City hall spent $1 million on social housing software that it might never use
The financial fallout is much worse than originally thought as city hall considers abandoning the development of custom computer software after 12 years.
In 2011, London, Ont. decided to lead an eight-community Collaborative Housing Initiative (CHI) to oversee development of specialized software to track social housing applicants and programs.
The intent was to replace a combination of Excel, Access, and Adobe PDF files used by most social housing organizations at the time.
It would also maintain housing waitlists and prepare reports to the province.
However, a dozen years later, only Hamilton and the Region of Waterloo have partially rolled out the software.
To date, neither the backend system nor any of the software modules have been implemented by London city hall.
According to an earlier report to council:
- The software is not aligned with technology and project management processes in the IT Department
- Evolving provincial regulations over the years would have required significant change requests
- Partner municipalities have different systems and priorities
After the software debacle was uncovered earlier this year, city council called on staff for a detailed accounting of the project and to recommend next steps.
The first update to council’s Community and Protective Services (CAPS) Committee reveals that civic administration vastly underestimated the financial impact to the city.
In May, civic administration initially reported contributing about $360,000 towards the CHI partnership of municipalities.
In reality, London spent almost triple that amount.
A detailed financial review has determined that London spent $1,244,681 on the project since 2014.
After subtracting $210,334 recovered from CHI partner municipalities, London’s net expenditure has been $1,034,347.
Asked if the public would be right to consider the situation a ‘boondoggle’, Coun. Elizabeth Peloza replied to CTV News, “When things fall through the cracks, absolutely the public has the opportunity, and are justified in asking if it was a boondoggle. To ask, ‘What happened?’ Those questions will be answered.”
Peloza will chair next week’s CAPS Committee meeting.
The need for software that can track housing applicants and programs remains, but city hall may soon cut ties with the costly and ineffective project.
According to the report, work to support the software implementation will be, “put on-hold while an overall project plan is developed, including an assessment of other potential solutions for London’s business needs.”
“We have 60 partners as well who would need housing software. Checking in with them to see what they would need,” explained Peloza.
In addition, the partnership of municipalities will be discontinued in 2024.
Membership of CHI included Windsor, Chatham-Kent, Hamilton, Halton Region, Region of Waterloo, and Ottawa.
The Regional Municipality of York left for unspecified reasons in 2022.
“All existing financial obligations related to the Housing Collaborative Initiative will be closed out and any existing contracts will not be renewed,” reads the report.
The CAPS Committee will consider the update on CHI at its meeting Nov. 14.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972699.1721656892!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
WATCH LIVE Secret Service chief will be questioned over security failures before Trump assassination attempt
The Secret Service director is set to testify Monday before a congressional committee as calls mount for her to resign over security failures at a rally where a 20-year-old gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
Hollywood reacts to Joe Biden exiting the U.S. presidential race
Hollywood was quick to react to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden was ending his bid for re-election and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
What to know about the Canadian ties of Kamala Harris, Biden's choice for successor
U.S. President Joe Biden is stepping aside as the Democratic candidate in that country's November election and throwing his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris -- a Montreal-area high school graduate who spent several years in the city.
Canadian killed near Gaza border after threatening forces with knife: Israeli police
Israeli police say a Canadian citizen was killed Monday after threatening Israeli security forces with a knife near the Gaza border.
Markets bet on second Bank of Canada interest rate cut coming this week
Economists and market watchers are betting the Bank of Canada will deliver another interest rate cut this week amid mounting evidence that inflation is sustainably easing.
The pilot who died in crash after releasing skydivers near Niagara Falls has been identified
Officials on Sunday released the name of a pilot who died in a skydiving flight after her passengers jumped from the aircraft near the Niagara Falls.
Canadian musicians struggle to get visas to perform in the U.S., some cancel shows
Backlogs and processing delays of temporary U.S. visas required by entertainers, athletes and artists has forced some Canadian bands to cancel U.S. tour dates because paperwork wasn't processed in time.
Harris looks to lock up Democratic nomination after Biden steps aside, reordering 2024 race
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris moved swiftly to lock up Democratic delegates behind her campaign for the White House after President Joe Biden stepped aside amid concerns from within their own party that he would be unable to defeat Donald Trump.
Justin Trudeau reacts to Joe Biden announcing he won't run for re-election
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden won’t run for re-election Sunday, calling Biden a 'true friend.'