MAY 26, 2015 Page 1 of 21 5. b - CC Social Housing Administration Presentation to Middlesex County Council May 26, 2015
MAY 26, 2015 Page 2 of 21 5. b - CC Current Legislative Overview • The Province designated London as a Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM) • Social Housing Reform Act, 2000 (SHRA) delegates the responsibility for the administration of social housing to London as housing Service Manager. The SHRA was replaced by the Housing Services Act, 2011 . • Louise Stevens is the Director of Housing, reporting to Sandra Datars Bere, Managing Director, Housing, Social Services & Dearness Home.
MAY 26, 2015 Page 3 of 21 5. b - CC Provincial Legislation The purpose of the Housing Services Act is, (a) to provide for community based planning and delivery of housing and homelessness services with general provincial oversight and policy direction; and (b) to provide flexibility for service managers and housing providers while retaining requirements with respect to housing programs that predate this Act and housing projects that are subject to those programs.
MAY 26, 2015 Page 4 of 21 5. b - CC City/County Social Housing Agreement This agreement between the County of Middlesex and the City of London recognizes the City’s role as the Service Manager for the delivery of social housing and sets out terms for cost-sharing and accountability. The agreement is based on criteria and principles established by the Province, and it stipulates that the annual cost of the social housing program will be allocated based on a combination of the actual cost of social housing and the weighted average assessments of the City and County. Should any additional affordable housing units be created, the municipal contributions to these units shall be borne by the host municipality.
MAY 26, 2015 Page 5 of 21 5. b - CC Overview Of Role Of Housing Division The City of London Housing Division is responsible for a system that: • administers mortgage subsidies and rent subsidies; • dispatches monthly subsidy cheques/direct deposits to Housing Providers; • receives, reviews and evaluates annual financial reports of the Housing Providers; • assesses extraordinary financial requests of the Housing Providers; • responds to requests for advice or guidance from Housing Providers; • reacts and provides direction to requests for technical support from Housing Providers; • reviews Housing Provider operations to ensure compliance with the Housing Services Act , its regulations and any rules allocated by the Service Manager; • determines breaches of the housing service agreements and implements remedies; and • administers the Investment in Affordable Housing Program.
MAY 26, 2015 Page 6 of 21 5. b - CC Housing Access Centre The Housing Access Centre (HAC) maintains individual Social Housing Provider waiting lists as well as a consolidated wait list for rent-geared- to-income assisted housing. HAC staff also determines the eligibility of any applicant household for rent-geared-to-income assistance. The application software is web- based. Applications may also be made on-line. Housing Providers choose their own tenants/members and do their own tenant/member placement from their individual project waiting lists.
MAY 26, 2015 Page 7 of 21 5. b - CC Social Housing Portfolio For The County Of Middlesex & The City London The City of London as Service Manager is responsible for the following: • 20 federal non-profits housing providers with 27 projects and 1357 units • 16 cooperative non-profit housing providers with 16 projects and 1122 units • 27 private non-profit housing providers with 37 projects and 1815 units • 1 local housing corporation (public housing) with 32 projects and 3282 units (London & Middlesex Housing Corporation – LMHC) • Approximately 489 rent supplement units currently with 75 private sector landlords
MAY 26, 2015 Page 8 of 21 5. b - CC Public Housing Before January 1, 2001, public housing units were owned by the Ontario Housing Corporation and managed by the London & Middlesex Housing Authority (LMHA). The Social Housing Reform Act transferred responsibility for the ownership and management of public housing to municipalities and the local housing authorities were replaced by municipally controlled local housing corporations. The LMHA became the London & Middlesex Housing Corporation (LMHC). All public housing units are rent geared-to-income (RGI). Public housing was built in the 1950's, 60's and 70's with the intent of meeting the housing requirements of those in greatest need. In the late 1970's, the emphasis on social housing construction was shifted from public housing projects to income- integrated non-profit and co-operative housing projects. Although the public housing stock in our area is significantly older than the other social housing components, it is well maintained and much less constrained by mortgage debt.
