City Council Meeting Wrap-Up: May 28, 2024
May 28, 2024
The City Council meeting on May 28 included the presentation of the Roadmap to End Homelessness by 2030, annual updates from the Accessibility Advisory Panel and the Downtown Sudbury BIA and an update on provincial funding for community housing.
Roadmap to End Homelessness by 2030
Following direction from Council in September 2023, staff presented a comprehensive Roadmap to End Homelessness by 2030, outlining recommendations to reach functional zero homelessness – meaning homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring – using a housing-first approach. Council unanimously voted to adopt the roadmap as the official plan to prevent, address and end homelessness in Greater Sudbury.
Within the roadmap are several recommendations to increase access to housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. It focuses on transitioning from passive services like warming centres and outreach supports, to active services like prevention services and provision of community housing.
The roadmap also includes financial and staffing requirements, and outlines investments of approximately $350 million from all three levels of government to meet a functional end to homelessness in Greater Sudbury by 2030. Staff will now prepare a financial plan and develop relevant business cases, including comprehensive funding and advocacy strategies, and deliver to Council as part of the 2025 budget process.
Community Housing and Renewal Strategy 2024-2025 and Housing Services Program Updates
Under the Province’s multi-year Community Housing Renewal Strategy, Greater Sudbury has been allocated $4,261,400 for 2024-2025 to support the City’s Housing and Homelessness Plan. Council approved the proposed investment plan for how these funds will be used to support existing long-term commitments and to continue to advance the Housing and Homelessness Plan.
The investment plan will address shortfalls in capital needs for the Urban Native Housing Program, provincial reform non-profit program and housing operations for the municipal stock. Allocations will also be used to offer rent supplement funding to the Urban Native Housing Program and to assist with necessary capital repairs within the City’s community housing. Staff in Housing Services will continue to work with community housing providers to ensure they comply with legislation and to ensure community housing provider assets are maintained in good state of repair.
Request for Accessibility Consultation Policy
As part of the City’s goal to ensure an inclusive and accessible community for all, and to ensure consultation with the Accessibility Advisory Panel is part of the process for all new projects, programs and services, Council unanimously approved a motion to direct staff to prepare an accessibility consultation policy for Council’s review and approval by the end of September 2024. This followed a presentation by Alicia Chenier, Vice-Chair of the Accessibility Advisory Panel.
For more details on these and other items from this week’s meetings, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/city-hall/mayor-and-council/meetings-agendas-and-minutes.