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April 26/05 Report
Scheduled start time: 9:30 am. Actual start time: 9:40 am.
Adjournment: 11:05 am.
ATTENDANCE
Committee Members:
- Brian McHattie
- Bob Bratina
- Sam Merulla
- Tom Jackson
- Bill Kelly
CATCH:
MEDIA:
- Maggie (CFMU)
- Spec rep (name?)
- Ken Mann (CHML)
- Kevin Warner (VIEW)
Others:
- Terry Whitehead
- Murray Ferguson
- Staff: Joanne Priel, Dave Brodati, Jane(?)
- SISO: Madina Wasuge, Gary Warner
Observations/Comments:
Nothing stood out; a well run meeting
MEETING HIGHLIGHTS (continue on page 2, if necessary)
1. CHANGES TO THE AGENDA - none
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST - none
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
3.1 Minutes of the March 22, 2005 meeting
www.hamilton.ca
Merulla wanted it recorded that he was absent because he was on city business.
4. DELEGATION REQUESTS
4.1 Cynthia Brunswig & Sheila Moser Re: Closure of the Bug Buster Program
http://www.city.hamilton.on.ca/clerk/agendas-minutes-reports/
Social-Public-Health/2005/Apr26/Item%204.1.pdf
Presenters not present; request was approved for next meeting
5. CONSENT ITEMS
5.1 Autism Services and Supports (SPH05025)
http://www.city.hamilton.on.ca/clerk/agendas-minutes-reports/
Social-Public-Health/2005/Apr26/SPH05025%20Autism%20report.pdf
Report was received for information. (Bratina/Kelly)
" A constituent in the City of Hamilton approached council to outline her concerns over the access to services for Autistic children. The following is an inventory of the services currently available for families."
- Staff brought a report forward to address the concerns of a citizen regarding access to services for Autistic children
- Whitehead asked questions about a child who was put off a bus because of "bad" behaviour; City rec. programs for special needs children; family change rooms at City pools. He suggested the City should education the public about special needs students; do a study to ensure that rec. centers have family change rooms in areas where there are special needs students.
- Joanne Priel and staff members responded : They were not aware of bus problem; it is not really something the City deals with but they will look into it. City doesn't have resources for special needs rec. programming, except for the drop in day camp program. Special needs students are spread throughout the city, so the City's plan is to budget for family change rooms as centres are updated; she suggested that the new Disabilities Act (bill 118) will probably set standards for public facilities, with timelines.
6. DELEGATIONS - None.
7. STAFF PRESENTATIONS
7.1 Ms. Madina Wasuge, Settlement and Integration Services Organization (SISO) Re: A Feasibility Study to Develop a Community Resource, Leadership Development & Civic Resource Centre Model for the City of Hamilton
http://www.city.hamilton.on.ca/clerk/agendas-minutes-reports/
Social-Public-Health/2005/Apr26/CRCExecutiveSummaryFinal.pdf
"In May of 2004, Settlement and Integration Services, on behalf of an advisory group made up of a range of IRVM communities, secured funding to conduct a feasibility study on the establishment of a Civic Resource Centre. The study was to assess the communities receptivity and support for a centre that would act as resource to the whole community on the effective and timely integration of newcomers and visible minorities in order to maximize the benefits of diversity for both the newcomers and the receiving community; and to minimize barriers and sources of tensions that can lead to divisions in a community. The study was also to look at models in other communities and to research potential funding sources for the Centre and its activities."
- It is envisioned that the Civic Resource Centre could conduct activities in 5 areas:
- Employment & economic development
- Education & training
- Civic participation
- Housing & social services
- Justice and victims support
Merulla said that he didn't want to alienate those currently offering services; asked about duplication, proposed structure; he asked about employment retraining efforts in Hamilton .
Ms. Wasuge answered that the study group spoke to all current providers and identified their needs, to ensure they would be supporting not duplicating services. Leaders came forward during the study so there is an Advisory Committee already in place; a Standing Committee needs to be formed. Employment retraining is moving slowly in other areas of the province and "not at all in Hamilton ."
Kelly wanted to know about the barriers preventing educated immigrants from getting professional accreditation in Ontario; cited the difference in Federal funding of immigrants in Ontario (@$800+ per) compared to Quebec (@$ 3000 - including language instruction in a second language) as a major problem.
Ms. Wasuge / Gary Warner said aside from obvious problems such as language, one of the biggest problems we are facing is integrating highly skilled immigrants - they lack access to business, industry. A Civic Resource Centre could bring together all stakeholders in the community and help to build bridges. They praised a Toronto program, TRIEC, which has had great success in this area, and cited a Conference Board of Canada report which estimated that the Canadian economy loses as much as $5 billion a year from underutilizing the skills of immigrants. For recent immigrants, a major challenge is to have their credentials recognized. ("More than 40% of immigrants in Canada in the 1990's had at least one university degree, nearly twice the Canadian average. - Toronto Star, March 12, 2005 ) There is some, limited movement to open the door for medical professionals; other professionals are not so lucky.
Whitehead wondered if such a centre would centralize/segregate and therefore impede integration of immigrants into the community. He also asked about 18 Somali families with health issues, whose Fed. funding has ended and they are now applying for social services, which will add to the burden of local tax payers.
