2024 Budget, Anti-Renovictions By-Law, Vacant Unit Tax & More
Dear Neighbours,
The Ward 3 Townhall is happening next Wednesday January 31st. We have reached capacity for in-person attendance and as such have closed in-person registration. We are set to run the meeting in hybrid format, so anyone still wishing to register will be provided a link to participate virtually. Please register here.
This e-newsletter includes updates for the first round of Standing Committees, Budget Committee and Council of the year. Council is on an accelerated track to finalize the 2024 Budget by Thursday, February 15th.
We have also included important Ward 3 updates, events, and opportunities for neighbours to read about or participate in.
Yours in community,
Councillor Nrinder Nann
Photo of Hamilton City Hall in winter with the Hamilton sign lit up. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Council & Committee Updates".
2024 BUDGET
Budgets are a value statement, and this term of Council has set priorities for outcomes. Hearing from our residents directly is key, and I appreciate everyone who has participated in public delegations on the budget and those of you who have written to my office.
The #OurWard3 Town Hall will be another opportunity for residents to learn more about the revised budget moving from the projected 14% down to 7.9%.
This breaks down to:
2.7% for core city services – roads, garbage, snow clearing, recreation, parks, libraries, emergency services etc.
1.6% towards an unprecedented new $20 million dollar investment in housing & homelessness initiatives.
3.6% due to provincial downloading by the Ford Government.
Along with my Council colleagues, we have tabled various motions to bring the rate down responsibly. It is important to balance the reality that deferred costs this year will amount to further costs next year and several years after.
HAMILTON APARTMENT RENTAL PROGRAM & RENOVATION LICENSE & RELOCATION BYLAW
Hamilton is now the first city in Ontario to approve a by-law to stop bad faith renovictions.
We have seen a 983% increase in renoviction notices issued to our residents in Hamilton between 2017 and 2022. We are losing affordable housing units faster than we can build them, and preserving what we have has become a necessary part of solutions for the City. In response to hearing the lived experiences of our neighbours who rent, over the years, I moved direction at Council for a comprehensive suite of by-laws to address the bad faith practice of renovictions and the need to better protect affordable, safe & dignified housing in our city.
In August, staff brought forward a comprehensive report outlining a suite of options known together as the Hamilton Apartment Rental Program. Some of that work needed further tweaking, specifically the anti-renoviction bylaw.
What we have as a result, is the City’s best effort to utilize all available levers to address bad faith evictions, thereby improving housing security for tenants, preserving existing rental housing stock, and ensuring it remains in a state of good repair.
The Hamilton Apartment Rental Program is a four prong approach:
Safe Apartment By-law: to regulate apartment building property standards and registration, deferred to 2024 budget
Enhancements to our Property Standards and our Vital Services By-law, which were approved and currently in place.
Amendments to the Rental Housing By-law to change the definition to include rental properties of 5 units or fewer (opposed to 4 units or fewer), which were approved and currently in place.
Lastly, staff brought forward the Renovation Licence and Relocation By-law. Brought to GIC on January 17th.
The main features of the Renovation Licence and Relocation By-law are:
It applies to all rental units in the City of Hamilton.
Within 7 days of issuing a tenant a N13 (eviction notice to move out for major renovations), the landlord must submit an application for a license.
The landlord must provide tenants with a Tenant’s Rights and Entitlements Package posted in their buildings.
The license application asks for info about the landlord, info about the # of units, a copy of the building permit, and copy of a report by an appropriate professional to back up the need for vacancy.
For tenants that request first-right-of-refusal, the landlord must provide temporary accommodation for the duration of the renovations OR a rental top up for the duration of the renovations.
If a landlord doesn’t comply with the bylaw, they would be fined $500 per unit per day.
This is both reasonable and complimentary of the Residential Tenancy Act, and is within the authority of the Municipal Act.
It will mean that 2024 will be a transition year to get the staffing and program up and running, with 2025 being the first year of implementation.
Thank you to the hundreds of tenants who have organized over the years with ACORN Hamilton and in their buildings, and came forward to Council to share the tragic story of being evicted and displaced from their homes and communities of 20 years. They came not to simply air grievances but rather to share a collaborative spirit to work on solutions with myself, other members of Council and City Staff. This is their victory!
Ultimately, this bylaw is about municipalities being able to reduce harm. It is about discouraging bad faith landlords from unjustly evicting tenants.
Doctor Martin Luther King Jr said, “Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. And, justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”
I can’t think of a better love letter from the City of Hamilton to our neighbours who rent to affirm that you matter and we value you as Hamiltonians.
VACANT UNIT TAX UPDATE
Hamilton is back on track to administer the Vacant Unit Tax. I moved a motion seconded by Councillor M Wilson to direct staff to prepare the enabling by-law to implement it this year.
This means we will work with residents over the next several months to understand how to complete the declarations successfully. The tax of 1% of property values will be collected based on 2024 occupancy/vacancy and collected in 2025.
The merits of the VUT as a housing & tax policy are clear. It is about ensuring empty homes become occupied by our residents. And should property owners choose to keep residential units empty, then they should be prepared to pay 1% of their property value.
