This report recommends the adoption of the Terms of Reference, including mandate and membership, for a new Council Advisory Body to advise Council on the City's progressive realization of the right to adequate housing, for the 2022-2026 term of Council. Background On December 17, 2019, Toronto City Council considered PH11.5 and adopted a revised Housing Charter and the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan (“HousingTO Plan”), in which it committed to the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing. At that time, City Council directed the City Manager to report back on a Housing Commissioner role/function, and that report in July 2022, Item EX34.7 , included the findings from 3rd party experts Crean and Maytree, who were engaged by the City Manager. On July 19, 2022, when considering Item EX34.7 , City Council directed the City Manager, in consultation with the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services and the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to report to City Council by the end of the first quarter of 2023, with a proposed Terms of Reference for a new Council Advisory Body, to support the City's goals set out in the Toronto Housing Charter and HousingTO Plan for the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing, within its jurisdiction. At that time, City Council also requested Toronto's Ombudsman to consider both the Crean and Maytree and City Manager's reports that were transmitted to Council as part of EX34.7 and report back with considerations for a dedicated Deputy Ombudsman, Housing. Role of the Toronto Ombudsman On February 7, 2023, the Ombudsman reported to City Council ( CC3.1 ) on his consideration of resources and structures for a dedicated Deputy Ombudsman, Housing as requested by Council. City Council deferred consideration of this item and requested the Toronto Ombudsman bring a report to the March 2023 Council meeting with additional information including the relationship of the Ombudsman's Office to the other actions that were directed by City Council when it considered EX34.7 . It is anticipated the Ombudsman's report will be before Council at the same meeting when this report is considered. Terms of Reference for the Housing Rights Advisory Committee Proposed Terms of Reference for the Housing Rights Advisory Committee is provided as Attachment 1 to this report. The Housing Rights Advisory Committee is intended to be a dedicated mechanism to represent the views of those with living/lived experience of housing precarity and homelessness, housing advocates, academics and service providers, as well as to inform policies, programs and decision-making of City Council as it pertains to furthering the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing. The proposed mandate and membership are outlined in Attachment 1 as well as on pages 6 and 7 of this report. In developing the Terms of Reference for the Housing Rights Advisory Committee, staff consulted with the Toronto Ombudsman. Implementation of Directions from EX34.7 In addition to this report and the anticipated report from the Ombudsman, information on the implementation of the suite of actions directed by Council in EX34.7 are provided in Attachment 2 to this report. The City Manager and Ombudsman are engaged in discussions to coordinate the implementation of a number of these actions.
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