Presentation by Valerie Colasanti, Director - Chatham-Kent

Transcription

MUNICIPALITY OF CHATHAM-KENT
HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES
HOUSING SERVICES
AND
EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES
TO:
Mayor and Members of Council
FROM:
Shelley Wilkins, Director, Housing Services
and
Valerie Colasanti, Director, Employment and Social Services
DATE:
January 6, 2014
SUBJECT:
Chatham-Kent Housing and Homelessness Studies
and 10 Year Community Housing and Homelessness Plan
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that:
1. A (10 Year) Homelessness Plan for Chatham-Kent (http://www.chathamkent.ca/IncomeandEmploymentSupport/Pages/CKHomelessnessStudy2013.aspx)
dated November 12, 2013 (Appendix 1), be approved.
2. The Chatham-Kent Housing Study Update and Community Housing Plan, dated
July 2012, be revised and approved as recommended in this report.
3. The revised Chatham-Kent template annual Housing and Homelessness Report
Card, dated January 6, 2014 (Appendix 2) be approved for use commencing with
the 2014 reporting period; and further that the annual Housing and
Homelessness Report Card be filed with municipal Council in March or April of
2015 and each year thereafter.
BACKGROUND
In 2006 Chatham-Kent completed its initial Housing Study and Plan. In March 2012, a
draft update to the Housing Study and 10 Year Community Plan was submitted to
Council. This draft report was then circulated to various stakeholders for comments and
a final version was submitted to Council on December 10, 2012. At this regular
meeting, Council adopted the Director of Housing’s four recommendations:
1. Approval of the revised 2012 Housing Study (now dated July 2012);
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2. Approval of the revised 10 Year Community Housing Plan (2012 – 2022) along
with its Implementation Plan dated November 2012;
3. Approval of the revised Chatham-Kent template annual Housing Report Card,
commencing with the 2012 reporting period, and further that the annual Housing
Report Card be filed with municipal Council in March or April 2013 and each year
thereafter, and
4. Approval of a 5 Year Chatham-Kent Housing Services Division (2012 – 2017)
Strategic Directions Plan and Implementation Plan, both dated November 2012.
As previously reported, the new Housing Services Act (HSA, 2011) that came into force
and effect on January 1, 2012 requires Service Managers to have a Housing and
Homelessness Plan/s, with a minimum 10 year horizon and a requirement to review
these plans every five years.
COMMENTS
A. Housing Plan – Preliminary Review Comments of Ministry of Municipal Affairs
and Housing
Originally, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) had indicated that they
would accept either separate Housing and Homelessness Plans, or a combined Plan,
with their preference being the latter. After Chatham-Kent’s draft Housing Study Update
was completed and submitted to MMAH for comments, MMAH advised that our Housing
Plan would not be circulated to other (six or seven) commenting Ministries for input until
we had completed our Homelessness Study and Plan as well. Nevertheless, MMAH did
on July 16, 2013 provide its preliminary review comments (from MMAH alone). The
comment details are attached as Appendix 3.
Appendix 4 includes the revisions recommended to the 10 Year Housing Plan
previously approved by municipal Council on December 10, 2012. The changes to the
recommended actions are underlined for ease of reference.
B. A Homelessness Plan for Chatham-Kent
1. Process to Prepare the Plan
To determine the criteria to be included in a Request for Proposal from consultants
interested in preparing a Homelessness Study and Plan for Chatham-Kent, an
internal Request For Proposal (RFP) Committee was created including the Directors
of Housing Services and Employment and Social Services (ESS), an ESS
Caseworker, ESS Supervisor and the Housing Advisor, Housing Services. It was
this Committee that evaluated the RFP submissions received and selected OrgCode
Consulting Inc. to complete the work. In accordance with the purchasing policy, a
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report to the Chief Administrative Officer was completed and approved April 17,
2013 to award the contract to OrgCode Consulting Inc.
The Homelessness RFP Committee was expanded to create the Homelessness
Steering Committee, co-chaired by the Directors of Employment and Social Services
and Housing Services. Additional members include representatives from:
Canadian Mental Health Association, Lambton-Kent
Chatham-Kent Community Health Centres
Chatham-Kent Police Services
Chatham Kent Women’s Centre
Nancy’s Place, Second Stage Housing (of Chatham Kent Women’s Centre)
The Salvation Army
United Way
The Homelessness Plan was created through a process of consultation with the
committee members, service providers and community members, including those
with lived experience of homelessness. An on-line survey was also used to gather
information from this group, and the survey was available in hard copy at local library
branches, various soup kitchens and other places that someone experiencing
homelessness might attend in Chatham-Kent.
This Committee participated in a number of meetings, completed surveys, and
reviewed and commented upon earlier drafts of the attached final Homelessness
Plan (Appendix 1). As well, two public meetings were held to review the data and
findings and discuss possible recommendations. One meeting was held in
Wallaceburg and the other in Chatham.
2. The 10 Year Plan for Homelessness (See Appendix 1)
Vision Statement: By 2024, Chatham-Kent will have a community of service
providers who work collaboratively to prevent homelessness.
Homelessness Target: To ensure that no individual or family in the community is
without stable housing for longer than 30 days.
Key Findings:
• Homelessness in the Municipality is invisible, yet it is increasing, and it affects
families as well as individuals.
• It is estimated that between 590 and 629 individuals and families experienced
homelessness in Chatham-Kent and sought assistance as a result in 20122013.
• An average of 121 households sought assistance through the Chatham-Kent
Shelter Solutions Homelessness prevention program each month during the
first half of 2013, including an average of 107 children.
• Women and children staying in the Chatham Kent Women’s Centre are
staying in shelter longer.
•
•
4
Rent in the Municipality is continuing to rise, despite high vacancy rates, and
low-income households, particularly those receiving assistance, cannot afford
housing, which places them at risk of homelessness.
Access to emergency accommodation is limited in the Municipality, and there
is a need for increased access to temporary supports to help households
attain housing stability, as well as more intensive forms of support for people
who have deeper needs relating to addiction and mental illness.
Seven Homelessness Objectives recommended:
1. Strengthen partnerships between service providers that support people who
are homeless or at-risk in Chatham-Kent.
2. Promote service coordination.
3. Maintain a focus on homelessness prevention.
4. Expand access to emergency accommodation within a Housing First
framework.
5. Implement transitional financial and other supports to promote housing
stability.
6. Adopt common metrics to homelessness data for program planning and
performance monitoring.
7. Engage in advocacy and awareness-raising.
There are 25 recommended actions in the Plan (please refer to Appendix 1 pages
48 – 56) for the detailed list of 25 recommended actions). A three year action plan
and a cost benefit analysis of selected actions have been created to facilitate the
implementation process of the plan. The overall recommendation of this Plan is that
the Municipality of Chatham-Kent adjusts its processes and funding priorities to
deliver homelessness services as effectively as possible. During the first year of the
Plan, the focus will be on establishing the foundations of the Plan, which includes
developing the partnerships that will help with later implementation. The priorities
will be to:
• Establish the Homelessness Committee;
• Develop a coordinated data collection strategy which will include shared
indicators of homelessness;
• Develop program guidelines for rapid re-housing; and
• Develop guidelines and eligibility criteria for a tenant relations program.
This Plan succinctly describes the targeted actions, timeline for completion, and
identifies who has, or shares, ownership of the targeted action.
C. Consolidation of the Housing and Homelessness Plans
In order to meet the requirement of the MMAH to have a single Housing and
Homelessness Plan, we have consolidated our Plan Framework into a single schematic
depicted on the following page:
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CHATHAM-KENT HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS PLAN FRAMEWORK
HOUSING VISION
To provide residents of Chatham-Kent with a full range of housing
choices that meet their diverse needs and promote a community of
collaboration, acceptance, and pride. This range of housing
includes accessible, affordable, safe and supportive housing.
HOMELESSNESS VISION
Chatham-Kent will have a community of service providers who work
collaboratively to prevent homelessness.
HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS TARGETS
25% Affordable Housing (including 2% supportive) and 5% Accessible Housing
No resident without permanent housing longer than 30 days
Senior
Gov’t
Policy
HOUSING OBJECTIVES
Plan for
Diverse
Supply
Improve
and
Maintain
Supply
Increase
affordable
Supply
Local
Policy
Expand
Range of
Supports
Ensure
Emergency
and
Transitional
Options
Promote
and
Educate
HOMELESSNESS OBJECTIVES
Strengthen
Partnerships
Promote
Service
Coordination
Maintain
Focus on
Homelessness
Prevention
Expand
Access to
Emergency
Accommodation
Implement
Transitional
Financial &
Other
Supports
Adopt
Common
Metrics
HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS MEASURES
Annual
Housing &
Homelessness
Report Card
5 Year
Official Plan
Review
5 Year
Housing &
Homelessness
Plan Review
Engage
Advocacy
Awareness
- Raising
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The 10 year Housing and Homelessness Plan is required to be reviewed in five years.
This review will also coincide with the required municipal comprehensive review of its
Official Plan. Subsequent updates will be completed as a single report.
D. Annual Report Card for Housing and Homelessness
1. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Annual Reporting Requirements under the
Housing Services Act, 2011
Under Memo dated December 12, 2013, MMAH Assistant Deputy Minister, Janet
Hope, has advised Service Managers on the “New Reporting Requirements –
Service Manager Annual Housing and Homelessness Public Reporting Effective
January 1, 2014.” Specifically, HSA 2011, Ontario Regulation 367/11 has been
amended to include the requirement to:
• Report annually to the public on the progress against their Plans starting in
2015 based on previous calendar year activities. Public reports are to be
completed no later than June 30 of each year. Hence, 2014 activities must
be reported on by June 30, 2015.
• Report to the public on the measures taken and the progress achieved to
meet the objectives and targets in their Housing and Homelessness Plans.
The format and the content of the reporting is not prescribed, however,
Service Manager reporting requirements mirror certain Housing and
Homelessness Plan requirements under section 6 of the HSA, 2011 and
section 3 of Ontario Regulation 367/11.
• Provide the Minister of MMAH with a report on the same information provided
to the public and indicate how it was reported to the public (e.g., through
press release, annual reports, web-based materials, etc.) no later than June
30 of each year.
The recommended annual Housing and Homelessness Report Card (Appendix 2) is
intended to satisfy the requirements of the amended Ontario Regulation.
2. Ministry of Community and Social Services and Ministry of Municipal Affairs and
Housing Quarterly Annual Reporting Requirements for Community Homelessness
Prevention Initiative
As part of the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI), yearly
investment plans must be provided to the Ministry and there are several
Performance Indicators that must be measured and tracked for the Ministry of
Municipal Affairs and Housing each year. These indicators fall under two outcomes:
1) people experiencing homelessness obtain and retain housing; and 2) people at
risk of homelessness remain housed. The Performance Indicators will be tracked on
the Housing and Homelessness Report Card (Appendix 2) each year.
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COUNCIL STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
The recommendations in this report support the following Council Directions:
Healthy, Active Citizens
Growth Through Variety of Post-Secondary Institutions
High Quality Environment Through Innovation
Destination Chatham-Kent!
Magnet for Sustainable Growth
Prosperous and Thriving Community
Has the potential to support all Council Directions
Neutral issues (does not support negatively or positively)
CONSULTATION
This report was prepared collaboratively by the Directors of Housing Services and
Employment and Social Services, co-chairs of the Homelessness Plan Steering
Committee.
The attached Homelessness Plan for Chatham-Kent was prepared by OrgCode, a
consulting firm. Members of the Steering Committee, as discussed above under
“Process to Prepare Plan”, provided input into the plan. Members of the public that
attended public meetings and/or focus group session/s, as well as those individuals
and/or community agency representatives that participated in the surveys undertaken
by OrgCode also provided input into the creation of the first Homelessness Plan for
Chatham-Kent.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
A Cost Benefit Analysis of Selected Actions is included (at pages 59-60) in the attached
document (Appendix 1). We will be shifting duties amongst staff to address the initial
phase of implementing the Homelessness Plan. There are no immediate financial
implications as a result of this report.
It is our intention to return to Council with future reports, once the expanded Housing
and Homelessness Committee is established and the Committee determines further
implementation recommendations. The following organizations will be invited to be
represented on the expanded Housing and Homelessness Committee;
• Canadian Mental Health Association
• Chatham Kent Women’s Centre
• Chatham-Kent Employment and Social Services
• Chatham-Kent Housing Services
• Chatham-Kent Landlord Association
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Chatham-Kent Police Services
Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, Ontario Region, Local Liaison
Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network
Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association, Liaison for Chatham-Kent
Salvation Army
Three Fires Ezhignowenmindwaa Womens Shelter
And other organizations and/or individuals, as deemed appropriate by the
Committee.
Prepared by:
____________________________
Shelley Wilkins, BPA, CMM III
Director, Housing Services
________________________________
Valerie Colasanti, BA, CMM III
Director, Employment and Social Services
Reviewed by:
________________________________
Lucy Brown, RN, BA
General Manager
Health and Family Services
Appendices:
Appendix 1: A (10 Year) Homelessness Plan for Chatham-Kent, dated November 12,
2013, prepared by OrgCode Consulting Inc. for Chatham-Kent.
Appendix 2: (A revised) Chatham-Kent template annual Housing and Homelessness
Report Card, dated January 6, 2014
Appendix 3: July 16, 2013 email from John Iveson, Team Lead, MMAH, Housing Policy
Branch, with preliminary review comments on Chatham-Kent’s 10 Year Housing Plan.
Appendix 4: Recommended Revisions to the 10 Year Housing Plan previously
approved by municipal Council on December 10, 2012. The changes to the
recommended actions are underlined for ease of reference.
c: Mary Ann Angeles, Chatham-Kent Community Health Centres
Hal Bushey, Executive Director, Chatham Kent Women’s Centre
Lee Ha, Housing Coordinator, Canadian Mental Health Association, Lambton-Kent
Marg Haalstra-Koke, Caseworker, Employment and Social Services
Helen Heath, Director, Community Impact, United Way of Chatham-Kent
Jim Lynds, Sergeant, Chatham-Kent Police Services
Chantal Perry, Supervisor, Employment and Social Services
Stephanie Watkinson, Captain, Salvation Army
P:\RTC\Health & Family Services\2014\CK Housing and Homelessness Studies and 10 year plan.docx
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A Homelessness Plan for Chatham-Kent
November 12, 2013
Prepared by
OrgCode Consulting Inc.
for
Chatham - Kent
Contents
Executive Summary............................................................................................................................................. 1
The Development of the Plan........................................................................................................................................................ 1
Key Findings:........................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
Best Practices in Ending Homelessness...................................................................................................................................... 2
Vision, Target and Objectives ........................................................................................................................................................ 3
Definitions............................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... 9
Purpose and Objectives of the Plan............................................................................................................................................. 9
Engagement with Community Members and Service Providers....................................................................................11
Defining ‘Homelessness’ in Chatham-Kent..............................................................................................................................11
The Housing First Philosophy.......................................................................................................................................................11
Best Practices in Ending Homelessness....................................................................................................................................12
Assessment, Targeting, and Coordination...............................................................................................................................12
Coordinated Services and Integrated Systems......................................................................................................................13
Emergency Accommodation.......................................................................................................................................................14
Housing with Supports..................................................................................................................................................................16
Data and Planning............................................................................................................................................................................17
Focus on Outcomes and Performance Evaluation...............................................................................................................18
ENDNOTES..........................................................................................................................................................................................19
Vision, Targets and Objectives to End Homelessness in Chatham-Kent....................................................... 20
Vision.....................................................................................................................................................................................................20
Target....................................................................................................................................................................................................20
Who will implement the actions to fulfill those goals.........................................................................................................22
Homelessness in Chatham-Kent....................................................................................................................... 23
Rural Homelessness and Hidden Homelessness...................................................................................................................24
Family Homelessness .....................................................................................................................................................................26
Chronic homelessness....................................................................................................................................................................26
Vulnerable Populations..................................................................................................................................................................27
Estimating the Prevalence of Homelessness in Chatham-Kent.......................................................................................27
At-risk of homelessness..................................................................................................................................................................29
Causes of Homelessness in Chatham-Kent.............................................................................................................................31
The Lack of Affordable Housing .................................................................................................................................................32
Social Housing Stock and Wait List............................................................................................................................................33
Economic Factors Driving Homelessness................................................................................................................................36
Family Crisis or Breakdown...........................................................................................................................................................37
Addiction.............................................................................................................................................................................................37
Mental Health....................................................................................................................................................................................38
Existing Support Systems..............................................................................................................................................................38
Emergency Accommodation.......................................................................................................................................................38
Prevention...........................................................................................................................................................................................39
Supportive Housing and Housing with Supports................................................................................................................40
Community-Based Supports .......................................................................................................................................................41
Gaps.......................................................................................................................................................................................................41
The Estimated Costs of Homelessness .............................................................................................................................................42
PAGE | 83
Projected Need for Transitional and Ongoing Housing Supports For Individuals: .................................................45
ENDNOTES..........................................................................................................................................................................................47
Objectives.......................................................................................................................................................... 48
Three-Year Action Plan...................................................................................................................................... 57
Cost Benefit Analysis of Selected Actions....................................................................................................... 59
Appendix A: Community Needs Assessment Survey...................................................................................... 61
Appendix B: Community Consultation Themes.............................................................................................. 70
Summary of Consultation Themes.............................................................................................................................................71
Service Mapping & Identification of Vulnerable Groups and Gaps................................................................................71
Vulnerable Groups...........................................................................................................................................................................71
Gaps and Challenges in Homelessness Services...................................................................................................................72
Needs Identified by Service Providers and Focus Group Participants...........................................................................74
Priorities for Action..........................................................................................................................................................................75
Appendix C: Pre-screen and Assessment Tools............................................................................................... 76
Pre-screen Tools................................................................................................................................................................................76
Assessment Tools..............................................................................................................................................................................76
Vulnerability Index...........................................................................................................................................................................76
Vulnerability Assessment Tool.....................................................................................................................................................77
Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT).....................................................................................................78
Appendix D: Pre-screen and Assessment Model............................................................................................ 79
Appendix E: Metrics........................................................................................................................................... 80
END NOTES.........................................................................................................................................................................................81
A Homelessness Plan for Chatham-Kent..................................................................................................................................82
PAGE | 84
Executive Summary
The Province of Ontario is adopting a new approach to the provision of both affordable housing and homelessness services. Ontario’s Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy, the Housing Services Act, and the Ontario Housing Policy Statement direct the province and the 47 Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social
Services Administration Boards to address housing need and homelessness together through a comprehensive
system of supports. This Homelessness Plan aligns with the Chatham-Kent Housing Study Update that was completed in 2012 to fulfill this provincial requirement.
