Intimate Partner & Gender Based Violence Epidemic, New Suite of Municipal ByLaws, Tenant Defense Fund
Dear Neighbours,
I hope this e-newsletter finds you well and enjoying the final weeks of summer that are upon us. Good news is that a tentative agreement was reached during conciliation on Friday night that prevented a strike of the good workers of CUPE 5167. I remained hopeful that the folks we rely on day in and day out to provide excellent municipal services would reach an agreement that values their labour. The union has yet to ratify the tentative agreement.
During July and August, Council meets on a reduced schedule in order to accommodate the time off many take during this time. As such, this e-newsletter has a number of updates from the standing committees and Council.
We didn’t add the many amazing events happening across the ward, though we encourage you to keep an eye out in the “stories” section of both Instagram and Facebook to know what’s happening.
Next month, the e-newsletter will adjust back to a schedule that corresponds with Council week and will be sent out twice a month.
As always, my office is here to support you, please contact us at ward3@hamilton.ca or 905-546-2107.
Yours in community,
Councillor Nrinder Nann
Image of City Hall in the Summer. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Council & Committee Updates."
Intimate Partner & Gender-Based Violence Epidemic
Council unanimously supported the motion I tabled with Mayor Horwath to declare gender-based violence and intimate-partner violence an epidemic here in Hamilton.
The rate of police-reported sexual assaults in Canada has reached its highest levels since the 1990s. The stats shared from the Women Abuse Working Group of the local experiences of gender based violence and intimate partner violence that women, non-binary and trans folks face are staggering.
In 2022:
7,600+ calls to crisis/helplines
1973 calls to crisis support line
4498 could not access shelter due to a shortage
Over 12,000 calls to Hamilton Police Services, nearly 7,000 reports and 5,689 charges
What these numbers tell us is that thousands of our neighbours are facing violence every month, hundreds every week, and dozens daily. This violence has led to survivors becoming unhoused. This is unacceptable and I join community members in the call for #NotOneMore!
Through this motion, Hamilton joins 40 other municipalities across Ontario in declaring this epidemic. My colleagues and I are also calling on the provincial government to provide adequate and sustainable funding to the violence against women sector while also committing further municipal funding to help address the gaps. Additionally, we are also calling on the federal government to add femicide to the Criminal Code of Canada.
I am proud to have worked with the Women Abuse Working Group of Hamilton on this important declaration, the advocacy to higher levels of government, and increased local supports. Thank you also to the staff teams in the Healthy and Safe Communities Division, as well as the Government Relations and Community Relations teams for their research support in finalizing this motion.
To every survivor reading - know that you matter - and you deserve to feel safe in Hamilton. We will continue to do what is required to build a City that shines with love and respect, and where survivors of gender-based violence and intimate-partner violence can feel they truly belong and can thrive!
Supervised Consumption Site Evaluation Framework Approved
Hamilton continues to experience a significant public health burden related to a toxic and unpredictable drug supply. As outlined in the Hamilton Opioid Action Plan, continued local coordination of interventions aimed to reduce harms and increase access to treatment are needed in the community.
In February this year, I moved the direction to Public Health to develop an evaluative framework of consumption treatment services and to demonstrate the community impact they have.
After a review of surrounding municipal evaluations and other projects completed across Canada, an evaluative framework has been developed. The proposed framework would evaluate site usage, community safety, community health and well-being, economic impact through qualitative and quantitative site data, and ongoing engagement with community members, persons who use substances, and site operators.
I know that CTS sites are proven to save and transform lives. I also know that, when managed well, and planned effectively in advance, CTS sites have effectively minimized anticipated negative impacts to the local community in which they operate. I believe Hamilton has the opportunity to be a centre of excellence in care and healing instead of having a drug poisoning death rate that is 45% higher than the provincial average. However, for this to be successful, we need to have trust in the organization planning to deliver this service and to demonstrate excellence in community building with the surrounding neighbourhood.
Encampment Protocol Ratified
Safe, affordable housing with sustainable support services is the only permanent solution to the homelessness crisis in our city. However, as we experience a surge of neighbours living encamped in many communities, as a city we must find a way to manage the situation to enable safe, shared use of public spaces within a legal framework that upholds human rights.
After tens of thousands of residents have been engaged, and robust deliberations, on Friday, Council approved an Encampment Protocol.
The protocol addresses the needs of unhoused neighbours by increasing access to washrooms, showers, clear guidelines on sharing the use of public spaces, and offers a more fulsome system of supports to transition to housing.
This protocol applies across the entire city. It also limits the number of tents in public spaces and specifies where they will not be permitted. Residents can expect an increase in street and park clean-up, more resources being deployed to respond to concerns and complaints, and sets a 72-hour response time to address these concerns.
Housing-first approaches means, too, that Housing Outreach workers will be the first contact with unsheltered individuals. Despite its approval by Council, the new protocol will require time to ramp up. Please be patient as staff work quickly, compassionately, and in collaboration with our partners to get it implemented. Concerned citizens can still contact the coordinated response teams at unsheltered@hamilton.ca and 905-546-2828.