The City of Ottawa is the most recent city from who we have gleaned insights and data.
Based on resident feedback they received, Ottawa is ensuring the declaration forms can be filled out and submitted in person at municipal service centres, by phone and online. Hamilton staff have already embedded these accessibility considerations, along with having a team of dedicated staff to walk with our residents/homeowners to fill out the paperwork factually. Also, they learned that as Councillors, their offices were essential in helping get the word out about the VUT: what is required, how to fill out the declaration and by when.
An estimate of a 0.5% - 0.75% vacancy rate was used for modeling purposes by Ottawa and their vacancy rate based off of the first year of declaration is actually 1.8%. As a result, Ottawa received $13M in gross revenue, $10.5M net after start up and operating costs have been deducted.
It is clear to me that with the best practices in our new engagement policy and a robust communications plan we will be successful too.
INTERIM FUNDING FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - REFUGEE & ASYLUM CLAIMANTS
Hamilton continues to be challenged to meet the needs of refugee and asylum claimants within our emergency shelter system. In fact, it has strained an already over-burdened sector.
Over the course of 2023 the numbers of individuals seeking shelter as asylum claimants has continually increased. In Hamilton, current data shows an average of 35% of Hamilton’s emergency shelter and hotel overflow spaces are utilized by asylum-seeking households. Municipalities across the country are experiencing similar trends to that seen in Hamilton.
The costs being incurred through these pressures are being covered through the Provincial Homelessness Prevention Program funding and through our local tax levy. This means we have less funding available to allocate to programs targeting the needs of those experiencing homelessness in Hamilton, particularly in the winter months.
I have joined the Mayor in advocating to both higher levels of government to provide the desperately needed funding. However, we have only received $3.5M Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) from our $10M ask.
By way of a motion I tabled last week at General Issues Committee (GIC), I will be raising the request through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in February as well.
A photo with a view of Ward 3 from the Mountain Brow. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Ward 3 Updates".
WOODLANDS PARK WASHROOM FACILITY UPDATE
I have asked staff to explore how we may turn this unfortunate situation into an opportunity for enhanced community amenities, and I am committed to working with the local community for input to shape it.
I have also requested an expedited timeline to rebuild/restore the structure. However, insurance and technical assessment requirements are likely to necessarily cause some delays. It is currently projected by Public Works staff that the assessments won’t be complete until May. In the meantime, I want to inform neighbours that the splash pad construction will proceed, temporary washrooms have been installed, and the damaged site has been secured.
In early Spring I intend to bring together the local community to begin our collective and collaborative work together for the future of this site.
Thank you to all our engaged neighbours in GALA and Barton Village BIA for the years you have put into helping re-energize Woodlands Park. I look forward to working with you to transform the facility and add some much need community amenities.
SEWER MAINTENANCE ISSUE
City Staff recently notified the #OurWard3 Office that they discovered a maintenance issue at a sewer regulator on January 24th at the intersection of Delaware Ave & Fairleigh Ave as part of their regular maintenance inspection program.
They have advised that a suspended trough failed sometime between their last inspection on July 10, 2023 and January 24, 2024.
The repair was fully completed on January 24th within 4 hours of discovery.
The spill volume is unknown as staff do not have an exact date when the failure occurred.
Following Council’s approved communications procedure, this is a minor spill and will be posted to the City’s webpage in the near future.
ANNUAL SIDEWALK REPAIR PLAN - FEEDBACK BY FEB 29TH
Roads staff are preparing to repair and replace damaged, uprooted and misaligned sidewalk tiles across Ward 3. They have completed an audit and identified that this year there will be several neighbourhoods receiving attention.
If you have observed a damaged, uprooted or misaligned tile that has the risk of being a trip hazard or barrier to accessible mobility, please take a picture of it and email it to us at Ward3@hamilton.ca with the exact location by Thursday February 29th, 2024.
PAVEMENT RESURFACING ON BALSAM AVE & DUNSMURE RD UPDATE
Staff have assessed Dunsmure Road from Prospect St to Gage Ave and Balsam Ave from Main St. E to Cannon St. E and they have been slated for roadway resurfacing to improve surface quality as well as to extend the life cycle of the road.
I will be allocating Ward 3 Minor Maintenance funds to ensure this work gets completed in 2024 at the February 20th Public Works committee meeting.
Photo of a City of Hamilton parking meter. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "City Services Updates".
PARKING STANDARDS REVIEW
Parking by-laws are one of the topics the #OurWard3 office consistently receives inquiries about.
Currently, a review and update of the City of Hamilton’s Parking Standards is underway to examine more progressive approaches for establishing parking requirements that take into consideration issues such as environmental impacts, cost and affordability, climate change, and the need to reduce auto dependency and associated impacts.
Parking standards also need to reflect different aspects of mobility including active transportation (i.e. walking or cycling), accessible parking, shared mobility (i.e. ridesharing), micro-mobility, and electric vehicle charging.
A virtual Public Information Meeting is being held on Thursday January 18 at 6pm to share an overview of proposed changes to the City’s Parking Standards for new development, and will be presented as part of the Reimagining Neighbourhoods project.
