# Mobile Meal Pilot Costing

**Status:** 2027 campaign planning allowance

## Working case

The working case assumes a City-leased cargo van brings prepared meals and
essential support to scheduled locations two service days per week. OSHaRE
provides the food, and volunteers provide the service staffing. The City pays
for the vehicle and route operation.

| Cost | Working estimate | Basis |
| --- | ---: | --- |
| Cargo-van lease | `$13,700/year` | `$1,141/month` commercial Transit lease benchmark |
| Commercial vehicle insurance | `$3,500/year` | Midpoint of the `$2,500-$5,000` delivery-vehicle benchmark |
| Fuel | `$2,640/year` | 10,400 route km/year, 14 L/100 km, `$1.81/L` gasoline |
| Maintenance, licensing, cleaning and basic supplies | `$3,000/year` | Planning allowance pending a lease and insurer quote |
| **Working annual cost** | **`$22,840`, rounded to `$23,000`** | Food and volunteer staffing supplied by OSHaRE and partners |

For a simple budget line, use a **`$25,000` annual planning cap**. The extra
allowance covers ordinary variation in maintenance, route distance, insurance,
and operating supplies. It does not include food, paid outreach staff, or a
full-time driver.

## Sensitivity

| Operating case | Approximate annual cost |
| --- | ---: |
| One service day per week, shorter route | `$17,000-$20,000` |
| Two service days per week, working case | `$23,000-$25,000` |
| Three service days per week, longer route | `$30,000-$35,000` |

The working `$25,000` allocation would come from the estimated vacant-home-tax
remainder after the `$60,000` civilian crisis-response pilot. It would leave
approximately **`$59,500`** for other housing or safety priorities while
leaving the property-tax levy unchanged. The revenue remains a planning
estimate until the City adopts the programme and collects it.

## What the pilot would measure

- service days and scheduled locations;
- meals delivered by OSHaRE;
- fuel, route kilometres, vehicle and supply costs;
- volunteer hours;
- referrals or connections to housing and support; and
- resident and neighbourhood feedback.

## Sources and assumptions

- [SparkLease 2026 Ford Transit Cargo Van benchmark](https://www.sparklease.com/buy/lease/on/markham/listings/ford/transit-cargo-van/478476): `$1,141/month`, 36-month example, 16,000 km/year, `$6,250` down, 6.29% APR. This is a market benchmark rather than a City quote.
- [Ontario commercial auto insurance benchmark](https://affiliatedinsurance.ca/blogs/commercial-auto-insurance-ontario-what-business-owners-need-to-know/): delivery-vehicle range of `$2,500-$5,000/year`.
- [CAA national gasoline prices](https://www.caa.ca/gas-prices/): national average checked September 21, 2026 at approximately `$1.81/L`.

Route distance, lease terms, insurance classification, storage, food-safety
requirements, and maintenance should be replaced with actual quotes before
the pilot is approved.