I encourage you to review the protocol in detail to best understand the principles and guidelines that outline how staff will be operationalizing it. If you would like more details about the Protocol, you can contact us at ward3@hamilton.ca.
A New Suite of Municipal ByLaws to Preserve and Protect Affordable Rental Housing & Tenants
City Council voted unanimously to pass the new Safe Apartment Bylaw. The bylaw requires landlords to register with the City of Hamilton and fulfil a comprehensive set of requirements to ensure health and safety in apartment buildings with 6 or more units with 2 or more stories.
Thanks to the robust input of our neighbours who rent, @ACORN Hamilton, and other community partners, my Council colleagues and I amended a few clauses to make the program both better at cost recovery and putting an emphasis on compliance.
Council also approved changes to the Vital Services Bylaw that I called for to better protect tenants during vital services disruptions and to better hold landlords accountable. Neighbours may recall the terrible situation at 1083 Main St E where #OurWard3 residents went without running water for 86 days due to a neglectful approach by the landlord, and lack of clarity regarding enforcement on the part of the City. This situation led Council to fully back direction I put to staff to change what is needed to ensure this never happens again.
I cannot stress enough the value of community-based collaboration and resident engagement. All of these important program changes and new by-laws would not have come forward had residents not committed to working towards these wins over years. However, the next approval phase will be critical for implementing the bulk of what was approved on Friday, during the 2024 Budget process. In the meantime, my office will circulate links to all the revised programs and bylaws early this Fall.
Tenant Defense Fund
The Tenant Defense Fund has been an essential and well used program. Council ratified expanding the program to enable neighbours who rent and are facing aggressive eviction processes by their landlord to access expanded legal supports and services.
This includes:
$150,000 immediately added to the current Tenant Defence Fund Program through existing Housing Services funds.
Endorsement of a future $290,000 to the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic (HCLC) to take over the program and expand issues covered to include N12s, T6s + the existing coverage of N13s, AGIs, T5s.
As well as, a future $55,000 to ACORN to continue their great work of building capacity for supporting tenant groups that apply to the Tenant Support Program and proactive tenant rights outreach.
Both the HCLC and ACORN work would commence following the 2024 Budget process, should Council approve the expense.
Council Calls for Province to Abandon Plans to Develop the Greenbelt
Council unanimously called on the Premier of Ontario to abandon his plans to remove lands from the Greenbelt within Hamilton. After a thorough investigation, the independent Ontario Auditor General found that the process used in determining which lands were taken out of the Greenbelt designation was heavily influenced by a small group of well-connected developers who now stand to make billions of dollars. Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk also ruled that the Greenbelt land is not needed to meet the Government’s own housing targets.
In the meantime, the City is also engaging residents on the specific areas impacted within the Greenbelt designated lands in Hamilton that the province has overruled on. As of Monday, August 21, 2023 residents can provide input on the Development Objectives and Community Benefits for the three areas which includes the Book lands in Ancaster, Whitechurch lands in Glanbrook, and the Fifty Road lands in Stoney Creek.
A public meeting will also be held on September 6th at 6:30pm at the Ancaster Fair Grounds.
The open house will feature a presentation from City staff providing background on the Provincial decision to remove the lands from the Greenbelt Plan, their authority to issue a Minister’s Zoning Order, the City’s opposition to the development of these lands and their role moving forward; and, a Q&A session moderated by an external moderator retained by the City. The input gathered from residents through both the survey and public meeting with inform Planning Committee’s final decision on the Development Objectives and Community Benefits for these lands.
Image of houses in the ward. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Ward 3 Updates"
Wentworth St. N - 30 km/h Speed Limit Pilot - Starts in September
Council approved my motion on Friday to reduce the speed limit to 30km/h on Wentworth St N near Cathy Wever Elementary School. This will serve as a data-based pilot to help assess application for similar pilots or permanent speed reductions for school zones on arterial roads (which are currently not eligible). This will be implemented within the month of September in time to positively impact the return to school period.
As previously reported, other roadway design changes are also to be completed on Wentworth the enhance safety for all roadway users. My office will provide a further update when the implementation timeline is clarified.
541 Eatery & Exchange Update
Earlier this week, 541 Eatery & Exchange sent out a statement that they will remain closed into the fall in order to create an effective and sustainable model that ensures their long term engagement with their community and partners.
The 541 is an essential space for many in #OurWard3 community to socialize, connect and access nourishing meals. I have allocated $15,000 of Bell Tower Funds to help ensure that youth continue receiving the critical supports the 541 offers.
I have seen first hand how many children from Cathy Wever Elementary School go to 541 during the school year. So, I have connected Executive Director Justin Eisinga with leadership staff in the Healthy & Safe Communities Division and Public Health to support their efforts to re-open the doors in a waythat they are supported to offer other essential social and health programs that cannot be the responsibility of 541 staff.