Ms. Wasuge stressed there would be no duplication. The study revealed a real need to have a body that would COORDINATE and ENHANCE current services. Immigrants need assistance beyond settlement services. She disagreed with the information about the Somali becoming burdens on Hamilton taxpayers. She explained that SISO is organizing a Summit to provide input to the Province as it negotiates immigration responsibilities with the Fed. Gov't., as other provinces have done, and she stressed a "strong, unified voice" needs to come from the whole city.
Jackson asked Joanne Priel to comment on the fact that the City has just opened its own Career Development and Resource Centre, in light of SISO's proposal.
Joanne Priel said that the Career Devel. Centre provides resources for the broad community to include immigrants, and added that PHCS has just provided money to help with accreditation for immigrants in the City. She said that she would like to see more specifics about the proposed Centre. (The report indicated that "more specificity and clarity about the structure of the Centre, primarily to ensure that it would not duplicate" was also a concern of other groups attending the Stakeholder Forum on Oct. 5, 2004 )
McHattie spoke in favour of Council being part of the Summit to gather input for the Province when they negotiate immigration responsibilities with the Fed. Gov't. He asked for an update on hiring visible minorities at City Hall - was it approaching the Provincial average of 14%?
Jane (staff) A staffing report is coming from Corp. Admin. in June. She was not sure whether these kind of demographic statistics would be included.
Merulla made a motion, with input from Jackson: "Council supports in principle, the concept of a centralized approach, contingent on discussion with J. Priel." MOTION CARRIED.
7.2 Response to Health & Homelessness: Health Needs Assessment (City Wide) (SPH05024)
http://www.city.hamilton.on.ca/clerk/agendas-minutes-reports/
Social-Public-Health/2005/Apr26/SPH05024%20-%20
Health%20and%20Homelessness.pdf
Recommendations include: "(b) That Council correspond with the Ministry of Community and Social Services to advocate that social assistance rates be increased to more accurately reflect the costs of living. (c) That Council correspond with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and the Ministry of Community and Social Services to advocate for provincial funding of preventive dental services and drug coverage for homeless and low-income adults without access to privately or publicly funded drug plans. The correspondence should also advocate for enhanced funding of mental health outreach services. (d) That Council correspond with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care regarding funding initiatives to increase access to primary care for people experiencing homelessness including waiving replacement fees for health cards."
• Dave Brodati confirmed that staff were largely in agreement with the recommendations of the report the City commissioned from Helen Thomas and Dyanne Semogas (professors from McMaster School of Nursing)
• Three recommendations do not fall under the City's control: (a) providing health services where homeless people congregate; (b) expanding opportunities for student health care professionals to work with homeless people; (c) developing an implementation task force to provide coordination in the area of health - this was a major recommendation of the report.
• The City already has some initiatives underway and will commit to additional actions to help to address these issues cited in the report:
• Establishing an easier system to ensure homeless people get the money to which they are entitled (e.g., a computer system is now set up in emergency shelters to process OW applications)
• Affordable Housing - continue to implement "Keys to the Home" and "Affordable Housing Flagship" programs
• Assisting youth who are experiencing homelessness by advocating for stable, long term funding (e.g., under public health enhancements in the 2005 budget, additional funding would be provided for health promotion for street youth)
• Exploring ways of providing emergency shelter and treatment to people experiencing homelessness with chronic alcohol problems (e.g., SCPI - Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative - has allocated funding for a harm reduction program)
• Multi-sector strategies to address the needs of children of homeless families (e.g., SCPI funded the development of a permanent family shelter, which will open in Spring 2005)
• Hunger/adequate nutrition for homeless people (e.g., Council should continue to support emergency food systems through its various programs)
• More details about what the City is currently doing, and what proposed actions it plans to take regarding these issues is outlined in Appendix A of the report.
• Merulla: What is the focus for helping homeless people who suffer from mental illness?
• Priel: We do have a program for helping people on the street . We had money from SCPI to explore this issue and no proposals came from the community.
• Merulla suggested a City campaign to dispel myths about mental illness.
• Bratina wanted to know the reasons why homeless people are on Hamilton streets - mentally ill? Run- aways? Drifters?
• Dave Brodati said there are a range of causes - mentally ill, out of work, etc. This kind of info' is hard to collect, but the database program (HIAFIS), which is now operational in shelters may allow us to do this kind of analysis. The project came about because of a partnership with the Fed. Gov't.
8. DISCUSSION ITEMS
McHattie talked about a recent tour he went on with the Housing Help Center to rooming houses on James St. N. He likened it to 355 Melvin, (recently in the Spectator) There was no fire exit, no hot water, no central heating system - roomers were using unsafe electric space heaters. The only time this premises had been inspected by the City was in 1998. He suggested that maybe Council needed to take another look at the recommendations from a 1994 report by then councilor, D. Agostino, and follow through.
Merulla made a motion that the City needed to crack down on illegal rooming houses. He cited two deaths recently, police involvement, etc. He directed staff at Planning and Development to expedite his request to see what can be done. MOTION PASSED.
McHattie said that he would be reviewing the 1994 report and asked that staff do the same.
9. ITEMS REFERRED BY COMMITTEES/CITY COUNCIL - None
10. MOTIONS - see Merulla's motion under Discussion Items.
Meeting Adjourned at 11:05
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