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City Hall News

City Hall News provides information on the annual City Budget process. It also highlights opportunities for civic engagement in this important process. Information on the City Budget 2013 process is posted here. The latest highlights will also be posted under What's New on the Home page.

For information on City policy on "political activities" please see below.

City Budget finalized
(as of Jan 22, 2011)

The City's 2013 Budget was finalized on January 16th. Improvements to the proposed budget were made by City Council which is the good news; on the other hand, there are concerns about the gaps left in funding to meet the needs in social assistance, housing and homeless prevention services this year, and when looking ahead to 2014.

2013 budget results on areas of interest and priority for THN

  1. Housing and homeless prevention including requests for City Council to:

    1. increase support for the Housing Stabilization Fund which is the City's positive response to the provincial elimination of the Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB). CSUMB helped move people from homelessness by covering costs such as first and last rent and basic supplies and helped people struggling with utility bills or rent problems to stave off eviction.
    2. stop cuts to the number of shelter bed nights.
    3. seek City Council asking to actively seek a reverse of provincial cuts to homeless prevention and the CSUMB.
    There was an increase in available funds to support for the Housing Stabilization Fund that narrows the gap between provincial funding in 2012 and 2013: "City Council recognize 2013 as a transition year and authorize the General Manager of Toronto Employment and Social Services to withdraw up to $3.0 million from the Social Assistance Reserve Fund, if necessary, to provide transitional funding for the new Housing Stabilization Fund program."

    However, the cut in shelter bed nights remains. City staff reported the planned reduction in shelter bed nights does not mean any less capacity according to their estimates of need this year - it will be monitored for potential change mid-year.

    Housing and Child Care Advocacy Campaign: City Council allocated "$40,000 to fund public information and advocacy initiatives focused on underfunded federal/provincial cost-shared programs, particularly Social Housing, Homelessness and Child Care programs."
  2. Community Partnership and Investment Programs to include inflation cost for all community grants, after 2 years of no increases, was passed by City Council - includes the AIDS and Drug Prevention grants.
  3. Elimination of the Global AIDS Initiative - a Toronto Public Health partnership program in several African countries, a legacy from City Council after the International AIDS Conference held in Toronto in 2006. Council did not support saving this initiative and the project will now end.
  4. Improving the budget process! City Council directed the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer to "conduct a review in early 2013 of the budget process with a view to making the budget process more transparent for Councillors and the public and to report to Executive Committee by mid-2013 on proposed changes."

THN appreciates all the efforts by City Councillors, successful or not, to save services, especially for the most vulnerable in our City and to increase monitoring and accountability on impact of their decisions.

City Budget goes to final debate and vote starting Tuesday Jan 15
(as of Jan 10, 2011)

THN has provided a letter on the 2013 Budget to City Councillors based upon discussion with member agencies and partners.

THN is supporting a broad coalition of individuals and agencies to encourage public participation in the Toronto budget process on important community issues. A petition for individual community members is now available to support homeless prevention services.

You can have Your Say! on the City of Toronto budget for 2013. Final City budget vote begins on Tuesday, Jan 15.

Please check-out the petition NOW at http://togethertoronto.ca

City Budget - 2013
(as of Jan 7, 2013)

On December 27th, the Province of Ontario announced one-year, one-time funding to "help municipalities deliver housing and homelessness programs through additional one-time assistance in 2013-14. The funding will assist eligible municipalities as they develop and implement their Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) plans. Funds will be allocated to meet the needs of the most vulnerable Ontarians - including social assistance recipients - to ensure their stability through this period of transition as plans are developed."
Read full announcement

For the City of Toronto this is expected to be approximately $12.2 million. The City needs to decide how to allocate this - there is almost $13 million gap for the Health Stabilization Fund, which replaces the provincial Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit in 2013 and additional gaps of several million dollars in the funding for Shelter and Housing services.
See Dec 24th update below.

This one-time funding should narrow some of the large gaps in the 2013 City budget but it only postpones the full burden of the provincial cuts reaching vulnerable residents in Toronto and across Ontario. A reversal of the cuts is what is truly needed.

