|
Ephesians 2:10 ...join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." (The Message) |
Mission
Update: Homelessness and Poverty
Report
May 27, 1999
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Policy Statement on Homelessness
That the Council of the Regional Municipality of Peel affirm its commitment to the elimination of homelessness in Peel Region. That the Council recognizes the responsibility of all three levels of government to take concrete action to achieve this end.
In pursuing this objective the Regional Government will take proactive steps to ensure that initiatives are implemented which achieve the appropriate balance between prevention of homelessness and alleviation of suffering for those who become homeless.
1. Housing Initiatives
A. Housing Supply
i. That the Region of Peel work in partnership with community based organizations and private sector developers to demonstrate the feasibility of developing new affordable housing which will increase the available supply of rental housing.
ii. That the Region work with area municipalities to identify incentives and regulatory mechanisms available to contribute to affordability of rental housing.
iii. That the Housing Department issue a proposal call for
the development of rental housing pilot projects as follows:
a) Issue a Request for Proposals for specific sites to be developed
by community based non profit corporations and private sector
developers.
Separate Proposal Calls be issued for each type of developer;
b) Identify municipal contributions of resources or regulations needed.
c) Identify contributions required from the provincial and
federal governments.
d) Report to Regional Council on specific municipal action required
to make pilot projects happen.
e) With municipal commitment in hand, meet with federal and
provincial governments to explore contributions required to make
pilot projects happen as the basis for a new program to address
the shortage of affordable housing. The Provincial initiatives
to address homelessness announced on March 23, 1999 and federal
resources made available as a consequence of the signing of the
Federal/Provincial agreement on Social Housing are a useful starting
point to support these pilot projects.
B. Supportive Housing
That the Region actively support initiatives to provide permanent housing for people who need supports to live in the community.
i. Single Room Occupancy
a) That the Region issue a Request for Proposals for a pilot project
to house homeless people using the Single Room Occupancy (SRO)
approach.
b) That Peel Living develop an SRO project directly as an alternative to, or in addition to, proposals received.
c) That the Region work with area municipalities to identify and resolve regulatory issues arising from use of this model.
d) That staff report to Regional Council on specific municipal, provincial and federal government action required to make the pilot projects happen.
e) With municipal commitment in hand, meet with federal and provincial governments to explore contributions required to make pilot projects happen as the basis for a new program to address the shortage of supportive housing. The Provincial initiatives to address homelessness announced on March 23, 1999 and federal resources made available as a consequence of the signing of the Federal/Provincial agreement on Social Housing are a useful starting point to support these pilot projects.
ii. Boarding House Pilot Project
That the Housing Department support the work of the Peel Mental
Health Housing Coalition to develop a program model for rooming,
boarding and lodging houses in Peel Region and report back to
Regional Council on the resource contributions required and available
from various sources including the Region.
iii. Provincial Funding
That Regional staff work in partnership with supportive housing
providers to make use of Provincial Funding announced on March
23, 1999 to increase supportive housing available for people with
special needs, including $45 million for additional shelter spaces
and supports for people living with mental illness.
C. Improved Access
That the Regional Housing Commissioner investigate ways to increase accessibility of people experiencing homelessness, or at imminent risk of becoming homeless, to existing social housing using the authority to be made available through the planned transfer of Social Housing responsibilities.
2. Emergency and Transitional Housing
A. Families
That Regional staff explore alternatives to the use of a local hotel as emergency accommodation for homeless families and report back to Council by September 1999 with a detailed plan including cost estimates and operating requirements.
A. Youth
That Regional staff conduct a detailed study of the usage of the current facility for homeless youth and determine the additional facilities required and report back to Council by September 1999 with a detailed plan including cost estimates and operating requirements.
4. Emergency Shelter
A. Single Men and Women
i. Operating Plans
That Regional staff report to Council by September 1999 with detailed
operating plans for the emergency shelters to be operated in the
winter of 1999/2000, including management approach, operating
policies, proposed operators, expected capacity, opening dates,
hours of operation, programs expected and cost estimates.
ii. Mississauga Shelter
That Regional staff keep Council informed of progress on the development
of the additional shelter at the Region's Public Works yard on
Wolfedale Road in Mississauga, including any obstacles encountered
and interventions required.
