Item 9.3.3 was brought forward and dealt with at this time.
Jannies Le, Executive Director, Samiya Kebir, Program Supervisor, and Rashmi Khosla, Board President, Armagh, provided a presentation to Committee entitled "Building Lives Free of Violence", which included information regarding family and intimate partner violence in Peel Region, programs and services provided by Armagh, access and wait times for transitional housing, and a request for "financial support to address our funding gap to support women and their families in our 12 new units coming online in Brampton January 2024".
Committee discussion on this matter included the following:
- Important work of Armagh
- Information regarding transitional housing and how it supports women fleeing violence
- Lack of provincial funding for transitional housing
- The need to address the issue of gender-based violence
- Information regarding the Brampton program
- Subsidy funding from the Region of Peel and alternate funding options for transitional housing (e.g. rapid housing fund)
- Domestic and gender-based violence in Brampton
- Long wait times for permanent housing
- Indication that transitional housing will ease shelter capacity issues
A motion was introduced with the following operative clause:
Therefore Be It Resolved That:
1. The delegation from Jannies Le, Executive Director, Samiya Kebir, Program Supervisor, and Rashmi Khosla, Board President, Armagh, re: Item 9.3.3 - Transitional Housing to Support Women Fleeing Violence, be referred to staff for further consideration;
2. The City of Brampton forward this motion to, and advocate at the Region of Peel for, support of Armagh House’s housing pilot in Brampton, to ensure its delivery with corresponding wraparound support during the Region’s transition period of dissolution;
3. The Mayor, on behalf of Council, write a letter to the Provincial Government (Premier, Minister of Housing, Minister of Community and Social Services, and Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity, and all local Brampton MPPs) that transitional housing such as that provided by Armagh House with its necessary wraparound supports, be included as an important piece in building affordable housing that should be financially supported by the province, especially for women escaping domestic violence; and
4. The Mayor, on behalf of Council, write a letter to the Federal Government (Prime Minister, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, and all local Brampton MPs) to financially support transitional housing and specifically Armagh House’s pilot model in Brampton.
An amendment to clause 1 was introduced, and accepted by the mover, to add "and investigation of potential alignment of transitional housing under provincial and federal housing-related funding sources, on an emergency basis".
The motion, as amended, was considered as follows.