Homelessness in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is often invisible, yet there is evidence that it has been increasing among both individuals and families, and more households are faced with unstable housing.
Homelessness imposes costs on society as a whole. There is often overlap between child welfare services and
homeless families, for example; another example is higher rates of emergency medical service use by homeless
individuals and families.
Although the Municipality and service provider agencies, faith groups and volunteers in the community work
hard to assist people who find themselves without a home, there is a need to expand access to emergency
services, establish new partnerships between agencies and strengthen those that already exist, and develop a
comprehensive system to support people to maintain housing in the long term. This Plan is an opportunity for
agencies and organizations that are working to address homelessness in different ways, directly or indirectly, to
align their efforts in a collaborative and coordinated fashion.
The Development of the Plan
The Homelessness Plan was created through a process of consultation with service providers and community
members, including those with lived experience of homelessness, during the summer of 2013. It also draws on
data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Statistics Canada, as well as service providers’
administrative data about homelessness in Chatham-Kent.
Through the community consultation process, the following priorities for the Homelessness Plan were identified:
•
•
•
•
•
•
More affordable housing
Access to emergency shelter
Improved service coordination
Transitional housing
Housing with supports
Advocacy
Key Findings:
•
•
•
•
Homelessness in the Municipality is invisible, yet it is increasing, and it affects families as well as
individuals.
It is estimated that between 590 and 629 individuals and families experienced homelessness in
Chatham-Kent and sought assistance as a result in 2012-2013.
An average of 121 households sought assistance through the Chatham-Kent Shelter Solutions
Homelessness Prevention program each month during the first half of 2013, including an average of
107 children.
Women and children staying in the Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre are staying in shelter longer.
PAGE | 1
•
•
Rent in the Municipality is continuing to rise, despite high vacancy rates, and low-income households, particularly those receiving social assistance, cannot afford housing, which places them at risk
of homelessness.
Access to emergency accommodation is limited in the Municipality, and there is a need for increased
access to temporary supports to help households attain housing stability, as well as more intensive
forms of support for people who have deeper needs relating to addiction and mental illness.
Best Practices in Ending Homelessness
This Plan aims to align with the current best practices in ending homelessness, which include:
Assessment and Targeting
All partners in the homelessness system use a common assessment tool to identify the acuity of need of each
household seeking assistance and determine which service or services will be best able to support the household toward its housing goals.
Service Coordination and Integrated Systems
All partners in the homelessness system work together to plan their services to reduce gaps and avoid duplication of services. A coordinated intake process streamlines access to services for clients.
Emergency Accommodation
Emergency housing is a last resort; active efforts to divert households to safe temporary housing in the community are made before admitting them to a motel, the Women’s Centre or other emergency accommodation such
as a crisis bed at Chatham House, and all activities and services provided while the household is in temporary
accommodation are focused on securing housing and connecting with community-based supports to address
other needs.
The creation of emergency shelter facilities is not a best practice for ending homelessness, because although
temporary accommodation is sometimes required, only permanent housing options and sufficient assistance to
secure an appropriate option enables individuals and families to become housed.
Housing with Supports
Households that become homeless and are assessed as having mid- or high-acuity are assisted to return to
permanent housing and provided with rental assistance and appropriate supports to help them achieve stability
and increase their independence while living in permanent housing. The length of the support period is determined by the needs of the household.
Data and Planning
A robust system should be in place to gather and share demographic data about the homeless population
within the community and program statistics, and this information is used for ongoing service planning.
Focus on Outcomes
All partners within the housing system are actively monitoring and reporting on the housing outcomes of their
services.
PAGE | 2
Vision, Target and Objectives
Vision: By 2024, Chatham-Kent will have a community of service providers who work collaboratively to prevent
homelessness.
Target: To ensure that no individual or family in the community is without stable housing for longer than 30 days.
To fulfill this vision and address the community priorities while aligning with the best practices described above,
an overall target for homelessness services in Chatham-Kent has been set and 7 Strategic Directions and 24 objectives have been identified to guide the Municipality and its community partners toward this long-term goal:
Objectives and Recommended Actions:
1.0Strengthen partnerships between service providers that support people who are homeless or at-risk
in Chatham-Kent.
1.1 Establish a Homelessness Committee that will consist of non-profit, charitable and governmental service providers involved in homelessness and affordable housing providers from across Chatham-Kent.
The Committee will meet regularly to share information and best practices, engage in advocacy and
education around homelessness in the Municipality, and ensure accountability for the implementation
of the Homelessness Plan.
More specifically, Chatham-Kent will invite the following organizations to be represented on the Committee:
͵͵ Canadian Mental Health Association
͵͵ Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre
͵͵ Chatham-Kent Employment and Social Services
͵͵ Chatham-Kent Housing Services
͵͵ Chatham-Kent Landlord Association
͵͵ Chatham-Kent Police Services
͵͵ Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, Ontario Region, Local Liaison
͵͵ Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network
͵͵ Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association, Liaison for Chatham-Kent
͵͵ Salvation Army
͵͵ Three Fires Ezhignowenmindwaa Women’s Shelter
͵͵ And other organizations and/or individuals, as deemed appropriate by the Homeless
ness Committee
1.2 The Homelessness Committee should develop a strategy to engage with local private landlords in
Chatham-Kent to encourage and promote their participation in renting to formerly homeless clients.
1.3 The Homelessness Committee should engage with other community groups that are working to address social issues in Chatham-Kent, such as the Prosperity Roundtable, to identify opportunities to
collaborate on projects that align with the goals of the Homelessness Plan.
1.4 The Homelessness Committee will establish a Terms of Reference document that includes Objectives 1,
2, 3, 6 and 7 and their associated Recommended Actions.
2.0Promote Service Coordination 2.1 The Municipality, in consultation with the Homelessness Committee, should evaluate, compare and
adopt a validated Common Assessment and Triage Tool.
2.2 The Homelessness Committee should prepare an annual resource guide outlining homelessness services and programs available in Chatham-Kent.
2.3 Establish a coordinated intake system for homelessness services.
2.4 Develop a professional development agenda and organize joint training between service providers in
Chatham-Kent and regularly engage with service providers in other jurisdictions and bring this information back to frontline service providers in Chatham-Kent.
PAGE | 3
2.5 Engage in coordinated service planning to ensure that each partner agency provides complementary
services and linkages.
3.0Maintain a focus on homelessness prevention.
3.1 Adopt eligibility criteria for financial assistance that are based on a wide range of identified risk factors
for homelessness, which will complement existing assessment procedures to ensure that the households that are at greatest risk are identified and targeted for assistance.
3.2 Over a longer term, develop a demographic profile of the population that experiences homelessness in Chatham-Kent, to identify risk factors that are of local relevance. The use of common metrics
described in Objective 6.1 will support this goal.
4.0Expand access emergency accommodation within a Housing First framework.
4.1 The Municipality should continue to use motels as temporary accommodation for homeless individuals and families who cannot be diverted to another safe short-term housing alternative, while focusing their resources on offering progressively more intensive assistance to secure permanent housing,
based on the household’s initial assessment.
4.2 The Municipality should continue to screen clients seeking shelter and implement a diversion protocol
to assist clients to access alternative temporary housing when it is safe for them to do so, to reduce
the demand for emergency accommodation while facilitating engagement with supports to retain or
regain stable housing
4.3 The Municipality should explore opportunities to use existing private sector and/or social housing
stock as interim housing.
5.0Implement Transitional Financial and Other Supports to Promote Housing Stability
5.1 The Municipality should create temporary rent supplements and/or shallow rent subsidies to enable
low-acuity homeless households whose primary barrier to housing is lack of income to access and
achieve stability in private market rental housing.
5.2 Optimally, the Municipality should implement a Rapid Re-Housing program, working toward a target
of 5 case managers to assist homeless individuals and families with mid-range acuity to obtain housing. Due to fiscal restraints, the Municipality may want to explore this option and develop a phased-in
approach, with increased staff resources over time, if and when additional funding becomes available.
The Municipality should also work with its community partners to deliver this service through partnerships; the Homelessness Committee should play a role in defining job descriptions and coordinating
the work of different agencies.
5.3 The Municipality should transform the Hope Housing In-Home Support program to focus on all social
housing tenants and households seeking homelessness assistance, based on an acuity assessment.
5.4 Optimally, the Municipality should implement a Housing First and Intensive Case Management program, with 3.5 case managers and 52 rent supplements for single individuals to assist the sub-set of the
homeless population in Chatham-Kent that is ‘hardest to house’. Due to fiscal restraints, the Municipality may want to explore this option and develop a phased-in approach, with increased staff resources
over time, if and when additional funding becomes available. The Municipality should also work with
its community partners to deliver this service through partnerships; the Homelessness Committee
should play a role in defining job descriptions and coordinating the work of different agencies.
6.0Adopt common metrics to homelessness data for program planning and performance monitoring
6.1 Adopt shared indicators related to homelessness that can be used to assess progress toward the target
PAGE | 4
and objectives identified in this Plan.
6.2 Regularly aggregate and review the data at the Homelessness Committee to use in future service planning and resource allocation.
6.3 Incorporate these metrics into the Annual Housing Report Card and rename it to the Annual Housing
and Homelessness Report Card, to ensure public accountability for the outcomes of homelessness
programs.
6.4 Investigate the feasibility of adopting a Homeless Management Information System such as the nocost federal Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) to monitor homelessness
and share data.
7.0Engage in Advocacy and Awareness-Raising
7.1 Develop public awareness campaigns to educate community members about homelessness in
Chatham-Kent and the supports that the Municipality and its community partners provide.
7.2 Seek out opportunities for federal and provincial funding for homelessness initiatives and work to
build local support in Chatham-Kent.
7.3 Continue to advocate for adequate funding and resources to provide long-term supportive housing
and larger-scale poverty reduction goals.
PAGE | 5
CHATHAM-KENT HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS PLAN FRAMEWORK
HOUSING VISION
HOMELESSNESS VISION
Chatham-Kent will have a community of service providers who
work collaboratively to prevent homelessness
HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS TARGETS
25% Affordable Housing (including 2% supportive) & 5% Accessible Housing
Senior
Gov’t
Policy
HOUSING OBJECTIVES
Plan for
Diverse
Supply
Improve
and
Maintain
Supply
Increase
affordable
Supply
Local
Policy
Expand
Range of
Supports
Ensure
Emergency
and
Transitional
Options
Promote
and
Educate
Strengthen
Partnerships
Promote
Service
Coordination
Maintain
Focus on
Homelessness
Prevention
Expand
Access to
Emergency
Accommodation
Implement
Transitional
Financial &
Other
Supports
Adopt
Common
Metrics
Engage
Advocacy
Awareness
- Raising
HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS MEASURES
Annual
Housing &
Homelessness
Report Card
5 Year
Official Plan
Review
5 Year
Housing &
Homelessness
Plan Review
1
1 National Alliance to End Homelessness, (2006). Promising Strategies to End Family Homelessness
PAGE | 6
Definitions
Acuity: The depth or acuteness of the needs of an individual or family. Households experiencing homelessness
can be assessed for acuity using standardized tools that are designed to identify their specific needs, which in
turn facilitates the targeting and prioritization of supports.
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams: Multidisciplinary teams, typically bringing together a social
worker, nurse, occupational therapist, vocational specialist, psychiatrist, peer support worker and an addiction
specialist, that provide intensive support services to individuals with serious mental illnesses and complex needs
to enable them to live in the community. ACT Teams are one of the two service delivery models used to support
formerly homeless clients who are housed through ‘Housing First’ interventions. A typical caseload for an ACT
Team in a ‘Housing First’ intervention is 10 clients.
Homelessness: The state of being without permanent, stable, appropriate housing or the immediate prospect
of attaining it. Both individuals and families may experience homelessness. Households and families may also be
at risk of becoming homeless.
‘Housing First’ Intervention: An approach to providing supported housing individuals who have experienced
chronic homelessness and who have serious mental illnesses and/or addictions; the intervention targets clients
with the deepest needs and prioritizes them for support. Clients receive housing, often in scattered-site units in
the community, with a rent supplement and a regular tenancy agreement, and agree to at least a weekly visit
with a support worker. There is no time limit on the length of stay in the housing unit and if the individual loses
their housing, they will receive immediate assistance to be re-housed. Support services are provided through an
Assertive Community Treatment Team or an Intensive Case Management worker, but engagement with support
services is separated from the provision of housing and there are no pre-conditions for treatment. ‘Housing First’
interventions are rooted in the principles of harm reduction and consumer choice. Support services typically
continue for at least 12-18 months and may be longer, depending on the needs of the individual.
Housing First Philosophy: An approach to the delivery of homelessness services that emphasizes that ending homelessness is possible by supporting individuals to return to permanent housing rather than directing
resources primarily toward the provision of emergency shelter and basic needs. The Housing First philosophy
shares roots with ‘Housing First’ interventions but is more broadly focused.
Housing With Transitional Supports: Individuals and families receive various forms of assistance, including
financial support, case management, life skills coaching, etc., on a temporary basis while living in permanent
housing.
Intensive Case Management (ICM): A model for the delivery of support services. Clients are assigned a case
manager who visits them in their home, and who may accompany them to appointments and other activities in
the community. The case manager acts as a ‘service broker’ to help the client connect with resources in the community that can provide ongoing supports. A typical caseload is 15 clients per case manager. ICM is one of the
two service delivery models used to support formerly homeless clients who are housed through ‘Housing First’
interventions. ICM supports can be provided on a transitional basis.
Rapid Re-Housing: A form of housing assistance that provides individuals and families with mid-range acuity
who have experienced long-term precarious housing or episodic homelessness. These households receive financial support, often a rent supplement, to live in scattered-site housing in the community, as well as case management supports to help them connect with additional community-based resources for ongoing support to enable
them to work toward a greater degree of independence.
PAGE | 7
Rent Supplement: A form of housing assistance that subsidizes the difference between what a household can
afford to pay in rent (typically, 30 percent of before-tax income) and the market rent. Rent supplements take
advantage of existing housing stock by making it affordable to low-income households.
Second-Stage Housing: A form of affordable transitional housing that is specifically intended to meet the needs
of women and their children who are leaving a domestic violence shelter.
Shallow Rent Subsidy: A form of housing assistance that provides households that have experienced homelessness or that are at risk of homelessness with a short-term flat subsidy, typically between $100 and $200 per
month, to allow the household to become stable in their housing. The amount and duration of the subsidy can
vary considerably.
Transitional Housing: Time-limited housing with a pre-defined length of stay in a dedicated building, ranging from a few months to up to one year. Transitional housing typically combines housing with a requirement
to participate in programs and services designed to prepare clients to live independently afterward, and clients
are required to comply with conditions such as sobriety or treatment; the specific requirements depend on the
program and the population it serves. 1
1
PAGE | 8
Introduction
Homelessness in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is often invisible, yet there is evidence that it has been increasing among both individuals and families, and more households are faced with unstable housing.