MAY 26, 2015 Page 9 of 21 5. b - CC Ownership The Province of Ontario transferred the ownership of and responsibility for public housing in London and Middlesex to the City of London. Management and governance is provided by the London & Middlesex Housing Corporation. The City is the sole shareholder of the London & Middlesex Housing Corporation (LMHC). The Board of Directors consists of nine members and is responsible for governing the public housing portfolio in London and Middlesex. The membership of the Board of Directors is comprised of the following: one appointee from County Council, one appointee from London City Council, and seven appointees from the public at large. The London & Middlesex Housing Corporation continues to be responsible for public housing property management functions. Non-profit and Co-operative Housing Providers will continue to own and manage the housing units that they operate for social housing purposes.
MAY 26, 2015 Page 10 of 21 5. b - CC Co-operative Housing Non-profit co-operative housing projects were built under a variety of federal and provincial subsidy programs in the 1970's, 80's and early 90's. Co-operative housing projects are owned and managed by their occupant members. Each project is comprised of a mix of RGI and market rent units. Many of the early co-op and non-profit projects were built under unilateral Federal programs. In 1986 the Province took over the lead role in the development of social housing and in 1993 the federal government withdrew completely from new social housing development. The housing co-operatives in the London and Middlesex area that were built under federal housing programs without any participation by the province, continue to be funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and administered a separate Agency of the Co-operative Housing Federation (CHF) and are not part of the Federal/Provincial Social Housing Agreement. Since these units have not become part of the provincial social housing portfolio, responsibility for their funding and administration was not downloaded to municipalities.
MAY 26, 2015 Page 11 of 21 5. b - CC Non-Profit Housing Private non-profit housing projects were built under a variety of federal and provincial programs from the late 1970's until July of 1995. At that time, the provincial government withdrew from any further participation in the funding of new non-profit and co-operative housing projects. Non-profit projects were initiated by sponsor groups such as service clubs, church organizations and ethnic groups and will continue to be owned and managed by these groups after the transfer of social housing is concluded. As is the case with co-operative housing, non- profit projects offer both RGI and market rent units (usually a 70/30 split).
MAY 26, 2015 Page 12 of 21 5. b - CC Rent Supplement Program The City of London Housing Division manages RGI units in privately owned buildings administered through agreements with landlords under the Rent Supplement Program. There are variations of the Rent Supplement Program: – Strong Communities Rent Supplement; – Ontario Community Housing Assistance Program (OCHAP); – Community Sponsored Housing Program (CHSP); and – Commercial Rent Supplement. Generally, in Rent Supplement, a tenant pays rent-geared-to-income and the City of London subsidizes the difference between that rent and the market rent for the unit. The City pays the subsidy directly to the landlord. The city has no involvement in the landlord/tenant relationship, even though the landlord are required to choose tenants from the centralized waiting list.
MAY 26, 2015 Page 13 of 21 5. b - CC Social Housing Addresses in County • Chateau Gardens, 250 Tain St., Parkhill • Chateau Village Community Apartments, 250 Tain St., Parkhill • Hastings Manor Apartments, 251 Hasting St., Parkhill • Columbus Non-Profit Housing, 305 Oak Avenue, Strathroy • Gilzean Creek Housing Co-operative, 235 Park St., Strathroy • Strathroy & District Christian Retirement Assoc., 400 Dominion St., Strathroy • Caradoc Housing Corporation, 2500 Queen St., Strathroy • Strathroy & District Christian Retirement Assoc., Trillium Village II, 400 Dominion St., Strathroy • Glencoe District Lions Non-Profit Housing, 240 Walker St., Glencoe • Wardsville Apartments, 206 Main Street, Wardsville • West Nissouri Non-Profit Seniors Complex, 21823 Fairview Road, Thorndale • Delaware Lions Non-Profit Apartment Corporation, 50 Young St., Delaware
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