Emergency and Community Services Committee: December 9, 2013 [1:30pm // Live]

The Emergency and Community Services Committee heard from staff the City needs to spend $42-mil/yr to address homelessness, debating the failing Snow Angels program, and received presentations from volunteer committees.

Watch a full replay of the meeting below

It’s a big day for the Emergency and Community Services Committee as they receive an extensive staff report with a suggest plan to better address the City’s affordable and social housing shortage.

The report, years in the making, recommends an immediate investment of $30-million per year for 10 years to build 3,000 new affordable rent units and improve 3500 of the existing units.

There are over 5,500 households on the waiting list for affordable housing in Hamilton.

Committee will also receive volunteer committee budgets and an update on the Snow Angels program.

Live video starts at 1:30 p.m.
Click the link to view the video stream.


[module type=”aside” width=”half” align=”right”]AGENDA
Monday, December 9, 2013CONSENT ITEMS
5.1 Hamilton Veterans Committee Minutes, October 8, 2013
5.2 Group Purchasing Service for Food and Related Supplies (Lodges)
5.3 Hamilton Jewish Social Services Elderly Persons Centre (EPC) Funding
5.4 2014 Budget Request – Seniors Advisory Committee

PRESENTATIONS
7.1 Hamilton Veterans Committee 2014 Volunteer Budget Submission
7.2 Food and Shelter Advisory Committee 2014 Budget Submission
7.3 Hamilton Youth Advisory Committee (HYAC) 2014 Budget Submission
7.4 Tenant Advisory Committee 2014 Budget Submission
7.5 Housing and Homelessness Action Plan
7.6 Snow Angels Program

MOTIONS
9.1 Waiving the Fees for the Allan Cup[/module]

Veterans Committee

Of note in the minutes of the Veteran’s Commmittee: As of their last meeting, there are no plans for to commemorations of the 100th anniversity of the start of the First World War.

Homelessness Action

An extensive City staff report recommends a 10 year $300-million dollar plan which will require the support of all three levels of government to achieve a significant reduction in the extent of Hamilton’s affordable housing shortage and crisis.

There are over 5500 households in Hamilton on the affordable housing waiting list, in one year, 5653 individual men, women, and children stayed in an emergency shelter, and 21% of renter households spent more than 50% of their income on rent.

The challenge is daunting and present.