Homelessness imposes costs on society as a whole. There is often overlap between child welfare services and
homeless families, for example; another example is higher rates of emergency medical service use by homeless
individuals and families.2
Although the Municipality and service provider agencies, faith groups and volunteers in the community work
hard to assist people who find themselves without a home, there is a need to expand access to emergency
services, establish new partnerships between agencies and strengthen those that already exist, and develop a
comprehensive system to support people to maintain housing in the long term. This Plan is an opportunity for
agencies and organizations that are working to address homelessness in different ways, directly or indirectly, to
align their efforts with one another and identify promising practices and approaches that have been shown to
be successful in ending or preventing homelessness.
However, the provision of homelessness services is and remains a collaborative activity. The Municipality sets out
an overall vision and strategy, developed through consultation with its partner agencies and with community
members, and it will play a critical role in coordinating the work of the different stakeholders, but it is expected
that each stakeholder will have a voice.
‘Ending homelessness’ is an ambitious goal, but it is more possible than it may seem at first glance. By working to
ensure that no individual or family is without a permanent, stable home for long periods, the community will be
working to end the state of homelessness.
Purpose and Objectives of the Plan
The Province of Ontario is adopting a new approach to the provision of both affordable housing and homelessness services. Ontario’s Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy, the Housing Services Act, and the Ontario Housing
Policy Statement direct the province and the 47 Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social
Services Administration Boards to address housing need and homelessness together through a comprehensive
system of supports.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is the Consolidated Municipal Service Manager. It is thus responsible to create
a local strategy to address affordable housing and homelessness services, in accordance with the Housing Services Act (2011). The 2012 Housing Study Update, which fulfilled the first part of that mandate, recommended that
the Municipality pursue a second study to examine homelessness and the related needs, which would include:
•
Investigate opportunities to collaborate with housing providers and local support agencies to
provide emergency and supportive housing options within buildings that may be experiencing
vacancies
• Further analyze emergency and transitional housing and support needs within the municipality, including consultation with persons experiencing homelessness, in order to develop a Homelessness
Plan which responds to the requirements of the Housing Services Act
• Support community agencies (i.e. in accessing funding opportunities) in developing emergency and
transitional housing and support options.
The Homelessness Assessment and Plan responds to these recommendations, and is intended to provide an esti2
PAGE | 9
mate of the prevalence of homelessness in Chatham-Kent and increased understanding of the local factors that
are driving homelessness. It also sets out goals for the Municipality to establish emergency and supportive housing options in partnership and collaboration with community-based agencies already active in Chatham-Kent.
The Homelessness Assessment and Plan focuses primarily on the actions that the Municipality and its partners in
the community can take to provide emergency accommodation and support to regain housing to community
members who become homeless, opportunities to prevent homelessness, and supports to sustain housing.
There is evidence that the number of households in Chatham-Kent that are experiencing homelessness or that
are at risk of homelessness has been increasing over the past few years. There is thus a sense of local urgency to
develop effective systems to support these households in addition to the provincial mandate to all communities
to create a local plan to deliver homelessness services.
Expanding access to emergency services, including emergency accommodation, is needed, as is developing the capacity of local service providers to support community members to prevent homelessness whenever possible and
to return to permanent housing swiftly. Ultimately, however, ending homelessness in Chatham-Kent will require an
adequate supply of safe, permanent, and affordable housing. Support systems can be transformed to prevent and
shorten the duration of homelessness, but without affordable housing, people will continue to be at risk.3
The Housing Study Update sets a goal for new housing in the Municipality to include 25% affordable housing, of
which 2% should be supportive. Expanding the overall supply of affordable housing in Chatham-Kent will be an
important element in reducing the burden that high housing costs place on many low-income households in the
community and increasing their housing stability. Both plans must be implemented together.
With the intermittence of federal and provincial funding allocations for the creation of additional affordable
housing units, many smaller communities are hard-pressed financially. However, there may be opportunities for
Chatham-Kent to take advantage of rent supplements, given that vacancy rates in the community are high.
This report is not a general strategy for poverty reduction. The focus is on what is needed in Chatham-Kent to
provide emergency shelter and assistance to secure housing for individuals and families who become homeless, and how the community can prevent homelessness for those who are immediately at risk. However, as
the Municipality and its community partners move forward with the implementation of the Plan, there may be
opportunities to advocate for broader changes that would reduce the number of people who struggle to meet
their housing needs without assistance.
The Development of the Plan
The Homelessness Plan for Chatham-Kent was developed during the spring and summer of 2013 and brings
together many different sources of information.
To assess the extent of homelessness in Chatham-Kent, the consulting team drew on background information,
including the findings of the 2012 Housing Study Update, the social housing wait list, statistics from The Salvation Army and Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre, and statistics from Ontario Works. Census data provided important information about population demographics and trends and the local employment context. Rental market
surveys and housing start and completion data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
provided additional insight into the affordability of the housing market in Chatham-Kent.
3
PAGE | 10
Engagement with Community Members and Service Providers
Two community consultations were held with service providers and community members in June to identify and
map the existing homelessness supports in the community, discuss the major barriers and gaps in services, and
develop a set of priorities. In addition, focus groups were arranged to obtain direct feedback from Chatham-Kent
residents who have lived experience of homelessness or housing instability, including at least 14 social housing tenants.4 These focus groups were held with residents of the Hope Housing complex, women staying at the
Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre, and at community meals. The themes that arose during the community consultations are presented in Appendix C.
Community members were also engaged through a survey that targeted low-income residents of Chatham-Kent
and aimed to assess their current housing situation, history of homelessness, and service usage. 181 community
members participated in the survey between June and August 15, including 41 who reported that they were
homeless at the time they responded. The aggregated survey responses are presented in Appendix A.
Two public forums were also held in early September in Wallaceburg and Chatham to present the findings from
this research and the preliminary strategic directions that were identified through the consultations.
Defining ‘Homelessness’ in Chatham-Kent
Homelessness in Chatham-Kent, as in many smaller communities in Ontario, is typically ‘hidden’. Homeless individuals and families are rarely living and sleeping ‘on the street’ or in a shelter. Instead, it is more common to find
these community members ‘couch surfing’ with friends or relatives or staying in motels because they lack or are
unable to immediately secure permanent, stable housing that is appropriate to their needs.5
Research from across North America has shown that for most households, their homelessness will not last long
and will never re-occur, even if they do not receive a significant amount of assistance.6 7 8 However, a minority
of individuals and families experience long-term homelessness and require more intensive supports to return to
and maintain stable housing, and some households will require ongoing supports to remain housed.
Households may also be ‘at risk’ of becoming homeless. For example, households in ‘core housing need’ (paying more than 30 percent of their income on shelter costs, living in overcrowded housing, or in housing in need
of major repairs);9 just under one third of all renter households were in core housing need in Chatham-Kent in
2006. 10 Other factors that indicate a risk of homelessness may include an eviction notice or rent arrears, or a past
episode of homelessness. These households experience barriers to maintaining their housing, including both
economic and social barriers.
Homelessness is caused by multiple factors that include systemic and societal barriers and the lack of affordable
and appropriate housing as well as the household’s characteristics.11 To end homelessness in Chatham-Kent, it is
essential to both prevent the loss of housing for households that are at risk, and to assist homeless households
that do become homeless to return to permanent, stable housing as swiftly as possible.
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
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The Housing First Philosophy
In the past decade, both the federal government and the Province of Ontario have embraced the ‘Housing First’
approach to homelessness and are gradually moving away from homelessness services that maintain people in
emergency shelters. The Housing First philosophy aims to solve or end homelessness through housing, rather
than manage it through the provision of shelter beds and similar supports that address only immediate necessities.12 This Plan is rooted in a Housing First approach to address homelessness in Chatham-Kent by focusing on
the immediate provision of housing, with support services when necessary.
‘Housing First’ is also used to refer to a specific type of intervention designed to enable chronically homeless
individuals with multiple barriers to regain and remain stable in housing. The first example of a ‘Housing First’ intervention grew out of the New York City-based Pathways to Housing, a program that provided individuals who
had severe mental illnesses and long histories of homelessness with independent housing and intensive support
through an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team. In Canada, the first example of a ‘Housing First’ intervention for this population is Toronto’s Streets to Homes program, but the model is now being adopted in many
communities and a five-city evaluation of its effectiveness has shown promising results in terms of reduced costs
of services as well as the number of clients who remain housed.13
Best Practices in Ending Homelessness
The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness calls on communities to shift their focus from managing homelessness, with services that provide short-term shelter and basic necessities to individuals and families in crisis, to
a system-wide emphasis on ending homelessness.14 Ending homelessness requires an emphasis on prevention
and a focus on a swift return to permanent housing, rather than on the creation of emergency services. In the
context of Chatham-Kent, where the existing array of emergency services is limited when compared to larger
urban centres in Ontario, expanded access to emergency accommodation for households that become homeless will be required. However, emergency, preventative, and supportive services must all be oriented toward the
goal of helping homeless households return permanent housing and providing the necessary assistance to each
household to remain stably housed.
The following ‘best practices’ and evidence-based service delivery models can inform the work of transforming
the system of supports in Chatham-Kent toward that focus, in keeping with the directives of the Ontario Housing
Policy Statement and the Housing Services Act. The objectives and recommended actions set out in this Plan are
grounded in these practices.
Assessment, Targeting, and Coordination
To make the most effective use of available resources, it is important to direct the right level of assistance to
individuals and families based on their needs. From a service delivery perspective, it is useful to divide homeless
populations into three categories based on their acuity, or level of need:
•
•
Lower acuity: These individuals are not coping with complex health or behavioral issues, and do
not require a substantial investment of resources. They may require assistance in finding housing, or
securing income supports.
Mid-range acuity: These individuals may have a few areas of their life where they are coping with
complex issues. They may require assistance in finding housing and income, but will also require
some ongoing supports for a few months. The individuals will benefit from case management ser-
12
13
14
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vices and an individualized planning process that links them to community resources.
• High acuity: High acuity individuals have multiple areas of complex needs and are likely to make up
the chronically homeless population. These individuals will need ongoing case management support for at least 12 months, and often longer.
To better understand the needs of these different groups within the larger population of homeless households,
many communities are now adopting ‘Common Assessment and Triage’ (CAT) Tools. These are standard assessment questionnaires that identify different dimensions of need and allow the assessor to rate the acuity of the
individual or family along each dimension. A number of these tools have been tested in many different jurisdictions to ensure high inter-rater reliability and validity; the use of a validated tool helps the assessor identify the
appropriate resources for the individual or family and prioritize them for supports of different intensity. See Appendix C for a comparison of several Pre-Screen and Assessment Models.
At a minimum, it is necessary to assess very quickly the level of assistance required by an individual seeking assistance, so that funds can be stretched for maximum effect and focused on those with the highest needs. The
highest acuity clients will be the smallest in number, at around 16 percent of homeless individuals.15 Assessment
data compiled from a number of communities indicates that mid-acuity individuals will make up 25-35 percent
of the homeless population, while low acuity clients will comprise 60 percent.16 Homeless families are more likely
to have lower acuity when compared to homeless individuals, but may face more significant challenges in locating suitable housing that they can afford.17
Households whose primary barrier to maintaining stable housing is income or the lack of affordable housing
may not need extensive support services geared toward budgeting or building their tenancy skills; their assessment will indicate this, and these types of supports can be directed to those who need them more.
Canadian communities that are adopting Common Assessment and Triage tools include Calgary and Red Deer in
Alberta and London in Ontario.
Coordinated Services and Integrated Systems
In an effectively coordinated system of homelessness services, different agencies and programs will have clear
roles and will work together as providers for the same clients. 18
Establishing a coordinated “system of care” requires a single point of accountability; a process for organizing,
planning and coordinating services; a process to monitor the effectiveness of the services; and a plan to adapt to
environmental changes and emerging best practices.19
Coordination can be defined along a spectrum:
•
•
•
•
Awareness: agencies know what others are doing, but do not attempt to organize along a specific
principle apart from individual agency missions.
Communication: active communication and information sharing occurs.
Cooperation: different programs use their knowledge of other services to guide and modify their
own service planning, to avoid duplication and obtain a better set of links between services.
Collaboration: Programs and agencies jointly plan the offering of services, and actively modify their
own service activity based on advice and input from each other.20
15
16
17
18
19
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Effective system coordination and integration works hand in hand with the use of assessment tools and targeting. Coordinated intake is an important component of an integrated system of homeless services: in a coordinated intake system, no matter which point of access individuals or families use to seek out services when
they become homeless or experience a housing crisis, the household will be assessed using the same tool and
can be referred to the most appropriate services based upon their needs. Coordinated intake can also reduce
duplication and streamline access to services, as households do not need to be re-assessed by multiple agencies.
Coordinated intake can be decentralized (multiple sites for assessment and intake) or centralized (a single physical location for assessment and intake, or telephone-based intake).21 Although coordinated intake is not yet in
widespread use in Canada, larger communities such as London and Calgary are beginning to implement it, and it
is in use in more rural regions in the US.
When a household becomes homeless, emergency accommodation may be necessary, but shelter systems
should anchor prevention and re-housing services as a best practice.22 While a household is staying in emergency accommodations, the shelter provider should be regularly engaging with the household to offer assistance
to secure and move to permanent housing. Other best practices in the provision of emergency accommodation
include screening and diversion and ‘rapid re-housing’.
Screening and Diversion from Emergency Accommodation
This is the practice of screening households seeking emergency accommodation, using a pre-defined questionnaire, to identify alternative temporary housing options in the community and the barriers to accessing those
alternatives; if it is possible and safe to do so, the household will be diverted from emergency shelter to such an
alternative and will receive follow-up assistance to secure permanent housing.
Screening and diversion requires more staff time when the household facing a housing crisis first engages with
the service provider, but there are reduced costs associated with paying for accommodations for the household.
Common diversion strategies include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Family reunification/accessing assistance from family
Landlord mediation and conflict resolution
Access to housing listings
Access to phone and computer
Assistance accessing other services and supports
Navigating other systems and supports
Very short term case management/problem solving
Very shallow assistance (e.g., grocery gift cards or very limited financial support
In this approach, shelter beds – or motel beds – are used only when there is no alternative that is safe for the
household; diversion is not appropriate for households that do not have a safe alternative, which would include
households leaving domestic violence. 23 24
21
22
23
24
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Diversion strategies are most effective if they are coordinated across all providers of emergency accommodations and use a reliable screening tool that is designed to assess a wide range of potential options and potential
barriers.25 In Chatham-Kent, while the Municipality and other agencies that offer emergency shelter screen
clients and divert them to other options where possible, the system is not currently coordinated.
Evidence from US communities that have adopted a coordinated diversion strategy suggest that between 25
percent and 40 percent of families seeking emergency shelter can be diverted to an alternative temporary housing arrangement at lower cost.26 These households may be offered various forms of assistance that help to avoid
the need to enter emergency housing (in the case of Chatham-Kent, in a motel or hotel). Similar Canadian data
are not currently available, but communities such as the Region of Waterloo are beginning to adopt coordinated
screening and diversion tools.
Focus All Shelter Activities on Housing
Once a household has been admitted to emergency accommodation or has located temporary housing, attention should shift to assisting the household to secure permanent housing. Households that are assessed as
mid- or high-acuity may be offered more intensive services immediately, while households that are assessed as
low-acuity should be offered assistance to connect with short-term financial supports and to search for appropriate permanent housing to facilitate a swift exit from shelter. Consistent follow up is essential; households that
are unable to locate alternative housing should be engaged with progressively to ensure that they have the tools
and resources they need, and offered more intensive assistance if required.
Two Canadian Examples of Success in Reducing Shelter Usage
The Le Havre shelter in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, was faced with a fourfold increase in the number of people seeking shelter between 1989 and 2007 (from 281 to 1108), but was actually able to reduce the number of shelter
beds from 25 to 16 by orienting its services immediately toward an assessment of the needs of each household
seeking shelter and working with the household immediately to develop an exit plan that links each household
with health, housing and social services for long-term support. On average, clients leave the shelter within 7 days
and return is rare.27 28
The Unity Project in London, Ontario is another example of a shelter that has adopted an intensive focus on
housing. All clients are assessed for their housing needs within 48 hours of being admitted to the shelter and assertively encouraged to develop a housing plan. Shelter staff will consistently check in with their clients to offer
assistance to support the clients toward their housing goals, and report that the approach is both welcomed by
clients and resulting in more individuals exiting the shelter to permanent housing.
These examples demonstrate that although temporary accommodations are necessary for some households,
ending homelessness requires services that help people to leave the temporary accommodation. Assistance to
find housing and link individuals and families with other supports in the community that they can continue to
access once they become housed should be the focus of the system of homelessness supports and services.
In Chatham-Kent, given that the community is decentralized and the number of homeless households at any
given time is relatively small, as well as the capital investment and operating costs associated with a dedicated
emergency shelter facility, establishing an emergency shelter does not represent the best use of the community’s resources. Instead, it is recommended that the Municipality invest in the provision of short-term assistance
to secure housing and ongoing supports to maintain housing, as well as the creation of permanent housing
options.