A. Single Women and Couples
That Regional staff report back to Council by September 1999 with
a detailed plan outlining how the emergency shelter needs of single
women and couples without children will be addressed in the winter
of 1999/2000.
5. Health Promotion and Health Care
It is recommended that Public Health:
-direct resources to prevent, and control the spread of, communicable
diseases;
-advocate for primary health care that is accessible by homeless
people, who often do not have Health cards;
-conduct health enhancing training and education with staff and
volunteers working with homeless and underhoused people;
-formalize linkages with community agencies for outreach, identification
of service gaps, health promotion and homelessness prevention;
-create active partnerships for short and long term health planning
to remove barriers to health care for homeless people.
5. Community Based Services for Homeless People
That Regional Council expand the existing Community Programs Fund to include a specific Homelessness Initiatives Fund to support community based organizations to provide a range of services to people experiencing homelessness or to assist people at risk of becoming homeless.
That funding priorities and process for selecting projects be determined by the Regional Homelessness Coordinator in consultation with community representatives.
5. Action by Provincial and Federal Governments
A. That Council call on the Government of Ontario and the Government
of Canada to ensure greater access by all citizens to decent affordable
housing by increasing the proportion of their respective budgets
allocated to housing by an amount equal to 1% of the total public
expenditure in their jurisdiction.
A. That the Report of the Peel Regional Task Force on Homelessness be distributed to the Premier of Ontario, the Provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Minister of Community and Social Services and the Minister of Health, as well as to all Members of the Provincial Parliament representing Peel, with the request that they advise Regional Council how they will respond to the needs identified in the report.
C. That the Report of the Peel Regional Task Force on Homelessness be distributed to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Minister Responsible for Homelessness and to all Members of Parliament representing Peel, with the request that they advise Regional Council how they will respond to the needs identified in the report.
C. That Council call on the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada to ensure that any savings that have been realized in spending on social housing due to reduced interest rates and due to cancellation of rent supplement agreements be reinvested in social housing in the community in which the savings were realized in accordance with local priorities.
C. That Council urge the Provincial Government to ensure an adequate supply of supportive housing is put in place to meet the needs of people already resident in the community as well as to address the growing needs due to de-institutionalization. Further, Council urge the Provincial government to distribute funding for support services and supportive housing in a way which will redress the current under funding of growing municipalities.
C. That Council request that the Government of Ontario increase the maximum shelter component of social assistance under Ontario Works to equal 85% of average market rent for appropriate rental housing in Peel Region.
C. That Council request that the Government of Ontario establish a provincially funded shelter allowance program for low income wage earners which will bridge the gap between their income and the cost of basic housing.
C. That Council urge the Governments of Ontario and Canada to require all institutions under their jurisdictions to ensure that adequate discharge planning is undertaken to assist people with no fixed address to obtain permanent housing upon discharge.
C. That Council urge the Ministry of Health to work with Regional staff to establish primary health care systems that are specifically designed to be accessible by people who are homeless and do not have Ontario Health cards.
8. Coordination, Evaluation and Community Involvement
That the Region take a visible leadership role in the management of services to the homeless in Peel through the establishment of the position of Homelessness Coordinator for the Region.
That every Regional Department, including the Police Services,
report to Council on how it will contribute to this objective
through implementation of its strategic plan.
8. Distribution
That, in addition to those previously mentioned, the report of the Peel Regional Task Force on Homelessness and these recommendations be distributed widely, both within Peel Region, across the Province and across Canada as a visible statement of our concern about the extent of homelessness in our community and our commitment to take concrete actions to eliminate homelessness.
