Document 1
OTTAWA CITY COUNCIL
13 October 2004
ANDREW S. HAYDON HALL
1:30 p.m.
 
MINUTES 20

  
                 HOMELESSNESS AND THE SAFE STREETS ACT
 
 
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS AS AMENDED
  
                   
1.        That Council request the Police Services Board to consider establishing a sub-committee to look at enforcement of the Safe Streets Act.
 
2.        WHEREAS Ottawa’s homelessness crisis became apparent in the mid-1990’s;
 
        WHEREAS the City of Ottawa has pressed both the Federal and Provincial Governments for assistance to end homelessness in our community;
 
        WHEREAS the City of Ottawa has contributed to developing solutions to homelessness through its own limited resources;
 
        WHEREAS, despite these efforts, homelessness continues to plague the City of Ottawa, in part due to the inadequacy of support from the federal and provincial governments;
 
        WHEREAS the problems of homelessness goes beyond access to affordable housing, as it touches on access to shelters, outreach services, police procedures, health and social supports, etc.;
 
WHEREAS these problems have manifested themselves through demonstrations and protests regarding the plight of the homeless, due to the inadequacy of resources to provide sufficient support and housing for the homeless;
 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Ottawa establish a Task Force to review how the homeless are treated in the City of Ottawa and recommend procedures and solutions, including the exploration of multi-disciplinary street patrols, the use of mediation techniques and best practices in other cities;
 
AND that the membership of this Task Force include representatives from the homeless community, City Council, the Alliance to End Homelessness, from shelter and day programs, the Ottawa Police (both staff and Board members), and staff from the Community and Protective Services Department and other relevant organizations;
 
AND that the Task Force report to Committee and Council with its recommendations no later than June 2005.
 
3.        WHEREAS the government of Ontario has promised to provide 20,000 new units of social housing over the next four years;
 
WHEREAS the estimated waiting list of households for social housing in Ontario is 200,000;
 
WHEREAS the social and personal costs of homelessness and lack of affordable housing continue to mount in Ottawa and elsewhere;
 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Council request the government of Ontario through the Premier, the Treasurer and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to re-assess the adequacy of its response to Ontario’s affordable housing crisis and accelerate its implementation;
 
AND that this be copied to local MPPs and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
 
4.        WHEREAS the Safe Streets Act is being challenged in the courts on the basis of its constitutionality;
 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Council request the Ottawa Police Services Board to request the Chief of Police to place a moratorium on the enforcement of the Safe Streets Act until this matter is resolved in the courts.
 
5.        That Council request the Province of Ontario to amend the Building Code Act and/or the Planning Act pertaining to the power of inspectors under the Acts to enter or remain in any room or place being used as a dwelling unit without the consent of the occupier and without a warrant issued under the Act where the inspector has reasonable grounds to believe that there are violations under the Act (or municipal by-laws passed under the authority of the Act) that adversely affect the health and safety of the occupier.
 
6.        That Council request the Province to reinstate social assistance rates that were in place pre-1995.
 
  
         MOTION NO. 20/4
Moved by Councillor D. Holmes
Seconded by Councillor A. Cullen
 
That Recommendation 6 be referred back to the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee.
 
                                                                        REFERRAL CARRIED
                                                                         
                                                                        Item 1 of Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee Report 10 was then put to Council and CARRIED as amended by Motion Nos. 20/4, 20/5, 20/6 and 20/7.
                                                                         
                                                                         FOR THE INFORMATION OF COUNCIL
 
Moved by Councillor J. Legendre
Seconded by Councillor H. Kreling
 
That the membership of the Task Force be amended to seek Police Board representation from the non-elected members of the Board.
 
        CARRIED
 
MOTION NO. 20/5
 
Moved by Councillor G. Hunter
Seconded by Councillor A. Cullen
 
That Recommendation 5 be amended in line 2 to change the phrase “pertaining to” to “strengthening”.
 
        CARRIED
 
 MOTION NO. 20/6
 
Moved by Councillor H. Kreling
Seconded by Councillor R. Jellett
 
1.        WHEREAS the Police Service and Police Board will participate in the Task Force on Homelessness issues, recommendation 1 to establish a Police Board sub-committee be deleted;
 
2.        AND FURTHER that, whereas recommendation number 4 cannot legally proceed, therefore, recommendation number 4 be deleted.
 
The Motion was divided for voting purposes.
 
Recommendation 1 was CARRIED with Councillor D. Holmes dissenting.
 
Recommendation 2 was CARRIED on a division of 17 YEAS to 3 NAYS as follows:
 
Yeas (17):        Councillors J. Harder, G. Bédard, J. Stavinga, G. Hunter, G. Brooks,
        E. El-Chantiry, R. Jellett, M. McRae, H. Kreling, S. Little, R. Bloess,
        P. Feltmate, P. Hume, J. Legendre, D. Deans, M. Bellemare and
        Mayor Chiarelli.
 
Nays (3):        Councillors D. Holmes, A. Cullen and C. Doucet.
 
MOTION NO. 20/7
 
  
                   
The HRSS Committee, at its meeting of September 16, approved the following directions to staff for report back to the committee at a later meeting date:
 
  
         1.        Identify how a newspaper concerning homelessness and other goods could be sold and consider amending the licensing by-law and the Designated Space Programme By-law to allow for the sale of a newspaper concerning homelessness and other goods on downtown sidewalks, should existing regulations currently prohibit such activity;
 
2.        Arrange for regular meetings with the Mayor, social service agency providers, senior staff, and homeless representatives to discuss issues related to homelessness;
  
                   
  
         3.        Support strategies for income-earning opportunities for homeless individuals, e.g., Rideau Street Youth Initiative, Centre 507;
  
                   
  
         4.        Provide information on City services for addressing homelessness and prevention of homelessness, and make it available in locations accessed by homeless individuals to provide information and resources on housing, health and social issues, and relevant community resources;
  
                   
  
         5.        Identify external legal services on a pro-bono basis to help homeless people deal with charges in court.