory Committee, has learned about working with those with lived experience. We have identified we have much more to learn. The Engagement Sub-committee has drafted a terms of reference that envisions an implementing working group with majority lived experience membership Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, EARII Division Action: Ensure knowledge of rights and provide access to relevant information and sufficient time to consult Status: Work planned for the 2022-2023 Workplan Staff: Equity Action: Ensure meaningful participation in the design, implementation and monitoring of housing policies & decisions Status: Work planned for the 2022-2023 Workplan Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, EARII Division Action: Work with community organizations, like the Social Development Centre, to proactively identify and eliminate socio-economic barriers to participation Status: Work is currently underway. City staff and Social Development Centre of Waterloo Region staff have held conducted engagement with various groups to understand how to meaningfully engage with the community and how to remove barriers to participation in anticipation of the lived experience working group. Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, EARII Division Action: Create and implement a two-year pilot project for staff to work with and learn from a Lived-Experience Working Group on addressing housing issues in the city, to gain advice on strategy implementation and monitor progress. Status: Work is currently underway. City staff and Social Development Centre of Waterloo Region staff have held conducted engagement with various groups to understand how to meaningfully engage with the community and how to remove barriers to participation in anticipation of the lived experience working group. Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, EARII Division Priority 3: Help End Homelessness Set Targets : Facilitate the creation of 450 units of new transitional and supportive housing. This includes: 60 housing units for youth 70 housing units for women 170 housing units for men 50 housing units for people with acute concurrent mental health and addiction challenges 100 units for people with cognitive challenges Status: Since the passing of the strategy the City has supported the creation of 128 units of supportive housing. There is approximately an additional 115 units of supportive housing confirmed in the development queue. Staff: Region of Waterloo with support from Planning, Economic Development and Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Action: Provide leadership in providing 2 city sites to match 2 regional sites in Kitchener for supportive housing Status Underway. City has provided a site for the YWKW which has successfully received 2 rounds of Rapid Housing Initiative Funding. Staff: Economic Development, Realty Services Action: Advocate for the Region and local municipalities to provide sites for diverse types of supportive housing across the region and for appropriate supports from Ontario Health Teams Status: Underway Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, EARII Division Action: Advocate for ShelterCare to gain a permanent home Status: Complete. ShelterCare has found a new home in the City of Waterloo and has successfully received $8.5M from the Provincial Government. Staff: Office of CAO, Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Action: Work with the Region and operators to facilitate development of: OneROOF Roof supportive housing for youth YWCA supportive housing for women A transition plan for A Better Tent City to move to an alternate location and provide innovative supportive Indwell redevelopment of St Marks Church for supportive housing Housing for people in encampments, in shelters and leaving homelessness - Status: Complete. All of these projects are currently underway. Staff: Planning, Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Action: Advocate for the Region to address encampments incorporating a human rights-based approach Status: Complete. This will be an iterative process with no definitive end. City staff have been part of a pan-Regional working group focused on updating encampment protocols. Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, Bylaw Enforcement Action: Support the Region and Service Providers to improve and enhance the quality of the existing people centered information and the Coordinated Access System to gain further insight into the diverse types of supportive housing needed. Status: Underway Staff: Office of the CAO, Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Priority 4: Help Secure Community, Affordable Rental and Affordable Ownership Housing Action: Facilitate developing Community Housing Waiting List Status: Underway Staff: Economic Development, Planning, Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Action: Identify City lands suitable for others to develop for affordable housing and seek to incorporate community housing, below market rental and below market ownership units Status: Underway. Economic Development currently leading a process alongside Realty services for a Land Disposition Strategy for City lands. Staff: Economic Development, Realty Services Action: Pilot 