Questions regarding implementation of Multi-Tenant Housing Report

(Submitted to City of Toronto June 28, 2021)

  1. Enforcement problems/life-threatening situations are reported with non-compliant and unlicensed Rooming Houses in zoned areas. What will be done between now and Nov. 1, 2022 in terms of inspection/enforcement to improve the situation? How will MLS and Toronto Fire make progress with these houses, especially the high risk priority houses, if they did not seek Budget allocations in 2021 to hire additional enforcement officers and fire inspectors, and are not planning to in 2022?
  2. Within the City of Toronto, fraternity houses were deemed to be Rooming Houses and they were given 3 years to become licensed. This has not happened. How is the City going to deal with these houses between now and Nov. 1, 2022? Are additional inspection/enforcement officers required?
  3. How will the City deal with illegal Rooming Houses between now and Nov. 1, 2022?
  4. It has been stated that MLS does not know the total number of Rooming Houses that exist today across the City, including the areas not yet zoned for Rooming Houses.  How can a Plan and a Budget be defined without this information?
  5. How many MTH Houses (licensed and unlicensed in zoned areas (excluding 55 Personal Care Houses) exist today/total tenant population? What number of houses/tenants are projected by end of Year 2? What number of houses/tenants are projected by end of Year 3?
  6. The Report details many activities in Year 1 for ‘Laying the Foundation’ starting Sept. 1, 2021. Are all the costs incurred to date for this work and costs from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 to be ‘absorbed’ by the respective Departments? Are all the costs from Jan. 1, 2022 to Oct. 31, 2022 to be ‘absorbed’ as well?  How are the Toronto Building consultant, Toronto Fire resources, and additional MLS officers to be paid for?
  7. For this proposal to be successful, major budget support must be guaranteed from Sept. 1, 2021 onwards. But additional Budget is not being requested as part of this proposal by any of the involved Departments. Were departments asked to include MTH budget requirements in the 2021 City Budget for Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3? Can the City guarantee that the proposal receives the necessary funding through Department budget requests in future years?
  8. What are the Total Costs across all Departments for Years 1, 2 and 3 including current operating costs? What are the anticipated Revenues?
  9. What is the tenant population in the 55 Personal Care Homes? What # houses/tenants are projected by end of Year 2 and then by end of Year 3? What is the estimate of funding required by the Province to pay for Personal Care Homes? In what year would funding be provided?
  10. What number of MTH houses/tenant population will be opened up by Students moving to affordable housing units provided by the post secondary institution partnerships with the City? What year will this transition occur in?
  11. The City needs to evaluate whether Year 2 is successful to determine if the Year 3 program can be initiated. Evaluation Criteria need to be defined. Will evaluation criteria and key performance indicators be defined in Year 1; and tracking performance initiated and reported throughout Year 1 and Year 2?