The distribution to include all the individuals and organizations
that contributed to the Task Force consultation and the following:
-Area Mayors and Councils
-GTA Mayors and Chairs
-Association of Municipalities of Ontario
-Federation of Canadian Municipalities
-Large Urban Mayors
-Dr Anne Golden
-Ontario Non Profit Housing Association
-Mr Dalton McGuinty, Ontario Liberal Party
-Mr Howard Hampton, Ontario New Democratic Party
-The Honourable Preston Manning, Leader of the Official Opposition
-Peel Coalition for Shelter
-Peel Coalition Against Poverty
-Social Planning Council of Peel
-905 Faith Community leaders
-Brampton Multi Faith Council
-Contributors to the Task Force Consultation
-Halton Peel District Health Council
-Family Services of Peel
-Catholic Family Services
-Peel Police Services Board
-All candidates for the Provincial Legislature representing Peel
ridings
-Credit Valley Hospital
-Trillium Health Centre
-Northwestern GTA Hospital Corporation
-Putting Housing Back on the Public Agenda
-Brampton Downtown Business Association
-Brampton Board of Trade
-Caledon Board of Trade
-Mississauga Board of Trade
Background
Introduction
The economic reality of Canada and Ontario has undergone dramatic change in the past few years. While, for many, the changes have been positive, leading to greater prosperity, the incidence and depth of poverty have increased dramatically. Many of the new jobs that have been created are part time, temporary and low wage jobs. The social safety net has been eroded with cuts to unemployment insurance support and to social assistance. Rental housing has become scarce, food bank usage has increased dramatically and visible homelessness has become commonplace.
Homelessness has become a phenomenon in communities all across the country and is no longer just a problem associated with big cities. For many people the options of doubling up, staying with friends or borrowing to make ends meet have been exhausted and they find themselves with nowhere to live. It is time for all governments to accept responsibility for this problem and to act to put an end to homelessness.
8. Policy Statement on Homelessness
The issue of homelessness is extremely complex. Solutions and mechanisms to prevent homelessness require the cooperation of all levels of government. In recent years we have seen both the federal and the provincial governments passing on their responsibility for ensuring an adequate supply of affordable housing. When homelessness reaches crisis proportions, we see politicians at these senior levels pointing to the other and refusing to do anything for fear that they will take the other off the hook.
The Council of the Regional Municipality of Peel should affirm its commitment to the elimination of homelessness in Peel Region. While the Council recognizes that it is the responsibility of all three levels of government to take concrete action to achieve this end, the Region will take the first step and, by showing its leadership, challenge the others to follow suit.
The Regional Government's actions should be proactive and concrete and should ensure an appropriate balance between initiatives designed to prevent homelessness (such as the Rent Bank and the housing registry) and measures intended to alleviate suffering for those who are homeless (including outreach, shelters, drop ins, food programs, etc). Programs to alleviate suffering will also endeavour to get people out of emergency shelter and into permanent housing.
Housing Initiatives
A. Housing Supply
In the absence of government subsidy programs and in the current
fiscal environment, neither the private sector nor the community
based non profit sector is able to produce any new rental housing.
It is recommended that the Region of Peel work in partnership
with community based organizations and private sector developers
to determine the regulatory changes required, the concessions
needed and the resources that must be contributed from each level
of government and from the developer to develop new affordable
rental housing.
It is recommended that, rather than simply engaging in theoretical
discussion or advocating for broad policy change, the Region encourage
developers to submit concrete proposals which identify specific
contributions required to produce affordable housing. These pilot
projects will demonstrate the feasibility of a model which can
be the foundation of a program of new rental housing production.
It is proposed that the Housing Department ask for proposals from both private sector and community based developers. The calls need to be separate, since different mechanisms may be required and different objectives may be met. Where possible, the proposals should be based on specific sites, which can include sites owned by the developer, by community organizations or by the government.
The submissions should identify the actions that can be taken
by different levels of government which will facilitate the housing
development. Examples of possible government actions include:
i. Federal contributions: land, mortgage insurance, GST, capital
grants;
ii. Provincial contributions: land (already announced), sales tax (already announced), Building Code changes, capital grants;
iii. Municipal contributions: inclusionary zoning (apartments over stores and secondary suites), fast tracking approvals, development charges, municipal land, property taxes.