25
26
27
28
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Housing with Supports
Although many households that experience a housing crisis need only limited assistance to regain permanent
housing or avoid homelessness, others have deeper needs and require longer-term supports to remain stably
housed. There are two approaches to serving these households that have demonstrated positive outcomes.
‘Housing First’ is an intensive approach to supportive services that is targeted toward chronically homeless
individuals who have multiple barriers to housing, while ‘rapid re-housing’ is designed to support individuals and
families with mid-range acuity.
Housing First Interventions
‘Housing First’ interventions have been in use in the United States since at least 1992, and over the past decade
Canadian communities have begun to establish Housing First programs as well. Both the federal government
and the province of Ontario support a Housing First orientation for service delivery. 29
The key principles of ‘Housing First’ interventions include:
•
•
•
No conditions on ‘housing readiness’
Clients are offered choice in housing (e.g., the neighbourhood and type of housing)
Support services are individualized and voluntary, and are portable (not tied to where the client
lives)
• Harm reduction
• Social and community integration is encouraged
• Program participants pay up to 30 percent of their income for housing and receive a supplement for
the remainder
Support services may be provided through Intensive Case Management (ICM) or Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams. ICM involves outreach to clients and service coordination and brokering, while ACT teams
consist of specialists in several areas, including a psychiatrist or psychologist, social worker, addiction treatment
worker, and work collaboratively to support the client. Typically, an ICM intervention assigns 15-16 clients to each
frontline staff, while the staff to client ratio is 1 to 10 in an ACT intervention. At a minimum, each client receives a
weekly visit from the service team.30 Collaborative case planning and 24-hour on-call access to support are also
important elements of Housing First programs.31
Housing First interventions designed for chronically homeless individuals are being explored across Canada and
the first long-term, cross-country study showed promising results. Although Housing First services are more
expensive than short-term forms of homelessness assistance, the costs are offset by a 54 percent reduction in the
use of other shelter, health and justice services.32 On average, the cost to house each Housing First client and provide supports through Intensive Case Management or Assertive Community Treatment was $14,599, compared
to an average of $23,849 for shelter, health and justice costs for the study participants who received the standard
services for homeless persons in their communities.33 Equally important, the Housing First intervention has been
successful in helping individuals remain housed; the interim results of the At Home/Chez Soi study show that
more than 86 percent of the Housing First clients were still in either their first or second unit, compared to fewer
than 30 percent of the ‘treatment as usual’ group.
29
30
31
32
33
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Rapid Re-Housing
Rapid Re-Housing is an intervention that is intended to assist households with mid-range acuity to move from
emergency accommodation into permanent housing as swiftly as possible, typically with a temporary rent
supplement and case management services that help link the household with community-based resources and
employment to maintain housing stability in the future. These households generally will have two or three life
areas where additional supports will help them to maintain housing stability. Depending on the program and
the needs of the household, case management supports may continue for 6-12 months; the household may
continue to receive rental assistance after this period.
Canadian Examples of Housing First and Rapid Re-housing:
•
•
Rain City Housing, Vancouver:
͵͵ ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) model integrated with Housing First; clients receive a rent
supplement to live in an independent apartment with supports provided by a team of professionals, with a 10:1 ratio of clients to staff.
Red Deer Housing Team:
͵͵ Intensive case management and rapid re-housing is delivered through a partnership between the
Canadian Mental Health Association, Central Alberta Safe Harbour Society and Central Alberta
Women’s Outreach Society. Support workers assist clients to maintain housing and connect with
community-based services that provide continuing supports. The Red Deer Housing Team combines Housing First support workers and Rapid Re-Housing workers; the former focus on highacuity clients, while the latter focus on mid-range acuity clients.34
Data and Planning
Gathering consistent local data builds the capacity for research into local homeless-serving systems.35 Information can help communities identify new strategies to address homelessness within their local context. It also
permits them to evaluate outcomes and refine their activities, fostering a practice of continuous improvement in
service delivery.
Many communities in Canada and the United States are now using Homeless Management Information Systems
(HMIS). These tools are locally administered web-based systems to collect and store client-level information on
the characteristics and service needs of individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
HMIS platforms also assist agencies in coordinating and monitoring the services that they provide to individuals,
as well as the identification of opportunities for system-wide improvements.
Canadian Implementations
•
•
Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS): The Canadian federal government
developed HIFIS and makes it available to communities at no charge to monitor homelessness.
Emergency shelter systems across the country now use the system and it supports both local planning and nation-wide research and policy-development.
The City of Red Deer, Alberta, extended its existing databases to streamline the process of providing
appropriate services to homeless clients, and is working to combine access to this database among
non-city funded programs. 36
34
35
36
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Focus on Outcomes and Performance Evaluation
It is essential that investments and program transformations that are intended to end homelessness be accountable, and to do this, it is necessary to monitor program outcomes. The vast majority of agencies that serve homeless individuals and families keep track of statistics that include the number of individuals and/or households
served, the number of nights of shelter provided, or the number of people who access preventative assistance
and the type of support they received. Many also monitor statistics such as the number of households that
return to the agency for services within a set time, i.e., the number of households that experience homelessness
or face housing instability more than once in a year, but historically there has been less emphasis on tracking the
outcomes for households that access homelessness supports.
Examples of outcome measures include the number of people housed after experiencing homelessness and the
number that remain housed after 12 months or the number of households that require homelessness prevention
assistance more than once in a pre-defined period. Monitoring the outcomes of homeless-serving programs,
especially those that provide one-time or short-term assistance, requires follow up with clients after they have
ceased to use the service. Although it can be challenging to follow up with individuals and families who have
had to seek this type of assistance, gathering this information will enable continued refinement of the eligibility
criteria and range of prevention strategies that are offered. Strategies that have been identified as effective in
encouraging participation in follow-up include:
•
•
•
•
•
Explaining the need for follow-up to clients when they access services, obtain current contact information, and request the name of a person who may be able to connect the service provider to the
client if contact information changes.
Update contact information periodically.
Obtain client consent for follow up and ask what contact procedures are acceptable or preferred.
When the service interaction concludes, remind clients of the follow-up requirements and provide
a reminder card with the time of follow-up and a number the client can call if their contact information changes.
Offer a small incentive to clients who participate in the follow-up.
In a community where homelessness is most likely hidden, and where the system of emergency supports has
been limited in the past, it may be even more essential to adopt tools to monitor the outcomes of both new and
existing interventions. Many agencies within the community already do monitor their outcomes and keep track
of services delivered.
PAGE | 18
ENDNOTES
1. National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2006). Promising Strategies to End Family Homelessness.
2. Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. (2012). A Plan, Not A Dream: How to End Homelessness in Ten Years.
3. Focus group participants were not asked to disclose their current housing status, but 14 participants were recruited through ChathamKent Housing.
4. Canadian Homelessness Research Network. (2012). The Canadian Definition of Homelessness, p. 1.
5. Segaert, A. (2012). The National Shelter Study: Emergency Shelter Use in Canada 2005-2009. Ottawa: Homelessness Partnering Secretariat, Human Resources & Skills Development Canada.
6. Canavan Thiele, D. & S. McDonald. (2012). Ending Family Homelessness: National Trends and Local System Responses. Washington, DC:
National Alliance to End Homelessness.
7. Aubry, T., S. Farrell, S. Hwang, M. Calhoun. (2013). Identifying the Patterns of Emergency Shelter Stays of Single Individuals in Canadian
Cities of Different Sizes. Housing Studies, p. 1-18.
8. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (2010). Housing in Canada Online: Definitions of Variables.
9. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. (2012). Data Profile of Ontario Service Managers: Chatham-Kent.
10. Canadian Homelessness Research Network. (2012). The Canadian Definition of Homelessness, p. 1.
11. Hughes, J. (2012). Homelessness: Closing the Gap Between Capacity and Performance. Toronto: Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation.
12. Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2012). At Home/Chez Soi Interim Report. The At Home/Chez Soi project is a five-year experimental research project that is testing the effectiveness of the Housing First intervention by contrasting it with existing approaches in five
Canadian cities through a randomized trial. The study includes both cities that have a wide range of services available to high-needs
clients (e.g., Vancouver, Toronto) and smaller cities with fewer options.
13. Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. (2012) A Plan, Not A Dream: How to End Homelessness in Ten Years.
14. National Alliance to End Homelessness. (n.d) Snapshot of Homelessness. URL: http://www.endhomelessness.org/pages/snapshot_of_
homelessness
15. OrgCode has derived these estimates based on its analysis of SPDAT assessment scores. For more on the SPDAT assessment tool see Appendix C.
16. Macy-Hurley, R., & T., Tull. (2009). Alternative Shelter Models to Address Rising Family Homelessness: Preliminary Investigation in to the
Social and Economic Benefits of Master Leasing Scattered-Site Apartments as Emergency Shelter. Los Angeles: Beyond Shelter.
17. Gaetz, S. (2012). Ending Youth Homelessness in Canada is Possible: The Role of Prevention. In Gaetz, S., B. O’Grady, K. Buccieri, J.
Karbanow, & A. Marsolais (Eds.), Youth Homelessness in Canada: Implications for Policy and Practice. Toronto: Canadian Homelessness
Research Network.
18. Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. (2012) A Plan, Not A Dream: How to End Homelessness in Ten Years.
19. Community Solutions Team on Homelessness Initiatives. (2008). Housing First Strategy: Building on the Foundation Towards System
Integration.
20. National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2011). One Way In: The Advantages of Introducing System-Wide Coordinated Entry for Homeless
Families.
21. Suttor, G. (2012). Moving Forward on Affordable Housing and Homelessness in Northern Ontario. Prepared in cooperation with Housing
Services Corporation.
22. National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2011). One Way In: The Advantages of Introducing System-Wide Coordinated Entry for Homeless
Families.
23. Social Planning and Policy Administration. (2013). What is Diversion? An Overview of Emergency Shelter Diversion as a Practice and the
Local Context in Waterloo Region. Waterloo, ON: Regional Municipality of Waterloo.
24. Ibid.
25. National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2011). Creating a Successful Diversion Program for Homeless Families.
26. Centre Le Havre de Trois-Rivieres. (2008). Memoire, Commission parlementaire sur l’itinerance, http://www.havre.qc.ca/fichiers_pdf/
M%E9moire_spt2008.pdf;
27. Hughes, J. (2012). Homelessness: Closing the Gap Between Capacity and Performance. Toronto: Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation.
28. Ontario Housing Policy Statement, Homelessness Partnering Strategy
29. Ibid.
30. Pearson, C.L. G. Locke, A.E. Montgomery, & L. Buron. (2007). The Applicability of Housing First Models to Homeless Persons with Serious
Mental Illness. Report Prepared for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development and Research.
31. Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2012) At Home/Chez Soi Interim Report.
32. Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2012). At Home/Chez Soi Interim Report.
33. City of Red Deer. (2013). Report to the Community: Homelessness & Affordable Housing Initiatives 2012-2013.
36. Red Deer and District Community Foundation. (2012). Report to the Community: Homelessness & Affordable Housing Initiatives. Red
Deer: The City of Red Deer and the Red Deer & District Community Foundation.
PAGE | 19
Vision, Targets and Objectives to End Homelessness in Chatham-Kent
The following section summarizes the overall vision for where the Municipality would like to be in ten years, the
operational target, and the objectives and recommended actions to achieve it.
Vision
By 2024, we envision that in Chatham-Kent we will have strengthened our community of service providers to
work collaboratively to prevent homelessness wherever possible and support individuals and families to regain
permanent housing swiftly.
Through the community consultation process, the following priorities for the Homelessness Plan were identified:
• More affordable housing
• Access to emergency shelter
• Improved service coordination
• Transitional housing
• Housing with supports
• Advocacy
These services and supports need to be available to all community members, and specialized supports are
needed for populations with special needs.
To fulfill this vision and address the community priorities while aligning with the best practices described above,
an overall target for homelessness services in Chatham-Kent has been set and 7 Strategic Directions and 24 objectives have been identified to guide the Municipality and its community partners toward this long-term goal.
Target
The target of the Homelessness Plan for Chatham-Kent is to ensure that no individual or family in the community
is without stable housing for longer than 30 days.
Objectives and Recommended Actions
in Chatham-Kent.
1.1 Establish a Homelessness Committee that will consist of non-profit, charitable and governmental service providers involved in homelessness and affordable housing providers from across Chatham-Kent.
The Committee will meet regularly to share information and best practices, engage in advocacy and
education around homelessness in the Municipality, and ensure accountability for the implementation
of the Homelessness Plan.
More specifically, Chatham-Kent will invite the following organizations to be represented on the Committee:
͵͵ Canadian Mental Health Association
͵͵ Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre
͵͵ Chatham-Kent Employment and Social Services
͵͵ Chatham-Kent Housing Services
͵͵ Chatham-Kent Landlord Association
͵͵ Chatham-Kent Police Services
͵͵ Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, Ontario Region, Local Liaison
͵͵ Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network
͵͵ Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association, Liaison for Chatham-Kent
PAGE | 20
͵͵ Salvation Army
͵͵ Three Fires Ezhignowenmindwaa Women’s Shelter
͵͵ And other organizations and/or individuals, as deemed appropriate by the Homeless
ness Committee
1.2 The Homelessness Committee should develop a strategy to engage with local private landlords in
Chatham-Kent to encourage and promote their participation in renting to formerly homeless clients.
1.3 The Homelessness Committee should engage with other community groups that are working to address social issues in Chatham-Kent, such as the Prosperity Roundtable, to identify opportunities to
collaborate on projects that align with the goals of the Homelessness Plan.
1.4 The Homelessness Committee will establish a Terms of Reference document that includes Objectives 1,
2, 3, 6 and 7 and their associated Recommended Actions.
2.0Promote Service Coordination 2.1 The Municipality, in consultation with the Homelessness Committee, should evaluate, compare and
adopt a validated Common Assessment and Triage Tool.
2.2 The Homelessness Committee should prepare an annual resource guide outlining homelessness services and programs available in Chatham-Kent.
2.3 Establish a coordinated intake system for homelessness services.
2.4 Develop a professional development agenda and organize joint training between service providers in
Chatham-Kent and regularly engage with service providers in other jurisdictions and bring this information back to frontline service providers in Chatham-Kent.
2.5 Engage in coordinated service planning to ensure that each partner agency provides complementary
services and linkages.
3.0Maintain a focus on homelessness prevention.
3.1 Adopt eligibility criteria for financial assistance that are based on a wide range of identified risk factors
for homelessness, which will complement existing assessment procedures to ensure that the households that are at greatest risk are identified and targeted for assistance.
3.2 Over a longer term, develop a demographic profile of the population that experiences homelessness in Chatham-Kent, to identify risk factors that are of local relevance. The use of common metrics
described in Objective 6.1 will support this goal.
4.0Expand access emergency accommodation within a Housing First framework.
4.1 The Municipality should continue to use motels as temporary accommodation for homeless individuals and families who cannot be diverted to another safe short-term housing alternative, while focusing their resources on offering progressively more intensive assistance to secure permanent housing,
based on the household’s initial assessment.
4.2 The Municipality should continue to screen clients seeking shelter and implement a diversion protocol
to assist clients to access alternative temporary housing when it is safe for them to do so, to reduce
the demand for emergency accommodation while facilitating engagement with supports to retain or
regain stable housing
4.3 The Municipality should explore opportunities to use existing private sector and/or social housing
stock as interim housing.
5.0Implement Transitional Financial and Other Supports to Promote Housing Stability
5.1 The Municipality should create temporary rent supplements and/or shallow rent subsidies to enable
low-acuity homeless households whose primary barrier to housing is lack of income to access and
achieve stability in private market rental housing.
5.2 Optimally, the Municipality should implement a Rapid Re-Housing program, working toward a target
of 5 case managers to assist homeless individuals and families with mid-range acuity to obtain housing. Due to fiscal restraints, the Municipality may want to explore this option and develop a phased-in
approach, with increased staff resources over time, if and when additional funding becomes available.
The Municipality should also work with its community partners to deliver this service through partnerships; the Homelessness Committee should play a role in defining job descriptions and coordinating
the work of different agencies.
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5.3 The Municipality should transform the Hope Housing In-Home Support program to focus on all social
housing tenants and households seeking homelessness assistance, based on an acuity assessment.
5.4 Optimally, the Municipality should implement a Housing First and Intensive Case Management program, with 3.5 case managers and 52 rent supplements for single individuals to assist the sub-set of the
homeless population in Chatham-Kent that is ‘hardest to house’. Due to fiscal restraints, the Municipality may want to explore this option and develop a phased-in approach, with increased staff resources
over time, if and when additional funding becomes available. The Municipality should also work with
its community partners to deliver this service through partnerships; the Homelessness Committee
should play a role in defining job descriptions and coordinating the work of different agencies.
