With property tax being the main source of municipal revenue, cities are struggling to fund an ever expanding list of priorities including programs aimed at helping the most vulnerable in our communities. The list is municipally funded programs signficantly expanded through the downloading of responsibilities by the Provincial Government of Ontario in the 1990s. This issue is particularly acute in more mature cities such as Hamilton, where there is a higher concentration of social infrastructure. Within this context, the CCS was contracted by the Social Services Downloading Steering Committee (now the Fairness to Hamilton Committee), which represents a variety of community interests within Hamilton and is advocating for a more equitable financial framework with senior levels of government.

In an effort to tackle one of Hamilton’s greatest challenges, individuals from all parts of the community have come together in a collaboration to eliminate poverty in the city through the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction (HRPR). The CCS worked with the HRPR to assist them in the development of a community poverty plan.

HRPR: Sector Engagement Session Report

One component of the development stage of a poverty plan was a community engagement process with different groups representing four main sectors in Hamilton (business, government, non-profit / voluntary agencies, and individuals affected by poverty). The CCS worked with the HRPR to assist with the facilitation of the sessions and to synthesize the data and information produced through the sessions.

Efforts to ensure that Hamilton residents have access to safe, secure and permanent housing has become increasingly important in the last few decades. One central effort to improve the conditions of housing in the city has been lead by the Hamilton Tenant Education Project (HTEP) and their Tenant Outreach and Education Initiative (TOEI). The primary objective of the Initiative is to build community capacity to prevent homelessness by developing a more informed and involved tenant population in the Hamilton region. After a number of years working to improving housing issues, the members of the Initiative commissioned the CCS to prepare an evaluation report of the functions of the organization, with suggestions for future growth and development. Additionally, the CCS has assisted the TOEI Steering Committee develop a vision, strategic objectives and a communication plan for the project.

West Hamilton features two of the city's most distinctive and attractive areas: the McMaster University campus and the Ainslie Wood/Westdale commercial and residential neighbourhoods. These two areas form one community with common concerns, issues, challenges and opportunities. A number of leaders within this community have come together with a vision of fostering and building one of Canada's great campus neighbourhoods. Campus Town Association (CTA) is made up of McMaster University, the Ainslie Wood/Westdale Community Association of Resident Homeowners (AWWCA) and the Westdale Village Business Improvement Association (BIA). The CCS worked with the CTA to gather community input on neighbourhood priorities and to help strategize the implementation of their vision, mission and objectives.

There is growing interest in Hamilton to protect, enhance and promote the health of the urban forest and to renew and improve the local system of municipal parks, natural areas and related facilities. Building on this momentum, a stakeholder group was formed to facilitate the development of a Hamilton Trees and Park Foundation. Members of this group include the City of Hamilton, Environment Hamilton, the Mountainview Residents' Association, Green Venture, and the Hamilton Community Foundation. The CCS was contracted by this stakeholder group to assemble a discussion paper on the opportunities for a Hamilton foundation.

The YWCA of Hamilton plans to establish a new facility in the West Mountain area of Hamilton. In order to better understand the community that this facility will serve, the CCS designed and developed a community profile of the area based on 2006 Census Canada data. The profile highlighted the particular demographic characteristics of the community and was designed to assist the YWCA with their financial and organizational planning.