2 city sites involving community housing in proximity to transit /major transit station areas Status: Underway. YWKW Block line project is one site. Staff: Economic Development, Realty Services Action: Help connect non-profit housing sector with developers, through partnerships and creative solutions, to make the needed substantive and long-lasting changes to help make housing more affordable Status: Underway Staff: Economic Development, Realty Services, Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Priority 5: Advocacy Action: Jointly develop a Region/City Charter to ensure collaboration and opportunities to identify and address housing challenges in Kitchener. Status: Complete. There is a commitment to pan-Regional collaboration. The creation of a Municipal Housing and Homelessness Leads Table which includes representation at the Regional level and all of the Area Municipalities has helped to increase access to information and create new opportunities for collaboration. Staff: CAO Office, DSD Office of the GM, Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Action: Request the Region of Waterloo, in collaboration with local municipalities, non-profit housing, support, and philanthropic organizations and the private sectors, to develop a funding strategy to end homelessness through a reimagined shelter, supportive and community housing plan. Status: Underway. Staff: Planning, Equity, Economic Development Action: Jointly advocate for Provincial and Federal funding for housing for community building, sustainability and economic recovery, including: House of Friendship seeking 2 sites and funding for the ShelterCare integrated health and transitional housing concept (80 units) and for supportive housing project (60 units) YWCA-KW seeking a site and funding for approximately 50 one-bedroom units of affordable supportive housing for women The Working Centre to acquire and renovate a second site (Water Street 2.0) and add 40 units of housing to their portfolio Kitchener Housing Inc (KHI) seeking a site and working in partnership with a developer to create new community housing and to purchase buildings to preserve affordable housing pportive housing for youth who are homeless on their site needs Waterloo Region Habitat for Humanity seeking sites for affordable home ownership -3 more sites in Kitchener for approximately 120 to 180 supportive housing units Menno Homes seeking funding to complete project under development Habilitation seeking funding for a supportive housing project Reception House Waterloo Region seeking a site and funding for the development of a Refugee Services Hub. Thresholds Homes and Supports is seeking to develop 2 supportive housing sites KW Urban Native Wigwam is seeking to develop a site for unites of affordable housing John Howard Society Waterloo-Wellington seeking funding for a full-time staff to help develop a housing strategy/model Church and Religious Institutions within the City have expressed interest in redeveloping their surplus lands to accommodate affordable housing and need capital funds and development expertise Private Sector Affordable Housing developers have expressed interest in developing more affordable housing units, but face barriers around acquiring sites and capital funds. Status: Underway. Many of these projects are underway. Staff: CAO Office, Planning, Economic Development Action: Request the Region to revise its Housing and Homelessness Plan to further incorporate local municipal input collaboration with local municipalities, non-profit housing and service providers, philanthropic organizations and the private sector. Status: Underway. Regional staff have included local area municipal input into their Building Better Futures plan at various stages as well as housing related policy in their Regional Official Plan work. Staff: Planning , Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Action: Request (through AMO) that the Government of Ontario develop and adopt a provincial housing strategy including measurable targets and sufficient funds for ending homelessness and ensuring access of all Ontarians, including those of limited income, to housing of an adequate standard without discrimination. It should also take into consideration the needs of Indigenous people, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities including mental illness, women experiencing domestic violence, lone parents, immigrants and newcomers and other people living in poverty or with low incomes. Status: TBD Staff: Priority 6: Align Policies, Processes and Use of City Land to Facilitate More Affordable Housing Report to Council on the feasibility and implications of the following potential policies: Inclusionary Housing Policy and implementing Zoning Bylaw (Underway) Lodging House Policy and implementing Zoning Bylaw (Underway) Parking Waiver Policy and implementing Zoning Bylaw for affordable housing developments (Underway) Parkland Dedication Waiver Policy for affordable housing developments (Underway) Tenant Assistance Policy and implementing Bylaw to mitigate impacts from redevelopment of rental apartments on current tenants, including consideration of developers providing advanced notice and assistance to residents including relocation plans