6.1 Adopt shared indicators related to homelessness that can be used to assess progress toward the target
and objectives identified in this Plan.
6.2 Regularly aggregate and review the data at the Homelessness Committee to use in future service planning and resource allocation.
6.3 Incorporate these metrics into the Annual Housing Report Card and rename it to the Annual Housing
and Homelessness Report Card, to ensure public accountability for the outcomes of homelessness
programs.
6.4 Investigate the feasibility of adopting a Homeless Management Information System such as the nocost federal Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) to monitor homelessness
and share data.
7.1 Develop public awareness campaigns to educate community members about homelessness in
Chatham-Kent and the supports that the Municipality and its community partners provide.
7.2 Seek out opportunities for federal and provincial funding for homelessness initiatives and work to
build local support in Chatham-Kent.
7.3 Continue to advocate for adequate funding and resources to provide long-term supportive housing
and larger-scale poverty reduction goals.
Who will implement the actions to fulfill those goals
Responsibility for housing and homelessness services in Ontario is shared among partners that include the
federal, provincial and local orders of government, as well as non-for-profit service providers, the private sector,
volunteers, and community members.37
Homelessness services in Chatham-Kent are delivered through a complex network of community-based agencies, Ontario Works, and the work of local volunteers and churches.
A significant portion of the funding for direct homelessness services comes from the province; in addition, the
province funds the activities of several agencies that do not directly provide housing or shelter, housing supports or homelessness prevention but do serve community members who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, such as the Local Health Integration Network.
37
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Homelessness in Chatham-Kent
In the introduction to this Plan, homelessness in Chatham-Kent was defined as a typically hidden or invisible
situation that is experienced when individuals or families lack or are unable to immediately secure permanent,
stable housing that is appropriate to their needs, due to a broad range of systemic and societal barriers and the
household’s specific characteristics.
According to this definition, an individual or household sleeping outdoors or in emergency shelter would be
described as homeless. However, a mother and child who are sleeping on a family member’s couch, or a person
living in a motel room, would also be considered homeless, because while the household is sheltered, these living arrangements lack stability and permanence and may not be suitable to the household’s needs.
Homelessness is not a fixed state. The same household may move from one temporary living arrangement to
another; in some cases will cycle between being housed and being homeless. A household that has housing
but that struggles to afford their shelter costs is not homeless, but may be at risk of becoming homeless; some
households experience additional barriers that impact their ability to maintain housed and are at higher risk.
There is limited Canadian research about these households, but some US-based evidence suggests that the more
similarities there are to households that actually become homeless, the greater the degree of risk. 38
A clear framework or typology of homelessness is an important tool for service providers to identify the most
effective ways to address the issue.39 The Canadian Homelessness Research Network has identified the following
categories:40
•
•
•
•
Unsheltered: Households living on the streets or places not meant for habitation.
Emergency Sheltered: Households living in overnight shelters, including shelters for people leaving domestic violence.
Provisionally Accommodated: Households in temporary accommodation or who lack security of
tenure (e.g., households that are ‘couch-surfing).
At Risk of Homelessness: Households that are not homeless, but that are in a precarious economic
or housing situation or whose housing is unsafe or unhealthy.
In addition to this typology, homeless households can also be classified according to the length of time they
have been homeless.41
•
•
•
Chronic homeless: People who have been on the streets or living in emergency shelters for long
periods of time.
Episodic homeless: People who have a recurrent pattern of homelessness.
Transitionally homeless: People who become homeless once, typically for less than one month.
In Chatham-Kent, the feedback heard during the community consultations and the community survey data suggest that homeless individuals and families are typically provisionally accommodated.
Previous episodes of homelessness are also fairly common among the survey participants who were homeless at
the time they completed the survey; 61 percent (N=25) reported that they have been homeless at least one time
in the past, and the most frequent response was 3-5 previous episodes of homelessness.
38
39
40
41
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Figure 1: Number of Previous Episodes of Homelessness Among Community Survey Participants
Among the households that are currently homeless in Chatham-Kent, the length of time spent homeless ranges
from less than 24 hours to between 3 and 5 years. However, just under two thirds (N=41, 63.4 percent) reported
that they have been homeless for 6 months or less, and just under ten percent (N=4, 9.7 percent) had been
homeless between 6 months and one year. For families, the most frequently reported length of time spent
homeless was 3-4 weeks, while for individuals, the most frequent length of time spent homeless was 1-3 months.
Figure 2: Length of Time Homeless
These findings are consistent with the Canadian research that indicates that the majority of homeless households are homeless for a relatively brief period, while a minority are homeless for a much longer period and are
likely to require more intensive supports to end their homelessness.
Rural Homelessness and Hidden Homelessness
‘Homelessness’ can be invisible. ‘Hidden homelessness’ may be defined as “people staying temporarily with
another household … who do not have a regular address of their own where they have security of tenure.”42 This
definition includes people who are ‘doubled-up’ or ‘couch-surfing’ with friends or relatives (“provisionally accommodated”, in the terminology of the Canadian Homelessness Research Network). For the purpose of this assessment, hidden homelessness in Chatham-Kent also includes households that are living in motels, paying out of
42
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their own resources, because they cannot find permanent housing, as this is not a secure form of tenancy and,
particularly for families, may not be a suitable form of housing.
It is challenging to estimate the prevalence of hidden homelessness in any community. There is very little reliable
data at the community level to support an estimate of the prevalence of hidden homelessness, but the State of
Homelessness in Canada 2013 report estimates that across the country, for every one person who is unsheltered
or emergency sheltered, three people are ‘hidden homeless’.43
41 community survey participants identified themselves as homeless at the time they completed the survey, and
35 of these individuals described their current living situation: 54 percent were staying with friends or family and
14 percent were staying in a motel; 31 percent were staying in an emergency shelter or outdoors.44
Emergency Shelter With Friends or Relatives Motel Outdoors Figure 3: Living Circumstances of Homeless Survey Participants in Chatham-Kent
An inherent challenge in the provision of homelessness supports in Chatham-Kent is the extensive rural population.
Table 1: Urban and Rural Population of Chatham-Kent
Population
Total Chatham-Kent Population
Percent
104,075
Primary Urban Centres (7)
73,340
70.4%
Secondary Urban Centres
3,395
3.3%
Hamlets
1,500
1.4%
25,435
24.4%
Rural Chatham-Kent
Source: 2011 Census of Canada
There are seven primary urban centres (now described as population centres by Statistics Canada): the core
community of Chatham, and the communities of Wallaceburg, Tilbury, Blenheim, Ridgetown, Wheatley, and
Dresden. These communities differ significantly in size, however. Chatham is the largest community within the
Municipality, with approximately 43.4 percent of the total population. Wallaceburg is the next largest community
and is home to 9.8 percent of the total population of Chatham-Kent. The remaining five primary urban centres all
have populations under 5,000. This population distribution has significant implications for the provision of social
services, as many supports are concentrated in the two largest communities.
43
44
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Chatham-Kent has a substantial rural population (approximately one quarter), and nearly half live in communities with fewer than 5,000 people. These survey results are consistent with research that shows although homeless individuals and families may camp or take shelter in a vehicle temporarily, rural communities rarely have a
visible homeless population. For example, an individual who becomes homeless may stay in a car for a day or
two while making contact with The Salvation Army and/or Ontario Works, stay in a motel for a few days, move
into the home of a friend, and then start the cycle over. Families are more likely to rely on neighbours and relatives for accommodation than they are to seek services through the public sector.45
Family Homelessness
A homeless ‘family’ is defined as at least one parent or legal guardian with one or more children under the age
of 18.46 Nationally, families account for approximately 4 percent of all emergency shelter users, not including
female-headed families staying in domestic violence shelters or families that are not using emergency shelter.47
Homeless families are typically poorer than other low-income families, and are less likely to have recently lived in
subsidized housing. An analysis of homeless families from the US shows that 80 percent of homeless families are
homeless temporarily and never become homeless again; fewer than 20 percent stay in shelters for a long period
of time; and fewer than 5 percent return to shelter repeatedly. The 20 percent of homeless families that stay in
shelter for extend periods accounted for the use of 50 percent of the bed-nights in a study that compared homeless families in four US jurisdictions. 48
In Chatham-Kent, family households constitute a growing proportion of those seeking homelessness prevention
assistance through the Municipality and The Salvation Army, as described in the section on households at risk of
homelessness. The community survey results identified 5 family households that were homeless at the time they
completed the survey, including households staying at Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre and households staying
in a motel or with friends or family.
Chronic homelessness
The sub-set of the homeless population has experienced long-term or repeated homelessness is described as
“chronically homeless”. The US Housing and Urban Affairs Department defines a person who is chronically homeless as someone who has been homeless for a period of more than one year or has had at least four episodes of
homelessness within the past year.
This group typically consists of single adults and often faces multiple, complex barriers to housing, including
severe and persistent mental illness and/or substance abuse; although they represent a minority of the overall
homeless population, these individuals access emergency services at a much higher rate.49 50
Chronically homeless individuals require more intensive supports to access housing and achieve stability, including both rental assistance or subsidized housing and case management to help them to connect to a range of
other services in the community such as addiction treatment, mental health care or medical care. Some of these
individuals may require ongoing assistance in the form of permanent supportive housing; others may be able to
maintain housing stability after a period of receiving intensive supports, although typically they will also require
ongoing income assistance to remain housed.51
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
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The community survey identified a total of 7 individuals who reported that they had been homeless for more
than one year, but these participants do not fully reflect the definition of chronic homelessness, as not all reported that they face other barriers such as addiction. This group tended to be older than the average for all homeless community survey participants (an average of 44.6 compared to 34.1 years old). Just over one half (N=4, 57
percent) were male; all but one was single and none was currently living with a child under 18. 57 percent had
experienced at least one episode of homelessness in the past. Two individuals reported that they had more than
4 police interactions, and 1 had more than 4 visits to the emergency room. Interestingly, although 43.9 percent
of all the homeless participants reported that they had a substance abuse issue, only 28.9 percent of the participants who had been homeless for more than one year reported that they had a substance abuse issue; however,
the proportion of the long-term homeless participants and all homeless participants accessing mental health
services is the same (14.3 percent). It is possible that the chronically homeless population was less likely to participate in the survey, or more likely to leave Chatham-Kent.
As the Municipality and its community partners move forward, distinguishing population that is
chronically homeless will be important.
Vulnerable Populations
Several potentially vulnerable groups were identified through the community consultations, either because there are limited services available to meet their needs or because they are more
likely to struggle to afford housing in Chatham-Kent.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Youth between the ages of 16 and 18 years old are vulnerable as they may not be eligible for Ontario
Works assistance if they do not attend school, and many can no longer access services through CAS
Persons with compromised mental wellness were identified in all community engagements.
Persons with addictions were identified in all community engagements.
Participants in all focus groups identified that there is a lack of emergency services available to men.
Service providers reported that people, particularly men, who are charged with a crime may be particularly vulnerable as they may be unable to return home and there are limited emergency shelter
options.
Households receiving Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support are often precariously housed
and at higher risk of homelessness because social assistance shelter rates are well below average
rents. Participants in the community focus groups as well as the focus group with service providers
in Wallaceburg said that both women and men sometimes engage in sex work to supplement their
incomes. This elevates the immediate loss of security, creates dangerous situations and may expose
clients to substance use.
First Nations. Service providers who work with the First Nations communities reported that some
individuals who move off-reserve may lack the resources necessary to access and retain housing in
the Municipality, and the supports that are available may not adequately reflect cultural sensitivity.
Estimating the Prevalence of Homelessness in Chatham-Kent
The exact number of people who become homeless each year in Chatham-Kent is unknown. There is currently
no system in place in Chatham-Kent to distinguish homeless individuals and families who may seek assistance
through multiple organizations either at the same time or consecutively, so it is possible that there is some
overlap in the data reported by different service providers. In addition, limited information is available about
the people who are homeless or at risk but do not access housing-related services through Ontario Works or
PAGE | 27
community-based organizations such as The Salvation Army that administer some homelessness prevention
initiatives on behalf of the Municipality.
The consulting team drew on data from service providers who offer emergency accommodations and homelessness prevention supports to estimate homelessness in Chatham-Kent, as well as the survey results. Based on
feedback that suggests that different populations may access emergency shelter through Ontario Works and The
Salvation Army, the estimate assumes that each agency is serving unique clients.
The data that are available show that Ontario Works regularly pays to accommodate homeless households in
motels and a growing number of people are accessing the Municipality’s homelessness prevention services.
Data from The Salvation Army also show that growing numbers of people have sought assistance as a result of
evictions, living in temporary housing, high rent costs, needing emergency funds, and utility arrears. In addition, although the Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre has experienced a very slight reduction in the total number of
women accessing shelter, their average length of stay has increased and approximately one third of the women
who seek assistance from the CKWC have become homeless for reasons other than that they are leaving an
abusive situation.
Ontario Works provides financial assistance to OW recipients who need emergency accommodation in motels, as
well as assistance through the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative to low-income clients who are not
eligible for OW, have exhausted shelter funding or become homeless mid-month. In 2013, between January and
September, an average of 11 households per month received assistance through these two programs; this suggests that 141 households seek emergency accommodation from Ontario Works on an annual basis.
Over the past 5 years, an average of 211 clients have sought support from The Salvation Army as a result of
homelessness each year. The Salvation Army also reported that between 45 and 60 youth between the ages of 16
and 18 are on the youth program caseload at any given time, and that between 9 and 12 homeless youth enter
the program each month. In 2012-2013, the Women’s Centre had 132 women and 53 children accessing shelter.
These figures suggest that annually, approximately 485 households, including both households with children and
households that consist of single individuals, become homeless and access emergency accommodation or support as a result, and an additional 108 to 144 homeless youth enter The Salvation Army youth program. In total,
between 590 and 629 households are estimated to experience homelessness in Chatham-Kent each year and
seek services as a result.
This number does not include households that never seek assistance, nor does it include the number of households that are at risk of homelessness, and it does not take into account the length of time that the household
spends without housing or the fact that some households become homeless more than once.
Estimating the Households that Do Not Seek Shelter
The data available to support an estimate of households that are homeless but who have not sought emergency
shelter are extremely limited. The results of the one Canadian study that sought to estimate the number of these
households indicate that there may be up to 3 such households for every household that is either staying in an
emergency shelter or sleeping outdoors; however, these findings are derived from a single community and have
not been replicated elsewhere in Canada. 52
Based on the estimate of 590-629 households in Chatham-Kent that seek assistance because they are homeless
in a given year, those findings suggest that there may be as many as 1770 to 1887 additional households that
52
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lose their housing and do not seek or receive emergency accommodation.
As the Municipality moves forward with the Homelessness Plan, it will be important to develop strategies to
identify these households. For example, some may access other social services or financial assistance but may
not identify themselves as “homeless”. The use of a Common Assessment Tool across service providers to determine whether households lack permanent, stable housing of their own will refine the understanding of the
needs and extent of this population in Chatham-Kent.
Duration and Recurrence of Homelessness
The above estimate of the number of households experiencing homelessness in Chatham-Kent each year also
does not address the length of time spent homeless or the fact that some households will experience homelessness more than once in a year; as the community survey findings described in the previous section show, it is
common for households to experience homelessness in Chatham-Kent more than once.
Some people who become homeless in Chatham-Kent may leave the community to access shelter or other
services, or do not access services at all; these households cannot be included in the estimate. As the community
moves forward, it will be important to monitor and report on individuals who become homeless in the Municipality but who cannot have their needs met through local resources.
The data provided by CKWC suggest that the length of time people spend homeless is increasing significantly:
between 2010-2011 and 2012-2013, the average length of stay for CKWC clients increased by 53.8 percent, from
13 days to 20 days, and over the first two quarters of the 2013-2014 fiscal year, the average stay increased to 23.8
days. These longer stays in shelter may be due in part to the shortage of affordable housing. The increasing wait
list for subsidized housing supports this view.
This estimate also does not include the larger number of households that are unstably housed and seek preventative assistance, and it does not include households that become homeless and do not access support. The Salvation Army figure may be a low estimate as it only includes people who were identified by The Salvation Army
as seeking assistance because of homelessness; households that sought assistance as a result of an eviction were
considered to be ‘at risk’ of homelessness and are discussed in the following section. Data from Ontario Works
about the usage of the Chatham-Kent Shelter Solutions program are also discussed below.
At-Risk of Homelessness
People who are ‘at-risk’ of becoming homeless are currently housed, but the presence of one or more risk factors
indicates that their situation is not stable. Defining the risk factors is more challenging.
For example, if more than 50 percent of a household’s before-tax income is spent on shelter costs or a household
does not have security of tenure, it may be considered to be at risk of becoming homeless. Behavioural issues
that either restrict the household’s employment opportunities, and therefore its capacity to pay rent, or that
make it difficult to maintain a tenancy may also result in the risk of homelessness.