City Budget - 2013
(as of Dec 24, 2012)

A proposed 2013 budget was launched Nov 29, Public hearings have concluded and the Budget Committee continues its work to bring recommendations to City Council The process to the final Council debate and vote Jan15-17 is outlined on the right hand side of this page.

Key areas of concern have been identified and were discussed at the THN Members' meeting on Dec 3rd and the following areas were highlighted:

  1. Housing and Homeless prevention - with provincial and federal cuts to the City for 2013, there are huge concerns about these cuts being passed on to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in the City budget - people already struggling with poverty and health challenges.
    1. A major concern is a 50% cut in provincial funding to what has been known as the Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB) for people on OW and ODSP that helps move people out of homelessness or prevents evictions. This benefit has helped thousands of people struggling with poverty with basic necessities including: first and last month's rent, a bed, a few start-up supplies, interim payment of utility bills. This benefit is eliminated and will be a responsibility of municipalities, but with 50% less funding.

      To its credit, City Council has asked the Province to reverse this decision and supports the City's new Housing Stabilization Fund. However, the loss of monies means there will be people who are homeless or at risk of eviction that won't be helped. THN, as part of the Commitment2community campaign (organized by Social Planning Toronto), is asking Council members to fill the gap, at least on a temporary basis, to give more time for discussions with the Province. This would take an estimated 13 million dollars but it is vital NOT to pass these cuts onto the people who need the services.
    2. Shelter bed nights: A related concern is the City projection that they will need fewer shelter bed nights in 2013. The cuts to the CSUMB will make more people vulnerable to becoming homeless but the City is anticipating fewer demands on its shelter beds? THN joins Commitment2Community, Wellesley Institute, and many agencies in asking that this cut to shelter bed nights not take place.
  2. Zero increase budgets = no funding for inflation for community partnerships for the 3rd year in a row. The good news is that the AIDS and Drug Prevention Community Investment Partnerships are intact in the proposed budgets. Funding is 25% by the City and 75% by the Province. The Board of Health recommended an increase for inflation but none of the City community investment partnerships would receive an inflation increase according to the Nov 29th proposed budget. However, there is support developing on Council including on the Budget Committee to address this at some amount.
  3. Cut to the Global AIDS Initiative - "The Global AIDS initiative was endorsed by City Council in 2007 as a legacy to the International AIDS Conference held in Toronto in 2006 and has been administered by Toronto Public Health as part of the AIDS Prevention Community Investment Program. The City has made a 5 year investment in efforts to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in several African countries." (Toronto Public Health web-site). The elimination of the Global AIDS Initiative will result in savings of $104,000 and helps Toronto Public Health make its required zero increase budget. However, THN Member agencies have expressed concerns about this cut. This initiative is a commitment to people in developing countries with larger epidemic s and much fewer resources. It is also a matter of principle to make a global contribution and continue the legacy commitment.

Budget Committee public hearings - On December 10th Toronto HIV/AIDS Network's deputation focused upon concerns one and two outlined above: Housing and homeless prevention and the continuing lack of inflation increases with community grants. Keith Hambly (THN Co-Chair and Fife House E.D.) and Robert Rankin delivered the THN deputation. Robert is a volunteer with PWA who shared his personal experience of the positive difference that the Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB) made in his life.

AIDS ACTION NOW! focused their deputation, delivered by Jordan Bond-Gorr, on the Global AIDS Initiative, which is much appreciated as 3 minutes cannot do justice to all of these issues.

For any questions, please contact Joan Anderson at THN.

City "Policy on Political Activities"

The City recognizes the importance of civic engagement and encourages civic engagement.

THN has received questions about limitations for not-for-profits in educating City Council (Councillor visits, e-mails, deputations) about the importance of City services, especially for organizations which depend upon City funding for some of their important work in the community.