Once the proposals are received and reviewed for feasibility, Housing Department staff will report to Regional Council on specific municipal action required to make pilot projects happen.
Once the municipal initiatives are identified, the Region will need to work with area municipalities to identify the incentives and regulatory mechanisms which can contribute to affordability of rental housing and which are within the control of area municipalities.
Once the area and Regional municipalities have identified the
resources that they are prepared to contribute, the Regional chair
should meet with the federal and provincial governments to explore
the contributions required from them to make the pilot projects
happen. While they are not sufficient in themselves to produce
new rental housing, specific attention should be given to the
Provincial initiatives to address homelessness announced on March
23, 1999 and the potential to use federal resources made available
as a consequence of the signing of the Federal/Provincial agreement
on Social Housing. These resources serve as a useful starting
point.
B. Supportive Housing
In addition to initiatives to increase the supply of affordable
rental housing generally, the Region needs to actively support
initiatives to provide permanent housing for people who are not
able to access or maintain housing in the community unless they
have access to supports from qualified agencies. This can include
support with physical mobility and daily needs, counselling and
support to overcome addictions, daily supports for people with
limited life skills and crisis intervention for people living
with mental illness. As an example of the gaps that currently
exist, the Ministry of Health benchmarks for supportive housing
to serve people living with mental illness, established in 1995,
say that a community the size of Peel Region should have had 927
supportive housing beds in 1998, increasing to 1,863 by the year
2003. There are currently less than 100 supportive housing beds
in the Region.
i. Single Room Occupancy
Task Force members and Regional staff attending the recent national
convention of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association in
British Columbia had the opportunity to visit and learn about
the Single Room Occupancy (SRO) model used to house low income
single people in Vancouver's downtown eastside. The model has
two features which make it applicable to the needs of people who
have experienced chronic homelessness: relatively low cost and
high tolerance.
Single Room Occupancy projects are less expensive than more traditional forms of housing because the private living space of each occupant is smaller than in other housing. In some cases the individual occupant does not have a self contained apartment. Instead the occupant has a single sleeping room with many of the facilities shared with other occupants. In various projects the sleeping room may contain different private facilities, including a space for cooking and a small bathroom. In addition to the advantage of lower cost, the sharing of spaces like living rooms and kitchens promotes social interaction for people whose life problems can include isolation and loneliness.
Many people who are chronically homeless have difficulty maintaining housing due to failure to keep up with rent, difficulty in getting along with others, poor hygiene or other behavioural problems. Social agencies that use the SRO model to address the needs of this population recognize the need to have a higher tolerance for behaviour that would typically lead to eviction. Some projects have adopted a "no eviction" policy. This approach requires extraordinary measures including rent paid directly to the project by the welfare authority and higher staffing levels.
In addition to the experience in Vancouver, other organizations across Canada and the United States have been fairly successful in increasing the stability of homeless people using the SRO model. Several social agencies in Toronto use variations on the model.
It is proposed that the Region of Peel develop at least one SRO pilot project. The Region should call for proposals for a project to house homeless people using the Single Room Occupancy (SRO) approach. As well, Peel Living should develop an SRO project directly as an alternative to, or in addition to, the proposals received.
The Region will need to work with area municipalities to identify and resolve regulatory issues which may arise from the use of this model. For example, some zoning bylaws may interpret the SRO model as a group home and may impose restrictions which will make it difficult to implement.
A similar approach will be taken to that followed for the affordable housing proposal call described above; Regional staff will identify specific municipal action required to make the pilot project happen and then approach the provincial and federal governments for their contributions.
ii. Boarding House Pilot Project
On May 13th the Regional Council endorsed the proposal by the
Peel Mental Health Housing Coalition to the Ministry of Health
for funding to develop a program model which would provide access
for people living with mental illness to rooming, boarding and
lodging house options in Peel Region. Based on the Habitat model
used very successfully in Toronto, the Pilot Project provides
for a contract in which a property owner agrees to maintain an
appropriate standard of service to tenants in return for a small
financial contribution from a social agency which coordinates
support care for the residents of the house. The City of Brampton
will be used as the initial focus. The program model will require
a range of different resources to be feasible.