In Chatham-Kent, the risk factors that are used by Ontario Works and community-based agencies that offer
homelessness prevention services include the existence of rent or utility arrears and whether the household has
been served with an eviction notice.
During the first five months of 2013, the Municipality provided financial support intended to prevent homelessness to 610 households:
PAGE | 29
Table 2: Ontario Works Homelessness Prevention Assistance by Family Status, January-May 2013
House-hold Type
House-holds
Couples
Single Adult
with Children
Children <18
Total Adults
Total Children <18
Jan
84
18 (21.4%)
27 (32%)
39 (46.4%)
1
107
96
Feb
96
26 (27.1%)
38 (39.6%)
32 (33.3%)
1
128
71
Mar
111
45 (40.5%)
25 (22.5%)
41 (36.9%)
1
126
67
Apr
153
25 (16.3%)
66 (43.1%)
62 (40.5%)
0
189
107
May
165
26 (15.7%)
57 (34.5%)
82 (49.7%)
1
216
194
It is important to note here that some of the increase in the number of households accessing these services between January and May is most likely due to increasing awareness of the Chatham-Kent Shelter Solutions, rather
than to an increase in the number of households experiencing unstable housing in that time.
The majority of the households that seek homelessness prevention from the Municipality are either single-adult
households or households with children, including both single parent and two-parent households.
The types of preventative supports that were provided include rent deposit assistance to 161 households, utility
arrears assistance to 226 households, and payment of rental arrears for 51 households.
Table 3: Average Amount of Prevention Assistance By Type
Rent Deposit
Rental Arrears
Average payment
$529.58
$389.11
Source: Chatham-Kent Employment and Social Services Division
Utility Arrears
$580.56
The total amount of assistance paid ranges considerably in each category.
Other data that can help to estimate the number of households at risk of homelessness in Chatham-Kent include
the outreach calls to the Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre and the homelessness prevention assistance provided
by The Salvation Army.
PAGE | 30
Table 3: Salvation Army Homelessness Prevention Assistance By Type, 2001-2013
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
Eviction
16
24
33
Temp Housing
23
14
9
Emergency Fund
Utility Needs
High rent
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
23
17
15
16
31
40
24
18
7
9
10
12
75
105
125
180
216
207
49
123
82
60
39
38
172
284
263
303
322
286
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2011-12
2012-13
9
52
51
25
25
20
11
187
195
121
144
184
6
7
6
5
20
250
235
218
191
163
203
74
124
85
171
267
354
133
126
51
116
682
640
655
897
Winter Warmth
Total
Eviction
Temp Housing
High Rent
Emergency Fund
Utility Needs
Winter Warmth
Total
350
605
Source: Salvation Army Chatham-Kent Ministries
2010-11
The Salvation Army statistics show fairly consistent increases in the number of households accessing supports to
help them maintain their housing each year, with a steep increase between 2008 and 2009, and another steep
increase between 2012 and 2013.
In the past, the majority of the households seeking homelessness prevention or homelessness assistance from
The Salvation Army have been comprised of single adults.53 However, of the 869 households for whom family status data were provided for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, just over one third (35.1%) were one- or two-parent
families; similarly, approximately one third of all households seeking preventative assistance in 2011-2012 were
one- or two-parent households. Prior to 2011, families with children typically represented less than 25% of the
clients seeking assistance for housing-related issues.
The homelessness prevention assistance provided by Ontario Works and The Salvation Army indicates that there
is an increase in the number of families experiencing housing instability who are at risk of homelessness.
Causes of Homelessness in Chatham-Kent
Homelessness ultimately results from the inability of a household to afford housing, either because housing in
their community costs too much or because their incomes are too low. In Chatham-Kent, the loss of manufacturing jobs in the community has impacted many residents’ incomes, while local housing prices have continued to
rise in spite of relatively high vacancy rates in rental housing. Other factors that are associated with homelessness, such as a mental illness or a substance abuse disorder, typically affect the ability of the individual or family
to access sufficient income to afford their housing.
Approximately 43 percent of the community survey participants who were homeless when they completed the
survey reported that there was more than one reason for their homelessness. The most common reasons given
included a family crisis or breakdown, addiction, job loss, and/or a mental health issue.
53
PAGE | 31
Overall, the community survey participants described the lack of affordable housing and the lack of employment
opportunities as the two most significant factors that drive homelessness in Chatham-Kent. 114 participants
responded to this question: 47.4 percent (N=54) felt that lack of employment is the primary issue, and 19.3
percent (N=22). In addition, many participants gave ‘other’ responses to select more than one option: the majority included affordable housing (N=36, 62.1 percent) and/or lack of employment (N=32, 55.1 percent) in their
chosen factors.
The Lack of Affordable Housing
Renter households comprise just over one quarter of all households in Chatham-Kent. Approximately 40 percent of renter households cannot afford rent in the private market in Chatham-Kent; these households may be
housed, but because they must pay a higher percentage of their income to cover their shelter costs, they are
vulnerable to changes in their circumstances.54
Table 4: Renter and Owner Households in Chatham-Kent
Total Households
42,990
Owner
31,405
Renter
11,565
Source: 2011 Census of Canada
The private rental market in Chatham-Kent is characterized by both increasing rents and relatively high vacancy rates.
Table 5: Chatham-Kent Vacancy Rates, 2007-2013
Fall 2007
Fall 2008
Fall 2009
Fall 2010
Fall 2011
Fall 2012 Spring 2013
Bachelor
3.2
**
**
**
**
**
**
1-Bedroom
5.3
7.3
7.5
5.9
7.2
5.3
6.4
2-Bedroom
5.7
6.2
6.8
7.8
7.1
3.9
5.8
3-Bedroom
5.6
7.2
4.9
6.8
5.9
5.5
**
6.9
6.9
7
7
4.7
6.4
Fall 2010 Fall 2011
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
All bedroom types
5.5
Source: CMHC Rental Market Reports
Table 6: Average Rents in the Chatham-Kent Rental Market by Bedroom Type, 2007-2013
Fall 2007
Fall 2008
Fall 2009
Bachelor
421
451
444
469
456
487
522
1-Bedroom
550
565
571
588
590
601
620
2-Bedroom
646
637
653
684
679
696
701
3-Bedroom
667
626
602
695
670
645
654
610
618
652
643
653
_
All bedroom types
612
Source: CMHC Rental Market Reports
Overall, there has been a steady increase in the cost of rent in Chatham-Kent since 2007, although there have
been some fluctuations, particularly in 3-bedroom units.
54
PAGE | 32
Relatively high vacancy rates coupled with increasing rents and the increasing waitlist for social housing indicate
that although housing is available in the community, there is a mismatch between the rental housing stock and
the needs of community members.
Social Housing Stock and Wait List
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent operates subsidized housing in Blenheim, Bothwell, Chatham, Dresden,
Ridgetown, Thamesville, Tilbury, Wallaceburg and Wheatley. As of 2012, the total social housing portfolio consisted of 1592 units,55 including non-profit and cooperative housing providers, publicly owned housing, and rent
supplements.
The numbers of households on the waitlist for social housing has grown from 2007 to 2013.
Table 7: Social Housing Waitlist, 2007-2013
Waiting List
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2013
All Households
277
235
308
305
321
410
Seniors
69
53
68
78
81
163
Families
98
91
144
112
121
103
96
115
119
144
Non-Senior Singles 110
91
Source: Chatham-Kent Housing Division
Overall, the waitlist grew by 48 percent. The number of seniors on the waitlist more than doubled, however,
while the number of families on the waitlist peaked in 2009 and has since declined, so that it is now fairly close
to the 2007 status quo. Non-senior single adults on the waitlist now represent about 35 percent of the waitlist,
and the number of such households on the waitlist increased by 31 percent. Wait times for social housing vary
considerably by the type of unit required and the community. People leaving a domestic violence situation who
apply under the provincial Special Priority Policy wait an average of 2-4 months.
Overall, wait times for one-bedroom units are longest, ranging from 2-4 months in Wheatley and Tilbury to 3
years in Chatham. Six months to a year is typical. Wait times for a family unit in Chatham range between 2-6
months for urgent applications, and 8 months to a year for non-urgent applications. In Wallaceburg, in contrast,
there is a minimal waitlist for these units; some family units have been deemed to be surplus, owing to the limited demand, and will be sold, with the proceeds being transferred to the rent supplement units.
55
PAGE | 33
Table 8: Publicly Owned Housing Portfolio
Mandate
Adult
Community
# Of Buildings
Bach
1 BR
2 BR
3 BR
Total
Spec Needs
Blenheim
2
0
61
0
0
61
1
Bothwell
1
0
10
0
0
10
0
Chatham
2
0
2
0
211
6
Dresden
1
0
40
0
0
40
1
Ridgetown
1
6
4
0
0
10
0
Tilbury
3
3
36
0
0
39
0
Wallaceburg
2
0
71
0
0
71
4
Wheatley
1
0
20
0
0
20
1
13
9
2
0
462
13
Total Adult
% Of total
Family
# Of Units
23.6%
Tilbury
1.9%
7
Wallaceburg
32
Table 9:Non-Profit, Cooperative and Federal Providers’ Housing Portfolio by Mandate, Location and Size
Mandate
Community
# Of Buildings Unit Type
Bach. 1 BR 2 BR 3 BR 4 BR Total Special Needs
Senior
Blenheim
1
Adult, Family, Senior
Chatham
158.5
Family, Senior
Ridgetown
7
Family
Wallaceburg
4
Total
170.5
0
0
0
25
10
0
0
35
2
174
256
204
33
667
33
17
17
6
2
42
2
0
9
21
0
30
1
216
292
231
35
774
38
PAGE | 34
Table 10: Wait Times for Social Housing by Community and Unit Type, May 2013
Waiting Period (months)
1 bedrooms
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 bedrooms
No family units
No family units
No family units
No wait list
No family units
No family units
No family units
CHATHAM
8 to 12
8 to 12
12+
Urgent
8 to 14 months
4 to 6
2 to 4
4 to 6
Stairs ok
34 to 36 months
Ground floor required
34 to 36 months
65 +
14 to 24 months
No family units
No family units
No family units
No wait list
No wait list
12+
No wait list
No family units
No family units
No family units
6 to 18 months
Minimal wait list
No wait list
Minimal wait list
Minimal wait list
Minimal wait list
No family units
No family units
No family units
BLENHEIM
Stairs ok
6 to 8 months
6 to 8 months
65+
12 + months
BOTHWELL
DRESDEN
Stairs ok
No wait list
No wait list
RIDGETOWN
10 to 12 months
Seniors - 60+ (cascading) 6 to 8 months
THAMESVILLE
TILBURY
Stairs ok
2 to 4 months
8 to 10 months
WALLACEBURG
2 to 4 months
Urgent
2 to 4 months
Stairs ok
10 to 12 months
10 to 12 months
65+
No wait list
WHEATLEY
Stairs ok
2 to 4 months
2 to 4 months
PAGE | 35
The CMHC data and social housing stock information do not capture certain housing types that may be more
affordable, including room and board arrangements, rooming houses, and secondary suites (e.g., basement
apartments).
Economic Factors Driving Homelessness
The unemployment rate in Chatham-Kent has historically been higher than for Ontario as a whole, even before
the 2008 downturn.56 Income has also been lower than in the province as a whole and in the neighbouring areas
of Essex and Lambton; furthermore, women’s before-tax earnings are significantly less than those of men.57
Income on the Walpole Island Reserve is the lowest, but it is also very low in Moravian Town, suggesting that the
Aboriginal population living in and near Chatham-Kent may be vulnerable to housing instability for economic
reasons.58
In 2011, the overall unemployment rate for the Municipality was 10.2 percent; among men it was slightly higher
at 11.4 percent, while the unemployment rate for women was 8.9 percent.59 Between 2006 and 2011, there was
a significant decrease in manufacturing employment, from 11,770 persons to 5,995 persons; both retail and
wholesale trade also decreased. Employment grew modestly in utilities, construction, real estate and rental leasing, professional, scientific and technical services, education services, health care and social assistance, and public administration. In the overall context of a declining population, the growth in the local construction industry
may not be sustained.
High unemployment is likely leading to the increased demand for affordable housing seen in Chatham-Kent;
this is affecting both the rental and ownership markets.60 In addition, the number of people seeking emergency
assistance related to housing is clearly impacted by events such as factory closures; for example, The Salvation
Army statistics show a significant spike in the number of households seek assistance after the closure of Navistar.
56
57
58
59
60
PAGE | 36
Table 11: Changes in Employment by Industry, 2006 and 2011
Industry
11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
2011
2006
3,860
4010
135
130
22 Utilities
1,220
925
23 Construction
3,315
2760
31-33 Manufacturing
5,995
11770
41 Wholesale trade
1,935
2240
44-45 Retail trade
6,130
6615
48-49 Transportation and warehousing
2,270
2965
680
620
1,090
1315
710
695
1,550
1370
0
30
56 Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services
2,560
3300
61 Educational services
3,115
2870
62 Health care and social assistance
5,965
5310
71 Arts, entertainment and recreation
790
1035
72 Accommodation and food services
3,400
3530
81 Other services (except public administration)
2,355
3065
2,355
1985
21 Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
51 Information and cultural industries
52 Finance and insurance
53 Real estate and rental and leasing
54 Professional, scientific and technical services
55 Management of companies and enterprises
91 Public administration
Source: 2011 National Household Survey and 2006 Census of Canada
Family Crisis or Breakdown
34 percent of the currently homeless survey participants (N=14) cited a family breakdown as one of the reasons
for their homelessness.
During the community consultations, the impact of family break-ups was raised in the majority of the focus
group discussions and service provider consultations. Several participants noted that when a crisis results in the
temporary removal of children from their parents, the parents may have their social assistance reduced, which
makes it difficult to secure housing that will enable them to regain custody. Domestic violence can result in
homelessness for both the individual(s) leaving the abusive situation and the perpetrator of the abuse, as well.
Addiction
Addiction was identified as a significant factor in homelessness during the community consultations.
Among the community survey participants who were homeless when they completed the survey, 41.5 percent
(N=17) reported that they have or have had a substance abuse issue, and about 40 percent of those who are
currently housed have or have had a substance abuse issue. Of the 43 participants who reported that they have
PAGE | 37
never been homeless, 9.3 percent have or have had a substance abuse issue. However, only 12 participants
(29.3%) identified substance abuse as a factor that resulted in their homelessness.
Mental Health
Across Canada, approximately 30 percent of people who are homeless are affected by a mental illness, which
may impact their ability to obtain or maintain housing, income, and other supports. In addition, the experience
of homelessness can result in new mental health issues or exacerbate an existing problem.61 Among the survey
participants who were homeless when they completed the survey, only 5 (12.2%) cited a mental health crisis as a
reason why they became homeless, and only 6 (14.6%) were accessing mental health services.
The system of mental health supports in rural Southwestern Ontario has typically relied on crisis intervention
rather than prevention and maintaining stability, which can result in the loss of accommodation if crises arise or
are not managed.62 Although many people with serious mental illnesses do not experience homelessness, for
those who do struggle to maintain their housing and other basic necessities, their mental illness may also become less manageable and medication regimes may be more difficult to maintain; there may also be a tendency
to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol; the link between homelessness and mental health is mediated by the
economic challenges of living with mental illness in the community.63 Individuals who have serious mental illnesses struggle to access affordable housing in the private sector rental market as a result of the stigma associated with their disability and the effects of the disability. 64
During the community consultations, one of the common themes was that there is a lack of capacity to provide
ongoing case management supports to people coping with serious mental illnesses in Chatham-Kent. Although
case management is available, caseloads were viewed as too high to provide long-term supports.
Existing Support Systems
A number of agencies in Chatham-Kent provide homelessness services and supports, including the Municipality,
through the Employment and Social Services Department, The Salvation Army, Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre,
and the Canadian Mental Health Association. The available supports include financial assistance to prevent eviction or loss of housing due to rent or utility arrears, emergency accommodation, an emergency bed for individuals experiencing a mental health or addiction-related crisis, and some transitional and permanent supportive
housing units.
The Prosperity Roundtable advocates for strategies to reduce poverty in Chatham-Kent and fosters dialogue between service providers. While it does not provide frontline services, it plays an important role in raising awareness and linking organizations that are working on similar issues.
When an individual or family becomes homeless, the first priority is a place to stay. In many communities in Ontario, this need is met through permanent emergency shelters that offer beds, and may also provide a range of
other services, including addiction services, on site. Many communities also have a women’s shelter for women
and their children who are leaving abusive situations.
Chatham-Kent, like many smaller communities in Ontario, does not have a permanent emergency shelter that
serves the entire population, although two women’s shelters mandated to provide shelter to women and their
children leaving domestic violence serve the community.