I support the organization taking the time to work through their operational priorities, tend to their internal structure and supports, and re-open in a way that they can contribute again in the Gibson-Lansdale and Barton Village neighbourhoods.
To read more about the 541’s decision, please visit their website directly at www.fivefortyone.ca.
Mental Health Street Outreach Partnership at HPL Barton Branch
The Hamilton Public Library approached Public Health Services in 2022 to discuss the possibility of working collaboratively to address the needs of community members who were experiencing complex social and health needs and to build capacity within the library system to provide enhanced mental health services.
Public Health Committee approved expanding the partnership with Hamilton Public Library for social workers to assist in meeting the complex needs through the Mental Health Street Outreach Program.
The Central Library location has already seen incredible benefit from implementing these enhanced services over the past eight months. At the HPL Board, I inquired about needs at other branches, and as a result, the program will also operate at the Barton branch in #OurWard3.
Preserving Not-for-Profit Senior Housing
The Taras Shevchenko Home for the Aged located on Gage Avenue across from Gage Park is being assumed by Good Shepherd on November 1, 2023. Housing Services’ staff will continue to support Taras Shevchenko’s Board and Good Shepherd throughout the transition to ensure that the 60 housing units are operated in a continuous, responsible manner that not only respects the needs of the seniors, but no impact to the health, safety or enjoyment of its tenants. This is welcome news as it preserves affordable, non-profit senior housing in #OurWard3.
I was able to confirm with staff that all tenants have been notified and that everyone will maintain their tenancy and be fully informed of any necessary changes required regarding rent payment, rental agreements, etc. Good Shepherd will also be hosting an open meeting for all tenants, in person, to ensure they are fully informed of the transfer of ownership.
Ward 3 Office Pop-Up: Sept 21 - 4pm-6pm at Pinch Bakery & Plant Shop
The #OurWard3 team has been hosting Office Pop-Ups in the community across different neighbourhoods to connect one-on-one with neighbours as a way to help address your questions, concerns, or ideas.
Many residents continue to share how much they appreciate connecting in this way, as not all of our neighbours have access to internet or email and are not able to reach us in those ways.
Our next pop-up is scheduled for Thursday, September 21 from 4pm-6pm at Pinch Bakery & Plant Shop (183 Sherman Ave. N). Light refreshments will be provided. I look forward to connecting with you and offering access to the support of my team soon!
A photo of the Hamilton Public Library Barton Branch. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "City Service Updates"
Litter Strategy & Downtown Services Review - Share Your Feedback!
One of the most common City Services my office receives feedback on is litter and how to reduce its impacts on #OurWard3.
The City is currently taking steps to reduce litter, and this starts with hearing from you.
Submitting your feedback will assist with helping to evaluate, direct, and enhance litter-focused service levels in an effort to improve the management of litter throughout the City.
To share your feedback, please visit: www.engage.hamilton.ca/litterstrategydowntownreview.
City Enrichment Fund Update
The City Enrichment Fund (CEF) is the City of Hamilton’s municipal investment in a wide range of program areas that supports the City’s Strategic Plan and 25 Year Community Vision. It’s a fund program that invests in local charities, non-profit and grassroots organizations across seven sector areas within the city annually.
This past May at the Grants Sub Committee meeting, staff were directed to consult and engage with the community in advance of the 2024 application intake, which typically launches in September. The application intake period has changed to run from November 1 – December 15, 2023 in order to scope a community consultation plan in response to Council’s direction and applicant feedback.
As a result, an engagement plan will be presented at the upcoming Grants Sub Committee meeting on September 14th, and will include an outline of preliminary steps to consult community stakeholders that focuses on best practices, incorporating an equitable approach, evaluation processes, and efficiencies to the overall delivery of the program.
Staff will be taking this opportunity to engage with the community for CEF program feedback in advance of the annual deadline. Please reach out to your program rep or grant.coordinator@hamilton.ca for any inquiries.
This year applications will open on November 1, 2023 and have a closing deadline of December 15, 2023 at 4:00pm. City staff will be available in the lead up to the application intake to answer any grant specific questions and provide support to applicants.
For further information on CEF updates, additional contact information, and upcoming Information Sessions please visit the City’s website at: City Enrichment Fund
Hamilton Public Library - Barton Branch Job Posting
The Hamilton Public Library - Barton Branch is now recruiting for a part-time Library Page!
Library Pages work on a part-time basis, supporting library staff by ensuring timely access to library materials. Their job duties include but are not limited to:
shelving library materials
emptying the drop box and sorter bins
ensuring shelves and public areas are neat and in good order
assisting staff in the performance of basic duties associated with daily operations
A full role description is available upon request.
This role is up to 20 hours per week, and a typical schedule is Monday 11-7, Friday 2-6 and a Saturday rotation. Hours and schedule are subject to change.
The wage rate is $19.05 hourly plus 4% vacation pay. Minimum Qualifications:
14 years of age or older
Must have completed Grade 8
A Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check is required
For more information, please visit the HPL website here.