It is recommended that the Housing Department work actively to support the work of the Peel Mental Health Housing Coalition and report back to Regional Council on the resource contributions required and available from various sources including the Region.
iii. Provincial Funding
On March 23, 1999 the Province announced special funding to increase
supportive housing available for people with special needs. Specifically,
the announcement included $45 million to develop housing spaces
and supports to housing for people with mental illness and $2.5
million from expiring rent supplement agreements to help house
300 to 400 people with special needs.
The provincial government has not yet disclosed how they intend
to use these funds, however, the responsibility for supportive
housing has been transferred to the support ministries and these
ministries have stated clearly that they do not envision getting
involved in housing production. It is likely that the Province
will use an open process in which agencies, either housing agencies
or support agencies, will be invited to submit proposals to connect
supports to existing housing. Regional Housing staff can work
with support and housing agencies in Peel to facilitate the development
of partnerships to take advantage of these funds.
The Region should write to Ministry staff to make a case for a fair share of the funds to be allocated to Peel Region. Since a disproportionate amount of the rent supplement units in Ontario were in Peel, it is likely that a large part of the identified savings is money previously spent on affordable housing in Peel.
C. Improved Access
There are more than 7,000 rent geared to income social housing units in Peel Region. The waiting list for this housing is more than 21,000 households. It is recommended that the Regional Housing Commissioner investigate ways to increase the ability of people experiencing homelessness, or who are at imminent risk of becoming homeless, to access this existing social housing.
In the next year or two the Provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing will transfer the administrative responsibility for all social housing to the Region. This should provide the Region with the authority to set guidelines for access to social housing which could enhance the ability of homeless people to access that housing.
The Region can work cooperatively with other stakeholders to
explore mechanisms, which can include:
-enhancing coordinated access system and introducing mechanisms
to facilitate access by homeless people
-give homeless people priority over other applicants on waiting
list
-improved connections between coordinated access system and Ontario
Works
-alternatives to eviction for social housing tenants with rental
arrears.
2. Emergency and Transitional Housing
A. Families
The impact on families, and particularly on children, of the instability of not having a place to call home is devastating. The Salvation Army identified that the impact on families of being without a home includes embarrassment, shame, depression, anxiety and lack of privacy. For children it can contribute to behaviour problems and poor life skills.
In 1998 the Region accommodated 689 homeless people at the Rosetown Inn in Brampton. This represents 332 households or cases. 44% of these cases were families for whom the family shelter operated by the Salvation Army was not available, usually because it was full. The total expenditure to temporarily house the 689 persons at the Rosetown Inn in 1998 was $143,939.
The Region's resources will be better spent to provide temporary
housing for families in a dedicated facility where professional
staff can provide needed support, including access to community
resources, access to financial assistance, access to individual
counselling and life skills instruction and, especially for abused
women, assurance of a safe environment. .
It is proposed that the Regional Government consider the development
of new temporary accommodation for families to supplement the
spaces currently provided by the Salvation Army as a cost effective
alternative to the use of the hotel. As there is an existing family
facility in Brampton, it is proposed that consideration be given
to the need for a facility to be located in Mississauga.
Regional staff will explore the alternatives available to the
use of a local hotel as emergency accommodation for homeless families
and report back to Council by September 1999 with a detailed plan
including cost estimates and operating requirements. Development
options include:
-agreement with a reputable organization to provide and manage
the accommodation on a fee for service basis
-purchase of existing property by Region
-construction of new facility by Region (Peel Living)
-in either purchase or construction options the Region could operate
the facility directly or contract with a third party to operate
A. Youth
The number of shelter beds available for young people in the Region is far less than is needed to meet the current need. As well, the current shelter needs additional resources if it is to have the flexibility to permit each young person to stay until better alternative accommodation is available. The shelter needs the resources to provide staff support to prepare young people to move on and to assist them in locating permanent housing.