61
62
63
64
PAGE | 38
Motel Accommodations
In the absence of an emergency shelter, short-term emergency accommodation may be provided in motels, paid
for by Ontario Works. Other agencies, including The Salvation Army, may also cover the cost of housing individuals and families in a motel temporarily. Emergency accommodation is expensive and local service providers
typically restrict the length of time that a household can be sheltered in a motel, although the length of stay is
discretionary and may be extended if the household is actively pursuing the goal of permanent housing.
Women’s Shelters
Two women’s shelters are accessible to women and their children leaving domestic violence.
•
Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre: A shelter for women and their children leaving domestic violence
which offers 32 beds in a secure building, 24-hour staffing, and on-site counselling.
• Three Fires Women’s Shelter: Located on Walpole Island, but serving the Chatham-Kent area.
The Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre is in the process of developing strategies to serve all people leaving domestic violence, regardless of gender.
Transportation To Shelter Outside Chatham-Kent
In some situations, an individual will be provided with transportation to an emergency shelter in a larger community such as London or Windsor if their needs cannot be met within Chatham-Kent. Frontline workers who
participated in the community consultations described this practice as a last resort, as it can isolate people from
their informal networks of support and the move to an unfamiliar setting can exacerbate the situation of people
who are in crisis.
Crisis Beds
The Canadian Mental Health Association Chatham-Kent branch provides a short-stay bed for people experiencing a mental health crisis.
Prevention
The best way to end homelessness is to ensure that it never happens. Long-term strategies to reduce poverty
and/or expand access to affordable housing are important components of prevention, although such strategies
require provincial and federal investment; this Plan calls for local advocacy for these long-term initiatives. In the
short and medium term, local strategies to provide financial assistance to enable households at risk to retain
their housing and to facilitate the swift return of households that become homeless back to permanent housing
are essential.
A small number of agencies currently provide preventative assistance in Chatham-Kent.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent’s Employment and Social Services Division administers the provincial Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) funding through a program called Chatham-Kent Shelter Solutions (CKSS). Although CHPI funds are also used to provide housing with supports and housing-related supports,
as well as to pay for emergency accommodation in motels, the majority of the funding has been allocated to
financial assistance to prevent homelessness. Assistance includes the short-term payment of rent or mortgage
arrears to prevent eviction, payment of utility arrears, and payment of rent deposits to enable households facing
homelessness to secure alternative housing. In addition, assistance to secure or retain housing is to be provided,
and information and referrals will help connect households facing homelessness with additional resources in the
community.
PAGE | 39
While the funds are distributed through Ontario Works, some supports are delivered through partnerships. For
example, The Salvation Army is contracted to provide housing assistance and guidance support.
In addition, CKWC and The Salvation Army offer some types of preventative assistance, and may also refer clients
to Ontario Works.
Supportive Housing and Housing with Supports
Temporary Housing Supports
Through a purchase-of-service agreement with The Salvation Army, the CKSS program offers a range of services
that are intended to help households maintain their housing and return to housing, including affordable housing lists, advocacy, case management, landlord mediation, community referrals, family support, financial management/trusteeship services, and basic needs such as food, clothing and furniture.
In addition, The Salvation Army youth program for 16-18 year-olds provides similar supports for this population.
The Salvation Army acts as a trustee for these youth, enabling them to access income through Ontario Works,
assists them to locate appropriate housing, and offers guidance and other supports as needed.
Transitional Housing
Transitional housing is a common service delivery model to assist individuals and families who become homeless, although there is very limited access to this type of housing in Chatham-Kent. Typically, homeless individuals or families reside in a shared building and engage with different types of support services and programs.
Depending on the program and the population that is being served, the program requirements and the consequences for breaching them can vary. A facility known as Transition House, located in downtown Chatham,
previously provided this form of housing for youth, but after a number of changes in the rules and funding of the
program it was shut down.
•
Nancy’s Place: ‘Second-stage’ housing for women and their children leaving domestic abuse. Five
second-stage units are available in a secure building for households to live for up to one year, while
receiving supports to assist them in other life areas and to locate permanent housing afterward.
Rent is set at 80 percent of the average market rent for Chatham-Kent, as determined by the CMHC.
Housing With Supports
The CKSS program encompasses two purchase-of-service programs to offer supports to individuals and families
in their own homes, to help them maintain their tenancies.
•
•
The Hope Housing In-Home Supports program provides a range of support services including practical life skills such as budgeting and problem-solving as well as community referrals to tenants of
the 134 units within the Chatham Hope Non-Profit Housing Inc. portfolio.
The Homemaking Assistance Program, provided by the Red Cross, assists eligible low-income individuals with daily living supports to enable them to maintain their independent housing.
Permanent Supportive Housing
Permanent supportive housing is funded by the LHIN and administered by the CMHA; there are currently 84
units in total, but the number may change from year to year.
•
CMHA Lambton-Kent offers 68 permanent supportive housing units through rent supplements,
PAGE | 40
•
•
•
as part of the Homelessness Initiative, including 2 units for clients who are referred externally (e.g.,
from hospital).
15 of the 68 have in-home supports provided by the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team.
CMHA Addictions Supportive Housing: 8 units of permanent supportive housing for clients who
have concurrent disorders. Rent supplements are paid to private landlords while CMHA provides
in-home supports.
CMHA also offers 8 diversion units.
Community-Based Supports
In addition to services that are concentrated on meeting the housing needs of individuals and families, there are
community meal programs and food banks as well as faith-based organizations that work to provide basic needs
such as food and clothing. These organizations provide important supports to people who are homeless or who
are precariously housed and unable to afford their shelter costs while meeting their other needs.
Gaps
Overall, the homelessness support system in Chatham-Kent is oriented toward short-term shelter and assistance.
The Municipality and community-based agencies are currently not as well equipped to provide ongoing support
services and there is insufficient social housing capacity to meet the needs of the homeless population.
The lack of emergency shelter and transitional housing options was raised in every community focus group and
service provider consultation as a significant gap in services. In the community consultations, the Chatham-Kent
Women’s Centre was identified a positive example of effective emergency housing that should be more widely
available. In particular, both CKWC residents and other community members mentioned the problem-solving
and counseling assistance as important components of the CKWC’s effectiveness; this speaks to the importance
of expanding access to assistance to find and retain housing, as well as to ensure that households experiencing
homelessness have access to a temporary place to stay.
There is limited availability of short-term and long-term case management to assist households experiencing
homelessness to connect with community-based supports that could help them maintain housing. Although
case management services are provided by several organizations, including The Salvation Army, CMHA, CKWC,
and Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, caseloads are often high, and there are few options to help households in
need of temporary support to regain stability in their housing.
Improvements in service coordination are needed to ensure that agencies work together to support homeless
clients more effectively. This includes more active collaboration between different agencies with a shared client.
Establishing a coordinated intake system – a single point of contact for any household experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness - was also identified as a way to improve coordination.
System navigation is a current gap in that individuals and families in need of homelessness services often do not
know where to go to obtain assistance, and in at least some cases, community members felt that service providers did not know what supports are available in the community, so that they had to rely on people in their own
social networks to get that information.
PAGE | 41
The Estimated Costs of Homelessness
Municipal, provincial and federal costs
The municipal costs of homelessness in Chatham-Kent include:
• Emergency accommodation
• Community policing
• Police detention.
Provincial and federal costs that stem from homelessness include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hospital emergency rooms
Ambulances
Hospitalization
Inpatient psychiatric treatment in hospital
Withdrawal management programs (detox)
Psychiatric crisis response
Mental health and addictions services
Corrections facilities.
Domestic violence shelters
Estimating the total annual cost of providing homelessness services in Chatham-Kent is challenging because
homeless individuals and families access a range of different programs depending on their needs and level of
engagement with the support system. For example, individuals and families may access assistance through Ontario Works, The Salvation Army, CMHA and the Chatham-Kent Health Care Alliance (provincially funded through
the LHIN), CKWC (provincially funded), and multiple faith-based organizations that provide food and other basic
needs. Because emergency accommodation is time-limited except in the case of CKWC, but statistics for length
of stay are not available across all agencies that provide this service, obtaining an accurate estimate of the number of ‘bed-nights’ per person is problematic. However, the Canadian National Shelter Study put the average shelter stay for individuals, families, women with children, and youth at 16 nights per person. On average, the cost of
a motel in Chatham-Kent is $77.5 per night. At this rate, to shelter a household for 16 days would cost $1240.00;
to shelter a household for 10 days would cost $775.00; and to shelter a household for 5 days would cost $387.50.
To shelter the estimated 458-497 households who become homeless and do not access shelter through CKWC
for an average of 5 nights each would cost the Municipality between $177,475.00 and $192,587.50 per year.
Even using the lowest-cost motel rooms, 65it would cost between $112,210.00 and $121,765.00 per year to shelter each of these households for an average of 5 nights in a motel.
Nightly Cost
5 nights
10 nights
16 nights
$77.50
$177,475-$192.587.50
$354,950.00 - $385,175.00
$567,920.00 - $616,280.00
In addition, individuals and families who are homeless may access supports, such as food banks, as a result of
their homelessness, but because these services are not specifically oriented toward homelessness, it is difficult to
quantify the proportion that goes to homeless households.
65
PAGE | 42
Finally, homeless individuals are more likely to be involved with emergency and police services, but their homeless status may not be tracked (e.g., Chatham-Kent Police Services do not currently maintain records for the
number of individuals who are arrested who have no fixed address). These represent indirect costs of homelessness to the municipality and/or to the provincial and federal governments.
To estimate the cost of providing homelessness services in Chatham-Kent, a proprietary model was used to
examine the cost of providing services apart from shelter. The system cost calculation in Table 13 shows the estimated cost to the Municipality and to the provincial and federal governments to provide services to 629 homeless households over the course of a year (including the estimated number of households accessing emergency
accommodation or direct homelessness assistance through Employment and Social Services, The Salvation
Army, and CKWC).
Some services, notably street outreach, are not provided by the Municipality, but have been included in the calculation to illustrate the potential cost. Case management may be available through the Municipality but is also
provided by The Salvation Army and CKWC, so the total cost given here overestimates the cost to the Municipality.
An additional caveat is that the system cost calculator was developed from information about the service usage of individuals accessing emergency shelters. Given that the high estimate of 629 homeless households in
Chatham-Kent includes families as well as individuals, the overall pattern of service usage may not precisely mirror that of individuals.
PAGE | 43
Table 12: Direct and Indirect Costs of Homelessness for 629 Households
Service Unit
1st Quintile
2nd Quintile
3rd Quintile
4th Quintile
5th Quintile
Total
Cost per Use
Cost ($)
Cost ($)
Cost ($)
Cost ($)
Cost ($)
Cost ($)
Street outreach
$20.00
$19,037.31
$14,984.21
$11,575.30
$9,347.32
$6,415.57
$61,410.69
Case management claims
$24.00
$58,525.57
$11,984.74
$1,253.60
$239.88
$-
$72,253.79
Land Ambulance
$387.00
$110,069.76
$38,755.79
$20,460.55
$15,020.14
$4,485.88
$252,015.83
Emergency Room Visit
$360.30
$394,263.84
$138,804.01
$73,279.58
$39,170.07
$11,698.44
$657,215.93
Hospitalization
$1,054.88
$1,034,919.57
$364,352.41
$192,354.61
$102,819.15
$30,707.73
$1,725,153.48
Detox
$256.93
$213,284.97
$75,088.82
$39,642.06
$21,189.84
$6,328.51
$355,534.20
Psychiatric crisis response
$475.00
$301,854.39
$97,233.70
$49,851.71
$24,303.85
$4,573.55
$477,817.21
Psychiatric inpatient days in general hospital
$693.25
$1,577,796.70
$333,972.99
$69,402.19
$21,863.70
$4,011.69
$2,007,047.27
Psychiatric inpatient days in psychiatric hospital
$795.96
$2,166,011.22
$458,480.64
$95,275.86
$30,014.65
$5,507.27
$2,753,637.46
Mental health outpatient consults
$91.84
$131,411.45
$14,374.30
$3,664.92
$720.97
$165.22
$150,201.68
Addictions treatment outpatient visits
$60.00
$143,359.53
$46,179.15
$23,676.04
$11,542.61
$1,086.06
$225,843.39
Community policing
$84.00
$159,682.13
$56,301.95
$29,723.80
$15,888.24
$4,745.15
$266,581.19
Police detention
$261.39
$123,815.71
$41,342.99
$12,279.92
$3,201.10
$325.54
$180,965.25
Provincial or federal prison
$108.72
$598,951.71
$210,866.15
$111,323.75
$59,505.79
$17,771.86
$998,419.25
Total costs
$7,270,975.51
$1,986,508.85
$777,998.05
$378,471.75
$104,884.07
$10,580,815.47
Average cost per person
$57,797.90
$15,791.01
$6,184.40
$3,008.52
$833.74
$16,821.65
Municipal Cost
$471,130.49
$163,369.67
$75,293.17
$43,696.68
$15,972.14
$833,226.75
Municipal Cost per person
$3,745.08
$1,298.65
$598.51
$347.35
$25.39
$1324.68
Provincial/Federal Cost
$6,799,845.02
$1,823,139.18
$75,293.17
$334,775.07
$88,911.94
$9,747,588.71
PAGE | 44
Comparisons of emergency responses to homelessness as opposed to housing with light supports suggests it
costs about 27 percent less to place individuals in inexpensive housing (such as single-room occupancy dwellings) and provide light support, and 70 percent less to place families in housing (based on a 3-bedroom unit)
with light support.66 Data from four Canadian communities show that it costs between $13,000 and $42,000
per household over the course of a year to place that household in emergency shelter, while supportive and
transitional housing costs between $13,000 and $18,000 and affordable housing without supports for singles
and families casts between $5,000 and $8,000.67 The higher end of the emergency shelter range reflects the
costs of providing families with emergency shelter, 24-hour staffing, and in-house services. In planning for future
demand, directing new investment to supportive options, rather than to emergency shelters, new prisons and
psychiatric in-patient facilities in hospitals is likely to be more cost-efficient, although emergency and preventative services are also necessary and must be balanced appropriately.68
Research undertaken for the Halifax Regional Municipality suggests that investments in supportive housing can
achieve cost savings of approximately 40% in service use by homeless populations, but these savings are spread
out across multiple orders of government that provide services such as hospital care, psychiatric care, and corrections facilities.69
In the US, “rapid re-housing” with progressive engagement resulted in 85 percent of homeless families and 75
percent of homeless adults moving into permanent housing, as well as a lower rate of return to homelessness;
one program experienced a decrease in the average length of stay in shelter for homeless families from 71 days
to 26 days, at an average cost over five months of $4,866 per family.70 Two US-based studies suggest that the cost
of case management is between $24.00 and $25.00 per day per client.71 72 Data from the Mercer County rapid
re-housing program after two years of operation show that the daily cost of housing homeless families in emergency shelter was $125, compared with $77 in transitional housing and $49 in rapid re-housing, including both
the housing cost and the case management cost. 73
Projected Need for Transitional and Ongoing Housing Supports For Individuals:
For mid-acuity individuals, Rapid Re-housing, which would provide low-intensity case management for a short
period and a short-term rent supplement, is appropriate. The rent supplement cost is calculated by using the difference between the average cost of a bachelor unit in Chatham-Kent and the Ontario Works shelter allowance
for a single individual.
Between 25 and 30 percent of single individuals are estimated to be candidates for Rapid Re-housing. The staff
to client ratio is 1:50 for a Rapid Re-housing caseworker. Approximately 16 percent of individuals require ‘Housing First’ assistance to return to stable housing. The number of case managers required assumes a staff to client
ratio of 1 to 15.
The scenarios presented below are based on the current estimated annual homeless population in ChathamKent. As the Municipality and its community partners implement data collection strategies, these estimates
will be refined. It is anticipated that there will be a ‘pilot’ period to develop Rapid Re-Housing and Housing First
programs and establish relationships with local landlords; this pilot period will also provide time to improve the
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
PAGE | 45
community’s understanding of how many households are in need of this type of assistance, identify the agencies
that are best-suited to deliver it, and seek out additional funding from other orders of government.
Rapid Re-Housing:
•
Low estimate: 63 individuals require Rapid Re-housing assistance, consisting of a short-term rent
supplement and low-intensity case management for a period of 3-6 months, at a cost of $55,188.00
for 6 months of rent supplement. 1.25 case managers would be required.
• Medium estimate: 143 individuals require Rapid Re-housing assistance; $125,268.00 would be
required for rent supplements for 6 months and 3 case managers would be required.
• High Estimate: 189 individuals require Rapid Re-housing assistance; $165,564.00 would be required
for rent supplements for 6 months and 3.75 case managers would be required.
Housing First:
•
•
•
Low estimate: 34 individuals require Housing First supports (Intensive Case Management and Rent
Supplements) to return to housing, at a cost of $59,568.00 for the rent supplements and requiring
approximately 2 case managers.