Additionally, there is also a survey open for residents to submit feedback on a potential approach that seeks to eliminate, or reduce parking minimums in some areas of the city, as well as introduce new requirements such as parking for electric vehicles.
To complete the survey, or RSVP for the virtual Public Information Meeting, please visit: https://engage.hamilton.ca/parking-standards-review
STORMWATER INCENTIVE PROGRAM
Each year, the City spends approximately $43 million on its stormwater program. Currently, most stormwater funding comes from the City’s water and wastewater utility revenues. This means the amount a property contributes to stormwater management is based on the amount of drinking water consumed.
Starting in September of 2025, a stormwater fee will replace the current inequitable stormwater funding model. Properties will be charged based on the load (or use) they place on the stormwater system. Residential properties will pay based on the type of dwelling (e.g., single family detached dwellings, duplexes/townhomes, and multiplexes). Non-residential and large, multi-residential properties will pay based on their measured imperviousness (the amount of hard surface on their property).
When this new funding model is implemented, water and wastewater rates will be reduced as they will no longer be used to fund stormwater management activities, and the stormwater fee will be broken out as a separate line item on utility bills.
To read more, please visit https://engage.hamilton.ca/stormwaterincentives
Photo of a community meeting at the Barton Village BIA office. Transparent white box in centre with navy text reads "Community Events & Opportunities".
GREEN VENTURE - NATURE KIDS REGISTRATION, FEB 1ST
Calling all Nature Kids! Last Call for Nature Kids Registration!
Registration for Nature Kids closes February 1st at 5:30pm, so be sure to register your Nature Kid before the deadline. Our winter season of Nature Kids runs from February 8th to March 7th, every Thursday evening from 4:30pm - 6:00pm at EcoHouse, 22 Veevers Drive.
At Nature Kids, your child will play fun environmentally themed games, activities, crafts, and experiments so that they can learn about the environment while exploring it as well!
To register your Nature Kid, visit our website at greenventure.ca/nature-kids and fill out the registration form there!
GREEN VENTURE - SEEDY SATURDAY SOCIAL, FEB 3RD
Urban Gardening Club members will be meeting nearby Seedy Saturday for a social on February 3rd.
Our meetings are often packed with ecologically-conscious gardening information, hands-on activities, and exploring ways to get involved.
So, this is our chance to dedicate some time for getting to know each other more! And what’s a better place than Seedy Saturday to do this? 🌱
We’re looking forward to discussing with everyone what we plan to grow, learn, and enjoy from our experiences at Seedy Saturday!
Visit our webpage at Green Venture Urban Gardening Club, or contact Cassi.brennan@greenventure.ca for more information.
HAMILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY - BARTON BRANCH
Basic Computer Skills 1 - Keyboards and Drives ®: Thursday February 1 @ 11am
Study Hall: Thursday February 1 & Tuesdays @ 2:30pm-6:00pm
Music for Babies & Toddlers (Ages birth - 4): Thursday February 8 @ 10:30am
Basic Computer Skills 2 - Keyboards and Drives ®: Thursday February 8 @ 11am
Valentine’s Day Storytime: Wednesday February 14 @ 11am
Ancestry Library Edition: Thursday February 15 @ 11am
Digitize Your Memories ®: Thursday February 22 @ 11am
Rainbow Storytime: Wednesday February 28 @ 11am
Drop-in Tech Help: Mondays @ 1pm
Explore and Play: Tuesdays @ 11:30am
MathQuest: Tuesdays @ 3pm-6pm
StoryTime (Ages birth-4): Wednesdays @ 11am
Family Stay & Play: Wednesdays @ 11:30am
Knitting and Crochet: Wednesdays @ 1pm-3pm
STEAM Learning Lab: Wednesdays @ 3:30pm
Social Scrabble: Thursdays @ 12pm
Lego Club: Saturdays @ 10:00am-12:30pm
Board Games and Puzzles (Ages 8-12): Saturdays @ 1pm-3pm
OTTAWA ST BIA NOSH CULINARY FESTIVAL
This February join #OttawaStreetNorth restaurants as they participate in NOSH Month, led by Hamilton’s Economic Development Team @hamiltonecdev.
NOSH - Hamilton's Culinary Festival, starts February 1st and runs for a full month, highlighting four main weekly themes:
Appetizers
Cocktails
Entrees
Coffee & Desserts.
Prepare your appetite, and meet us on Ottawa Street!
Make sure to follow @ottawastreetbia and @hamiltonecdev for updates!
HELPING HANDS STREET MISSION - COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR, FEB 24TH
Coldest Night of the Year is coming up in a month! Over 300 people will be walking Barton Street together on February 24, 2024 from 4pm-8pm in support of our neighbours dealing with poverty and homelessness. We are excited for the provision this will bring for the work of Helping Hands Street Mission, but also for the display of community and neighbourhood care this will offer. We are eager to have you be a part of this evening with us.
The event will be starting at the Sherman Playhouse with a short documentary viewing. This 15 minute video will highlight the work of community partnerships to support our vulnerable neighbours. You are encouraged to learn more about CNOY or join us by registering as a team or individually at https://cnoy.org/location/hamiltonbarton.