It is proposed that the Regional staff conduct a detailed study
of the usage of the current facility for homeless youth and determine
the additional facilities required and report back to Council
by September 1999 with a detailed plan including cost estimates
and operating requirements. Development options include:
-agreement with a reputable organization to provide and manage
the shelter on a fee for service basis
-purchase of existing property by Region
-construction of new facility by Region (Peel Living)
-in either purchase or construction options the Region could operate
the shelter directly or contract with a third party to operate
It is crucial that adequate facilities be available for young
people to help them to get off the street and to avoid young people
using adult shelters, a solution which does not work well either
for young people or for older people whose homelessness may be
more chronic.
4. Emergency Shelter
The shelter at 52 Rutherford Road in Brampton operated at capacity
for most of the time that it was in operation beginning on December
21, 1998 and continuing until it closed on April 30, 1999. The
City of Brampton previously gave approval for the Region to continue
to lease the building until April 1999, indicating, however, that
in the long term, there are other plans for the building.
The agencies responsible for the operation of the shelter and its outreach identified that only a small number of people came to the shelter from Mississauga and that there were homeless people that they encountered in Mississauga who did not go to Brampton for shelter. Based on this experience, and without planning for any significant increase in the overall need, there is no doubt that there is a need for the Brampton shelter to continue through the winter of 1999/2000. As well, there is a need for a similar facility in Mississauga and for a shelter which can accommodate single women and couples.
On May 13th Regional Council approved the extension of the operation of the shelter for men at 52 Rutherford Road in Brampton for the winter of 1999/2000 and the establishment of a shelter at the Regional Public Works yard on Wolfedale Road in Mississauga.
The Rutherford Road shelter closed for the season on April 30, 1999 and will reopen on November 1, 1999. Concern has been expressed by the faith community and the Brampton Downtown Business Association about the closing of the shelter for the spring, summer and fall months. Regional staff are working with community groups and social agencies to ensure that required drop in and food facilities continue to be available for this period. Regional staff will examine the year round shelter needs of the homeless population and the implications of different responses.
Regional staff will develop a detailed plan for the operation
of the two shelters in the winter of 1999/2000 which will examine
the management approach, including:
-the rules of operation, including the eligibility criteria and
barring policy, (recognizing that the shelter is the housing of
last resort for many people who may be defined as "hard to
house")
-contracting with an agent versus direct operation by the Region
versus purchase of services
-overnight shelter versus 24 hour operation
-the types of programs offered to residents
-how to accommodate the needs of single women and couples
-estimates of costs and sources of funding.
It is proposed that Regional staff report to Council on the management plan by September 1999.
For the new site in Mississauga, it will be necessary to ensure that renovation and necessary construction is complete in time for occupancy by October 1 in order for operation to begin in November. In the event that there is any delay, or if there is demand in excess of the capacity of the site, it is important that there is back up available. The faith community has, in the past, offered support through the Out of the Cold approach. The Region needs to examine any obstacles to the provision of this kind of support and take steps to remove them.
Regional staff will keep Council informed of progress on the development of the additional shelter at the Region's Public Works yard on Wolfedale Road in Mississauga, including any obstacles encountered and interventions required.
4. Health Promotion and Health Care
Being homeless is a barrier to health care. There is a reluctance among the homeless to obtain treatment, as well as to follow up with treatment. The overall health status of the homeless is very low. Homeless men and women do not have different illnesses than the general population; however, their living conditions and poverty affect their ability to cope with health problems. The homeless use fewer preventive health services and more emergency hospital services, adding to the overcrowding of the emergency rooms, as well as adding to the cost of health care.
Many homeless and marginalised people do not have Ontario Health Cards (many are lost or stolen) which limits their ability to access health care. In other communities the Provincial government has provided funding for Community Health Centres, which provide community based health services in a manner which is sensitive to the needs of vulnerable populations. Medical practitioners are salaried rather than fee for service, meaning that people without health cards are able to access health care. As well, there is the ability to focus more on health promotion and disease prevention rather than simply on fee for service treatments. Attempts to access funding for a Community Health Centre in Peel have not been successful.