Community Improvement Plan for affordable housing Status: Underway. Staff: Planning, Finance, Realty Services, Legislated Services, Parks and Cemetery, Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Action: Continue improving the development approval process with input from the development industry and the community Status: Complete. Development Services Review project complete with recommendations being implemented. Improving the review process is iterative and continuous and will be ongoing. Staff: Planning Action: Consider Fast Tracking non-profit and affordable housing developments through city processes Status: Complete. Planning has piloted the fast-tracking process for supportive housing development. This work will be enhanced with two new staffing resources who will focused on affordable housing and purpose built rentals. This work will be continuous. Staff: Planning Action: Continue the Fee Waiver Policy for non-profit organizations and consider expanding its application to affordable housing units provided in private sector development applications. Status: TBD. Affordable Housing Policies are to be reviewed in the near future. This work should happen alongside the comprehensive affordable housing incentive work. Staff: Planning, Finance, Realty Services, Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Action: Consider establishment of an Affordable Housing Reserve Fund to support affordable housing initiatives Status: Complete. An Affordable Housing Reserve Fund was created as a part of the 2022 Budget process. Council allocated $2M towards this fund. Staff to return in Q2 2022 with a recommended policy. Staff: Finance, Planning, Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Action: Develop a strategy for the use of city lands for affordable housing and play a leadership role in advancing innovative mixed housing communities, as a model for other Canadian communities to replicate. Status: Underway. As a part of the Land Disposition Strategy work that is underway. Staff: Economic Development , Realty Services. Action: Assess feasibility of including affordable housing in the development of new or redeveloped City facilities, eg. community centers Status: Underway. Staff: Realty Services Action: Request the Region to prioritize collaborative determination and designation of Major Transit Station Areas in the Regional Official Plan Status: Complete. City staff did advocate for the early determination of Major Transit Station area. This work will take place within the regular Regional Official Plan work. Staff: Planning Action: Request the Region and School Boards to consider reviewing with the City the feasibility and implications of reducing the Regional and School Board shares of Development Charges for affordable housing development Status: TBD Finance staff Action: Request Region to consider feasibility and implications of funding for growth related (future) affordable housing developments in creating development charge policies Status: Complete. Work around Community Benefit Charge policy is underway. Further, the Region of Waterloo has committed to an Affordable Housing Tax Levy to further their Building Better Futures plan. Staff: Finance, Planning Priority 7: Fill Data Gaps and Establish Effective Monitoring and Accountability Mechanisms Action: Provide regular updates to Council, the public and staff on housing needs assessments Status: TBD. Awaiting new Census results from Statistics Canada and the establishment of Kitchener specific data. Planning to prepare this in conjunction with Economic Development, Realty Services and Equity Action: Provide regular public reports on success and challenges in implementing Housing for All Status: Complete. Will occur annually. Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Action: Undertake additional work to assess housing needs for: Indigenous people LBGTQ+ community People earning the minimum wage People who are homeless especially for people with mental health and addiction challenges People with disabilities with low to moderate incomes Recent immigrants Seniors, especially those in rental housing or requiring care. (The population aged 65 years and older increased by 35% from 2006 to 2016 and is expected to almost double (increase by 94%) by 2041. Single parents Students and youth Status: TBD. Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead Action: Track and monitor renovictions, where tenants are displaced from their homes to allow major renovations or redevelopment to proceed and housing held for investment in Kitchener. Status: TBD Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, Realty Services Status: TBD Staff: Communications Action: Develop an annual work plan to implement Housing for All including timing and responsibilities, to be used to inform annual budgets Status: Complete. Staff will ensure annual work plans are created and shared with Council and the public. Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead in collaboration with other Departments and Divisions internally. Action: Recommend an annual operating amount to support housing initiatives Status: Complete. Housing for All operating budget includes $125,000 Staff: Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead, Planning Action: Provide staffing to support implementation of the Affordable Housing Strategy Status: Complete. Existing and new staff resources in Planning, Economic Development and Realty Services. In addition to the creation of the Social Planning and Affordable Housing Program Lead position on the new Equity, Antiracism and Indigenous Initiative Division to ensure completion of the strategy APPENDIX B 2022-2023 Housing for All Workplan Table 1: New Actions to be added to the 2022-2023 Housing for All Workplan Action Lead and Notes EARII Division Develop and promote fact-based research EARII Division Recognize and treat those in need of housing or related social benefits as experts in what is required and able to positively inform the outcome of decision-making processes EARII Division Ensure knowledge of rights and provide access to relevant information and sufficient time to consult. Planning Division, Parks and Report to Council on the feasibility and implications of the following potential policies: Cemeteries, Finance, Legislated Services and Realty Services Notes: y and implementing Bylaw to mitigate impacts from The Region is embarking on redevelopment of rental apartments on current tenants, including a comprehensive review of consideration of developers providing advanced notice and assistance to policies and incentives for residents including relocation plans affordable housing ementing Zoning Bylaw for affordable development. housing developments Affordable Housing Incentive Policies are also being reviewed. Planning Division, EARII Division Provide regular updates to Council, the public and staff on housing needs and Realty Services. assessments. Notes: Update needs assessment when Census data is released and there is sufficient staffing capacity. Add other indicators that are Kitchener Specific. Realty Services and EARII Division Track and monitor renovictions, where tenants are displaced from their homes to allow major renovations or redevelopment to proceed and housing held for investment in Kitchener. Notes: Staff will also research including data around Short Term Rentals and Vacant Units Realty Services Assess feasibility of including affordable housing in the development of new or redeveloped City facilities, eg. community centres Table 2: Actions that are currently underway and will be added to the 2022-2023 Housing for All Workplan Action Lead and Notes EARII Division Collaborate with the Shift on a two-year pilot project to localize implementation of housing as a human right. EARII Division Work with community organizations, to proactively identify and eliminate socioeconomic barriers to participation. EARII Division Create and implement a two-year pilot project for staff to work with and learn from a Lived-Experience Working Group on addressing housing issues in the city, to gain advice on strategy implementation and monitor progress. Planning Division, EARII Division Facilitate the creation of 450 units of new transitional and supportive housing. This includes: 60 housing units for youth, 70 housing units for women, 170 housing units for men, 50 housing units for people with acute concurrent mental health and addition challenges,100 units for people with cognitive challenges Identify City lands suitable for others to develop for affordable housing and Economic Development, Reality seek to incorporate community housing, below market rental and below Services market ownership units. Notes: Through Land Disposition Strategy Pilot 2 city sites involving community housing in proximity to transit /major Economic Development, Reality transit station areas. Services, Planning Division Notes: Through Land Disposition Strategy YWKW Block Line Project is one of the pilot sites. Develop a strategy for the use of city lands for affordable housing and play a Realty Services leadership role in advancing innovative mixed housing communities, as a model for other Canadian communities to replicate. EARII Division and Various other Jointly advocate for Provincial and Federal funding for housing for community Divisions building, sustainability and economic recovery, including: integrated health and transitional housing concept (80 units) and for Notes: supportive housing project (60 units) -KW seeking a site and funding for approximately 50 one- Bold indicates projects that bedroom units of affordable supportive housing for women were advocated for and are underway. Street 2.0) and add 40 units of housing to their portfolio a developer to create new community housing and to purchase buildings to preserve affordable housing housing for youth who are homeless on their site seeking sites for affordable home ownership s Redevelopment and 2-3 more sites in Kitchener for approximately 120 to 180 supportive housing units development Waterloo Region seeking a site and funding for the development of a Refugee Services Hub. housing sites affordable housing to help develop a housing strategy/model Church and Religious Institutions within the City have expressed interest in redeveloping their surplus lands to accommodate affordable housing and need capital funds and development expertise in developing more affordable housing units, but face barriers around acquiring sites and capital funds.