Mayor's Task Force on Toronto Community Housing to hold community meeting in June

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:

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News Release:  June 8, 2015                      

Mayor's Task Force on Toronto Community Housing to hold community meeting in June

The Mayor's Task Force on Toronto Community Housing is examining how Toronto Community Housing serves the people of Toronto and how it is governed. The task force held four community meetings in May and is holding a fifth meeting this month to gather more public input on Toronto Community Housing.

Toronto residents are invited to the meeting to share their ideas on how to improve Toronto Community Housing from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Monday, June 22. The meeting will be held in the gymnasium of Driftwood Community Centre, 4401 Jane St.

The session will begin with an open house at 6:30 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by welcoming remarks from Senator Art Eggleton, Task Force Chair, and then discussion about Toronto Community Housing and a question-and-answer period.

The venue is wheelchair accessible. Members of the public are asked to register for the event and identify whether they need language or ASL interpretation by email at tchtaskforce@toronto.ca or by calling 416-338-3302.

Led by Senator Eggleton, the independent, six-person task force includes experts from the social housing, finance, real estate development and social policy fields. Background information about the task force, including members' biographies, is available at http://bit.ly/1zGgaUe.

Working with outside housing experts and researchers, as well as Toronto Community Housing and its residents, the task force will investigate areas critical to delivering high quality housing to residents and value to taxpayers. 

The primary areas of focus include:

• Toronto Community Housing's current operations and service delivery: What is the organization doing well? What needs to be improved? What changes should be made to improve service?

• Partnerships and innovation: Are there innovative models in use elsewhere that might work in Toronto to improve housing here? Are there better ways to deliver service to vulnerable residents with specific needs?

• Capital revitalization and new development: Are changes needed to the role of new development in Toronto Community Housing's mandate? Are there new partnership models that could leverage Toronto Community Housing's efforts?

• Governance: Is the status quo the best option, that is, a separate City-owned corporation governed by a City Council appointed board? Changes such as transferring responsibility to other housing providers or back to the City, or a blended approach, will be considered.

The ultimate goal of the task force is to recommend to the Mayor what adjustments to the governance and operation of Toronto Community Housing are necessary to improve service to its residents. The task force will provide ongoing progress reports to the Mayor throughout the year, an interim report by late July, and a final report in December.

Toronto Community Housing is the largest social housing provider in Canada and the second largest in North America providing housing to about 125,000 people. With a portfolio of 58,500 units in 2,300 buildings in communities across the city, Toronto Community Housing serves a diverse range of tenants with different needs, the vast majority of whom live under the poverty line.

This news release is also available on the City's website: http://bit.ly/1Iq3nWC

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

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Media contact: Deborah Blackstone, Strategic Communications, 416-392-7377, dblacks@toronto.ca