It is proposed that Regional Council call on the Ministry of
Health to meet with Public Health staff and other health care
practitioners in Peel Region to explore alternatives to the fee
for service approach which will provide greater access to health
care for homeless people and other people who do not have Health
cards.
Health care funds are often allocated to existing transfer payment
agencies. The Ministry of Health will often expand an existing
service rather than fund a new service in a currently under served
area. Consequently, areas of growth like Peel tend to be underfunded.
In recent funding announcements Peel has not received a fair share.
There is a need for training for people working with homeless and marginalised people on how to deal with health issues that arise, including infection and disease control and the recognition of and appropriate response to mental illness.
Public Health will be forwarding a comprehensive report to Regional Council to outline a detailed strategy to address the health care needs of the homeless population in Peel Region.
4. Community Based Services for Homeless People
There is a wide range of agencies in Peel Region engaged in providing a range of services to people experiencing homelessness or designed to assist people at risk of becoming homeless to avoid homelessness. It is proposed that the Region establish a homelessness initiatives fund within the context of the Community Programs Funding to provide the financial support needed to ensure that a full spectrum of services continues to be available.
Funding for the Homelessness Initiatives Fund can include the annual allocation from the Provincial Homelessness Initiatives Fund and the allocation from the Community Partners Program, about to be transferred from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, as well as other resources identified by Regional Council from time to time.
The funding priorities and the process for selecting projects will be determined by the Regional Homelessness Coordinator in consultation with community representatives. Examples of potential projects to be funded include:
i. The Rent Bank and Housing Help projects in Peel should be evaluated and expanded, where appropriate, to ensure total coverage of the Region and that the service is adequate to address the demand.
ii. Drop Ins - There is a need for a range of supports for people who experience homelessness, including assistance to connect with the existing network of services, case management for people with mental health issues and counselling. The drop in model, where these resources can be available as needed as well as providing an accepting place to be, has been particularly successful.
There is a need for a range of accepting places for young people to "hang out" during the day, where they can access services, if needed, but also just have a place to be without coming into conflict with other people in the community.
iii. Outreach - People who have a serious mental illness or a serious mental illness combined with substance abuse are the most difficult to serve members of the homeless population. It can take years to develop the level of trust needed to work successfully with the people who fit this definition. There is a need for trained outreach workers who can go out into the community to work with people who are homeless and who have a history of mental illness. These outreach workers need to have access to resources in the community that can help homeless people to access housing, counselling, life skills support and employment.
The mobile unit and outreach operation connected to the operation of the Rutherford Road shelter provided a crucial lifeline to people on the street. The essential supports that were provided and the relationships that were built contributed to the trust that is needed if vulnerable people are to be served. This type of mobile outreach program should continue year round; consideration should be given to including a medical component as well as support to people with mental health or addiction issues.
4. Action by Provincial and Federal Governments
The reality of homelessness is that at its core is the lack of
affordable housing. The private sector can not build affordable
rental housing because there is too large a gap between the cost
of rental housing and the market or geared to income rents that
people can afford to pay for their housing. The municipal tax
base can not be expected to bear the cost of providing for the
affordable housing that is needed. Action is needed by both the
provincial and federal governments.
The last few years have seen a dramatic decrease in the commitment by the Federal and Provincial governments to funding for affordable housing. References have been made to the "high cost" of subsidies provided to bridge the gap. Yet the proportion of the overall budget spent on housing by either government is relatively small. People across the country have adopted the 1% solution as a slogan to demonstrate the relatively small commitment needed to make a real difference. Professor David Hulchanski of the University of Toronto studied the rate of expenditure on housing by all levels of government and found that the total was less than 1% of total public expenditure. The 1% solution, calling for a doubling of that expenditure to 2%, has been endorsed by the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association.
It is proposed that Council call on the Government of Ontario
and the Government of Canada to increase the proportion of their
respective budgets allocated to housing by an amount equal to
1% of the total public expenditure in their jurisdiction.
It is proposed that the Report of the Peel Task Force on Homelessness
be distributed to the senior politicians at the Federal and Provincial
levels and to local MP's and MPP's and that they be asked to say
how they will respond to the needs identified in the report.
