Task force recommends new non-profit version of Toronto Community Housing

The final report fromJohn Tory'stask force on Toronto Community Housing includes29 recommendations geared at saving what the mayor called a"fundamentally broken model."

The recommendations aim at decentralizing operations of the corporation to address the needs of residents at the building- and community-level.

The housing task force report specifically callsfor a new non-profit entity called New Home, which would take over management of TCHproperties once they become "viable" or in a state of good repair.

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New Home would be an independentcommunity-based non-profit corporation.

"We propose that this new housing corporation should be off the city's books," said ArtEggleton, a senator at the head of the community housing task force.

By doing thisEggletonsaidthe corporation would no longer be limited by the rules that prohibit the city from running a deficit.

MayorTory called the recommendation a "better model" that gives autonomy to the corporation, and could, he believes, make it more effective.

"Politicians havebeen too inclined to get involved in the day-to-day affairs [ofTCH]," said Tory at a news conference Tuesday morning.

The report proposes two ways of implementing New Home. The first modelwould see the city create the new community-based non-profit now and eventually transfer theTCHproperties to it.

The second modelwould see the existingTCHremain, but get divided into three distinct divisions that would perform separate functions. The report recommends making those distinctionsoperations, development and corporate services.

Mayor says more residents need a say

The mayor said residents showed that they want to be more involved by showing up in the hundreds toseveral meetings the task force has held over the past year.

"We need to take much better care of TCH residents and make sure they can make decisions that affect their lives," said Tory.

Tory added that he believesTCHstaff are stretched too thin and that in adapting the task force's recommendations, more responsibility should be transferred to peoplein individual buildings and communities.

The mayor plans to take the recommendations to the Executive Committee this week so that a plan can be developed by the spring, but he says that the community housing model can't be fixed by the city alone.

Tory argued that Toronto will need help from the provincial and federal governments in order to get out from under the $1.7 billion worth of repairsneeded in TCHbuildings.

Other recommendations from the task force include:

• Creatingmixed-income communities.
• Getting better buildings and more of them.
• Reformingthe rent geared to income (RGI) system.

Tory appointed the independent six-person task force a year ago to review existing frameworks within the corporation and make recommendations on how it can deliver better quality housing to residents.

The task forcereleased an interim report last summer in which it made seven recommendations:

• Secure additional funding to move forward on the 10-year capital repair program.
• Create an action plan toincreasesafety and security.
• Create anaction plan toimprovebuilding conditions.
• Create an action plan toprovidemore jobs and opportunities for residents.
• Create an action plan formore effective training for TCHCstaff and contractors.
• Work with residents to create a 'resident charter' and review the tenant engagement system.
• Hire a chief operating officer.

TCHC responded to that report with their own action plan last September calledGetting it Done: Real Change at Toronto Community Housing. The plan included more than 70 initiativesaimed at improving the lives of residents from upgrading security cameras to improving building conditions.

More than 50,000people live in TCHC's2,200buildings.