The City has a Policy on Political Activities that outlines activities that are "restricted" and "unrestricted activity" within any City grant-funded activity. The policy is consistent with Canada Revenue Agency regulations for registered charities and applies to political activity related to municipal, provincial and federal elections.

As a general rule, for City grants funding, or any government funding and for charitable organizations, the key is to be non-partisan. In the language of the City policy: "A grant recipient may not use funds provided by the City to oppose or endorse a named candidate, party, or elected official." In general, a protective and strategic approach is to focus criticisms or agreement on the policies or proposed policies of elected officials. It's about what they have proposed or are doing, not who they are, not about preferences.

Information on how to make deputations to committees of Council is found on the City web-site

Many Community Services saved in the City's 2012 Budget!
(as of Jan 13, 2012)

On January 17th, in a surprise action, Councillor Josh Colle's early omnibus motion passed with a slight margin of 23-21 and saved the Community Partnership and Investment Program (CPIP) - including the AIDS and Drug Investment Program funding, along with many other important community services. More motions followed from more Councillors that were passed that also support communities.

Huge congratulations to everyone for amazing efforts to educate City Councillors around Mayor Ford's proposed budget cuts and the potential impact on critical community funding and services to marginalized communities. The community response in this effort has been quite incredible with various networks and coalitions including: Social Planning Toronto/Commitment2Community, AIDS ACTION NOW!, Toronto Stop the Cuts!, Proud of Toronto, the Toronto Strategy Work Group (of HIV and LGBTQ agencies) and from individuals and Members Groups, who are part of the Toronto HIV/AIDS Network and others. As more residents understood what was at stake, more made their voices heard.

Thanks to the many community members and organizations who got involved and contributed to this collective victory. Our thanks to the City Councillors who listened, understood the risk to the residents of Toronto and supported community services in the 2012 Budget process. We all need to maintain and build on the Councillor education about issues that deeply affect Toronto's diverse communities.

Unfortunately, our communities will feel an impact from some service cuts that are still being made. However, critical HIV/AIDS and related programs have been saved this year and we can hope that some councilors have been moved and educated about the value and impact of community programs and services in the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and other marginalized communities.

As THN Co-Chairs, thanks to all once again!

Keith and Murray

Keith Hambly (Fife House) and Murray Jose (PWA)
Toronto HIV/AIDS Network (THN)

 

Resources for more information on the City Budget 2013

  • Social Planning Toronto - updates by Beth Wilson, Senior Researcher, Social Planning Toronto (SPT). Beth covered the budget process every step of the way and highlights motions related to important community and social issues.
  • Wellesley Institute: analysis on City shift to financing capital needs at the expense of services
  • Detail with all motions and voting records for Jan 15-16 can be found on the City web-site
  • The City of Toronto has a City Budget 2013 web-site that includes detailed background documents for each service area.
  • Social Planning Toronto provides easy to understand information and news on its City Budget Watch Updates.

Toronto Public Health - community funding

Until 2012 the Toronto Public Health administered the AIDS Prevention and Drug Prevention Investment Programs but 100% of the funding came from the City's broader Community Partnership and Investment Program (CPIP). Starting in 2012 the AIDS Prevention and Drug Prevention Investment programs became cost-shared with the province of Ontario, the way most Public Health programs are funded. Now the City funds 25% and the Province funds 75%. For every dollar invested by the City, the Province provides three dollars. Any time the City might cut a dollar, we lose 3 dollars from the Province. The following two programs are now completely administered under Toronto Public Health.

Community investment - not HIV specific

The City of Toronto Grants Policy states that grant programs are a strategic tool used to achieve the City's social, economic and cultural goals. These funding programs represent a form of partnership with community based organizations which in turn contribute significantly to the goals in relation to community capacity, equitable access, well being, diversity, civic participation and civic cohesion. City of Toronto Community Partnership and Investment Program (CPIP) includes:

  • Community Service Partnerships (CSP) funds services that facilitate "access to services that improve social outcomes for vulnerable, marginalized and high-risk communities." HIV-related services partner with a number of these agencies.