Due to lower interest rates on mortgages on social housing projects there has been some significant reduction in the cost of maintaining the existing housing. As well, many rent supplement agreements with private sector landlords have expired and not been renewed, leading to a net decrease in the total amount of assisted housing available in the Region. We need to explore whether all of these savings have been or will be passed along to the Region as the responsibility for funding this housing is transferred to the municipality and discuss how these savings might be reinvested to produce new housing.
In transferring responsibility for social housing funding and administration to the municipal level the provincial government retained responsibility for housing for people with special needs. It is proposed that the Provincial Government be urged to ensure an adequate supply of supportive housing is put in place to meet the needs of people already resident in the community as well as to address the growing needs due to de-institutionalization. Further, the Provincial government should be urged to distribute funding for both supports and housing in such a way as to redress the imbalance currently existing in geographical distribution and the under funding of growth areas like Peel.
The Toronto Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness ( the Golden Task Force) made recommendations related to the shelter component of social assistance, a shelter allowance for working poor families and discharge planning for institutions. These recommendations are equally applicable in Peel Region and merit repetition as advocacy initiatives of Regional Council.
It is proposed that the Regional Chair request that the Government of Ontario increase the maximum shelter component of social assistance under Ontario Works to equal 85% of average market rent for appropriate rental housing in Peel Region.
It is proposed that the Regional Chair request that the Government of Ontario establish a provincially funded shelter allowance program for low income wage earners which will bridge the gap between their income and the cost of basic housing.
It is proposed that institutions ensure that adequate discharge planning is carried out prior to the discharge of people who have no fixed address, this plan must address the need to identify permanent housing. This past winter it was not unusual for people being released from correctional institutions to be directed to the Rutherford Road shelter for accommodation.
8. Coordination, Evaluation and Community Involvement
That the Region take a visible leadership role in the management of services to the homeless in Peel through the establishment of a position of Homelessness Coordinator for the Region.
This position will be responsible for the management of Regionally delivered and/or funded services to people without homes, and the co-ordination of related services from other Regional departments. The role of this position will include working with other levels of government, the not-for-profit sector and private interests in the community to ensure that appropriate attention is given to issues of homelessness and the appropriate balance is maintained between immediate shelter and support needs, prevention initiatives and longer term housing needs.
Implementation of the recommendations of the Peel Regional
Task Force on Homelessness will ensure progress toward eliminating
homelessness in the Region. The measures will take time to accomplish
and will require the efforts of different departments of the Regional
government. The measures will include a balance between long term
initiatives designed to increase people's access to permanent
housing, immediate initiatives designed to meet the needs of people
who are experiencing homelessness and medium term initiatives
designed to prevent homelessness.
It will be important to coordinate the efforts of the Region to
ensure that the appropriate attention is given to issues of homelessness
and the appropriate balance is maintained between immediate shelter
and support needs, prevention initiatives and longer term housing
needs.
The coordination function will include the need to evaluate activities and Programs initiated by the Region to determine their effectiveness, to identify gaps that require further response and to establish priorities.
In order to tap into the good will and energy of the broader community the coordination function needs to include ongoing liaison and cooperation with the community, including the faith community, the Peel Coalition for Shelter, the Peel Mental Health Housing Coalition, the Peel Coalition Against Poverty and other community organizations.
The responsibility for implementation of the Region's commitment to addressing homelessness can involve every Regional Department, whether directly as in Health, Ontario Works or Housing or less directly, as in the case of Planning (proactive commitment to include low income and homeless people in the population addressed by planning measures) and Property ( examining municipally owned properties for potential reuse for affordable housing). As part of their strategic planning process, each Department should look at how they will contribute to the Regional Council commitment.
|
DearFriends, Please consider supporting the work at Ekklesia Inner City Ministries - Project417 with a tax deductible financial gift. Ekklesia receives no government funding. Your individual support will continue to play a key role in supporting our work with the homeless. It is possible to arrange automated bank debit withdrawals for even small monthly pledges. Visit the website www.project417.com for this and other planned giving alternatives. - AC |