Medium estimate: 77 individuals require Housing First supports to return to housing after homelessness. This requires approximately $134,904.00 in rent supplements and 5 case managers.
High estimate: 101 individuals require Housing First supports to return to housing, at a cost of
$176,952.00 for rent supplements plus the salaries of 6.75 case managers.
It is also important to note that although there is a need for additional case managers and rent supplements, as
well as additional affordable housing, in Chatham-Kent to help homeless individuals and families return to permanent housing, these services can be delivered across the community through collaboration and coordination
across different agencies.
PAGE | 46
ENDNOTES
37. Province of Ontario. (2011). Ontario Housing Policy Statement.
38. Culhane, D., S. Metraux, J.M. Park, M. Schretzman, & J. Valente. (2007). Testing a Typology of Family Homelessness Based on Patterns of
Public Shelter Utilization in Four U.S. Jurisdictions: Implications for Policy and Program Planning. Housing Policy Debate, 18(1), p. 1-28
39. Canadian Homelessness Research Network. (2012). Canadian Definition of Homelessness.
40. Gaetz, S., J. Donaldson, T. Richter & T. Gulliver. (2013). The State of Homelessness in Canada 2013. Toronto: Canadian Homelessness
Research Network Press.
41. Eberle, M., D. Kraus, & L. Serge. (2009). Results of the Pilot Study to Estimate the Size of the Hidden Homeless Population in Metro Vancouver. P. 2
Research Network Press. P. 6. The authors cite the pilot study to estimate the size of the hidden homeless population in Metro Vancouver
conducted by Eberle et al (2009).
43. All of the 8 participants who reported that they were staying in shelter are female; all of the 3 participants who reported that they were
sleeping outdoors are male.
44. Slaunwhite, A. (2009). Under Pressure: Affordable Housing in Rural Ontario. Report prepared for the Canadian Policy Research Network.
45. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (2003). Family Homelessness: Causes and Solutions. Socio-economic Series Research Highlight. Ottawa: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Research Network Press. P. 27; Segaert, A. (2012). The National Shelter Study: Emergency Shelter Use in Canada 2005-2009. Ottawa:
Homelessness Partnering Secretariat, Human Resources & Skills Development Canada.
47. Culhane, D., S. Metraux, J.M. Park, M. Schretzman, & J. Valente. (2007). Testing a Typology of Family Homelessness Based on Patterns of
Public Shelter Utilization in Four U.S. Jurisdictions: Implications for Policy and Program Planning. Housing Policy Debate, 18(1), p. 1-28
Research Network Press.
49. Mott, S., M. Moore & D. Rothwell. (2012). Addressing Homelessness in Canada: Implications for Intervention Strategies and Program
Design. Montreal: Centre for Research on Children and Families, McGill University.
50. Ibid.
Research Network Press. P. 6.
52. Salvation Army Chatham-Kent Ministries. (2013). Social Service Usage Data. Note that the number of households who received different
types of assistance is not broken down by family status.
53. SHS Consulting, Inc. (2012). Housing Study Update
54. This total does not include Affordable Housing Program units, which have rents set at 80 percent of the average market rent for
Chatham-Kent.
55. Ontario Trillium Foundation. (2008). Your Community in Profile: Essex, Kent, Lambton.
56. Ibid.
57. Ibid.
58. Statistics Canada. (2013). 2011 National Household Survey.
59. Housing Study Update (2012).
61. Forchuk, C., P. Montgomery, H. Berman, C. Ward-Griffin, R. Csiernik, C. Gorlick, E. Jensen & P. Riesterer. (2010). Gaining Ground, Losing
Ground: The Paradoxes of Rural Homelessness. CJNR, 42(2), 138-152.
62. Montgomery, A.E., S. Metraux, D. Culhane. (2013). Rethinking Homelessness Prevention Among Persons with Serious Mental Illness.
Social Issues and Policy Review, 7(1), p. 58-82
63. Ibid.
64. An online search identified $49 per night as the lowest cost motel room; the average nightly cost was $77.50.
65. Pomeroy, S. (2005). The Cost of Homelessness: Analysis of Alternate Responses in Four Canadian Cities. Prepared for the National Secretariat on Homelessness.
66. Ibid.
67. Pomeroy, S. (2005). The Cost of Homelessness: Analysis of Alternate Responses in Four Canadian Cities. Prepared for the National Secretariat on Homelessness.
68. Palermo, F. et al. (2006). The Cost of Homelessness and the Value of Investment in Housing Support Services in Halifax Regional Municipality.
69. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. (2013). Five Federal Funding Opportunities and Growing Investment in Rapid ReHousing.
70. Poulin, S.R. et al. (2010). Service Use and Costs for Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness in Philadelphia: A Population-Based Study.
Psychiatric Services, 61(11), p. 1093-1098.
71. Mercer County Board of Social Services. Six Things Needed from County Welfare Board to Start Rapid Re-Housing for Families.
72. Nunez, R., D. Anderson & L. Bazerjian. (2013). Making Rapid Re-Housing Work: A Case Study of Mercer County, New Jersey. New York City:
PAGE | 47
Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness.
Objectives
in Chatham-Kent.
Context
Recommended Actions & Targets
To effectively support homeless
households in Chatham-Kent, a
regular forum to foster collaboration and coordination of services
between the Municipality and
community partners, promote
alignment with best practices,
and provide a unified voice for
homeless services will be essential.
1.1 Establish a Homelessness Committee that
will consist of non-profit, charitable and
governmental service providers involved
in homelessness and affordable housing
providers from across Chatham-Kent. The
Committee will meet regularly to share
information and best practices, engage in
advocacy and education around homelessness in the Municipality, and ensure
accountability for the implementation of
the Homelessness Plan.
More specifically, Chatham-Kent will invite the
following organizations to be represented on
the Committee:
Measures
• Creation of the
Committee and
mandate
1. Canadian Mental Health Association
2. Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre
3. Chatham-Kent Employment and Social
Services
4. Chatham-Kent Housing Services
5. 6Chatham-Kent Landlord Association
6. Chatham-Kent Police Services
7. Co-operative Housing Federation of
Canada, Ontario Region, Local Liaison
8. Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration
Network
9. Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association,
Liaison for Chatham-Kent
10.Salvation Army
11.Three Fires Ezhignowenmindwaa Women’s
Shelter
12.And other organizations and/or individuals, as deemed appropriate by the Homelessness Committee
PAGE | 48
Context
• Private landlords will be an
1.2 The Homelessness Committee should
essential partner as the Mudevelop a strategy to engage with local
nicipality and its community
private landlords in Chatham-Kent to
partners work to assist homeencourage and promote their participaless individuals and families to
tion in renting to formerly homeless
return to housing, given the
clients. shortage of subsidized housing units.
• Collaborative relationships between landlords and agencies
that provide housing supports
and financial assistance will
help to foster greater willingness to rent to households
with low income and/or histories of homelessness.
Measures
• Annual Housing
& Homelessness
Report Card
• Homelessness is impacted
by systemic factors such as
wages that are too low to
allow individuals and families to afford housing. To end
homelessness in ChathamKent, it will be important to
work to reduce the incidence
of poverty and other systemic
factors.
• Annual Housing
engage with other community groups
and Homelessthat are working to address social issues
ness Report Card
in Chatham-Kent, such as the Prosperity
Roundtable, to identify opportunities to
collaborate that align with the goals of the
Homelessness Plan.
• To be an effective forum
for ending homelessness in
Chatham-Kent, the Homelessness Committee should have
a clear mandate that is rooted
in the Homelessness Plan.
1.4 The Homelessness Committee will establish a Terms of Reference document that
includes Objectives 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 and
their associated Recommended Actions.
• Annual Housing
and Homelessness Report Card
2.0 Promote Service Coordination Context
• A Common Assessment Tool
2.1 The Municipality, in consultation with the
will assist service providers to
Homelessness Committee, should evalufully identify clients’ needs.
ate, compare and adopt a validated Com• A validated CAT Tool enables
mon Assessment and Triage Tool.
frontline workers to prioritize
households with the deepest needs for assistance and
target resources more effectively in a transparent fashion
by providing a consistent
method to measure the acuity
of need.
Measures
• Adoption of a
CAT tool
• Annual Housing
PAGE | 49
Context
• Community members who
participated in consultations
reported that they were often
unaware of the services that
are available, or had difficulty
finding out which services are
available.
prepare an annual resource guide outlining homelessness services and programs
available in Chatham-Kent.
Measures
• Release of resource guide
• Coordinated or centralized
2.3 Establish a coordinated intake system for
intake systems ensure that evhomelessness services.
ery household is assessed and
directed to the appropriate
resources in the community
regardless of where they go
for services.
• Annual Housing
• Joint training and routine
2.4 In collaboration with the Municipality, the
engagement with best pracHomelessness Committee should create
tices and new research into
a professional development agenda and
homelessness can help ensure
organize joint training between service
that every agency working
providers in Chatham-Kent and regularly
in Chatham-Kent is aligned
engage with service providers in other juaround common goals and
risdictions and bring this information back
build capacity. to frontline service providers in ChathamKent.
• Annual Housing
• Homelessness
Committee
• As a best practice, joint service 2.5 Engage in coordinated service planning to
planning can ensure that
ensure that each partner agency provides
different agencies do not
complementary services and linkages.
duplicate services, and affords
an opportunity to identify and
fill gaps in services.
• Annual Housing
• Homelessness
Committee
PAGE | 50
3.0 Maintain a focus on homelessness prevention. 74
Context
Measures
• Prevention is expected to remain a core
3.1 In the short term, the Municipal- • Annual
element of the Municipality’s homelessness
ity should adopt, and encourHousing and
strategy. It is both more cost-effective than
age its community partners
Homelessness
providing emergency accommodation and
to adopt eligibility criteria for
Report Card
more beneficial to households at risk of
financial assistance that are
homelessness.
based in a wide range of identi• Although the Municipality currently screens
fied risk factors for homelesshouseholds that seek homelessness
ness, which will complement
prevention assistance, evidence suggests
existing assessment procedures
that these resources can be targeted with
to ensure that the households
greater precision by screening for a set of
that are at greatest risk are
risk factors that are associated with homeidentified and targeted for aslessness.
sistance.
• The Municipality does not currently have
detailed demographic information about
the population that experiences homelessness in Chatham-Kent, but several key factors have been identified through research
in other communities that may complement the existing eligibility criteria.
In order to target primary prevention dollars more effectively, in the absence of data
gleaned through the use of an appropriate
CAT tool, the following factors that have been
identified by the US-based National Alliance
to End Homelessness could be considered as a
supplement to existing screening guidelines:
• Household has no income
• Household has moved frequently (at least
twice within a 60 day period)
• Household lives in an unstable housing
situation
• Household is currently experiencing a housing crisis (dangerous living environment or
eviction)
• Household is a secondary tenant
• Household is exiting an institution
• Household lives in overcrowded housing
• Household lives in a hotel or motel not paid
for by the government organization
• Household includes a young child under
the age of 2
• Head of household is under age 24 and was
in foster care at some point
• Household has had a prior episode of
homelessness 73
74
PAGE | 51
Context
• As more data become available about the
local homeless population in ChathamKent, it will be possible to identify common
characteristics that can be used to identify
locally significant risk factors for homelessness.
Measures
3.2 In the long term, the Municipal- • Annual
ity should work with its comHousing and
munity partners to develop
Homelessness
a demographic profile of the
Report Card
population that experiences
homelessness in Chatham-Kent,
to identify risk factors that are
of local relevance. The use of
common metrics described in
Objective 6.1 will support this
goal.
4.0 Expand access emergency accommodation within a Housing First framework.
Context
• Currently, there is no emergency shelter
4.1 The Municipality should continapart from the local women’s shelter in
ue to use motels as temporary
Chatham-Kent, but within the Housing First
accommodation for homeless
framework, it is preferable to focus the comindividuals and families who
munity’s available resources on assistance
cannot be diverted to anto return to housing rather than a capital
other safe short-term housing
investment in a dedicated shelter facility
alternative, while focusing their
• Emergency accommodations will continue
resources on offering progresto be required within a Housing First framesively more intensive assistance
work, but given that there is currently no
to secure permanent housing,
dedicated shelter in Chatham-Kent, apart
based on the household’s initial
from the CKWC and CMHA crash bed, the
assessment. relatively small population, and the cost of
operating a fully staffed shelter, it is reasonable to continue to offer emergency accommodation in motels.
• To be consistent with the Housing First
approach, households that are accommodated in motels should be assessed for acuity when they are admitted to shelter, and
offered housing assistance immediately.
• Homeless households that are assessed as
low acuity should have the opportunity to
secure housing without intensive assistance; however, households that are not
able to do so quickly should be re-assessed
and be offered progressively more intensive
assistance.
Measures
• Annual
Housing and
Homelessness
Report Card
PAGE | 52
Context
Measures
• Diverting households, particularly families
with children, from emergency accommodation in motels or shelters is also preferable, provided that it is safe, and evidence
from communities that have adopted
diversion protocols suggests that between
25 percent and 40 percent of households
seeking shelter can be diverted. This is
more cost-effective for service providers
and allows more resources to be put into
providing case management or other forms
of assistance for the household to secure
permanent housing.
• Many households have alternative resources within the community, such as a
family member or friend with whom they
may stay temporarily, with limited financial
assistance.
4.2 Continue to screen clients seek- • Annual
ing shelter and implement a diHousing and
version protocol to assist clients
Homelessness
to access alternative temporary
Report Card
housing when it is safe for them
to do so, to reduce the demand
for emergency accommodation
while facilitating engagement
with supports to retain or regain
stable housing
• As there is a limited supply of rental housing that is affordable to low-income households in Chatham-Kent and a long wait
list for social housing, some households
may not able to locate permanent housing
within 30 days. However, the high vacancy
rate means there is sufficient housing
stock; there is potential to use this supply
to provide temporary housing to homeless
households.
4.3 Explore opportunities to use
existing private sector and/or
social housing stock as interim
housing.
• Annual
Housing and
Homelessness
Report Card
5.0Implement Transitional Financial and Other Supports to Promote Housing Stability •
Context
• Some households that have experienced
5.1 The Municipality should create
homelessness will require financial assistance
temporary rent supplements
to be able to afford housing in the private
and/or shallow rent subsidies
market, although not all of these households
to enable low-acuity homeless
will require permanent assistance.
households whose primary bar• The Municipality could utilize existing vacant
rier to housing is lack of income
rental units with short-term rent supplements
to access and achieve stability in
or shallow rent subsidies to provide access to
private market rental housing. permanent housing whenever possible. These
rent supplements and subsidies will complement the existing use of CHPI funds to pay for
rent arrears and deposits. Measures
• Annual
Housing and
Homelessness
Report Card
PAGE | 53
Context
• 198 individuals and 32 families are likely to
have mid-range acuity and require lowintensity case management and temporary
financial assistance to secure housing.
Measures
5.2 Optimally, the Municipal• Annual
ity should implement a Rapid
Housing and
Re-Housing program, workHomelessness
ing toward a target of 5 case
Report Card
managers to assist homeless
individuals and families with
mid-range acuity to obtain
housing. Due to fiscal restraints,
the Municipality may want to
explore this option and develop
a phased-in approach, with
increased staff resources over
time, if and when additional
funding becomes available. The
Municipality should also work
with its community partners
to deliver this service through
partnerships; the Homelessness
Committee should play a role
in defining job descriptions and
coordinating the work of different agencies.
• The Hope Housing In-Home Support program 5.3 The Municipality should
is a model of wrap-around support designed
transform the Hope Housing
to promote housing stability, but it is curIn-Home Support program to
rently limited to a small number of social
focus on all social housing tenhousing tenants.
ants and households seeking
• Building on this existing program by extendhomelessness assistance, based
ing it to all social housing tenants and/or to
on an acuity assessment.
households seeking homelessness assistance, based on an acuity assessment, will assist people who have been homeless or who
are at risk to remain housed. • Annual
Housing and
Homelessness
Report Card
PAGE | 54
Context
Measures
• 52 individuals in Chatham-Kent are esti5.4 Optimally, the Municipality
• Annual
mated to need intensive support to return to
should implement a Housing
Housing and
stable housing after experiencing long-term
First and Intensive Case ManHomelessness
homelessness. Housing First interventions
agement program, with 3.5
Report Card
that pair these individuals with a rent supplecase managers and 52 rent
• Evaluate and
ment and intensive case management for a
supplements for single indiupdate needs
minimum of one year are effective, although
viduals to assist the sub-set of
every 5 years,
expensive.
the homeless population in
as part of the
• It will be essential to seek out additional
Chatham-Kent that is ‘hardest to
Housing and
funding and partnerships in order to create a
house’. Due to fiscal restraints,
Homelessness
Housing First intervention.
the Municipality may want to
Plan Review
explore this option and develop
Process.
a phased-in approach, with
increased staff resources over
time, if and when additional
funding becomes available. The
Municipality should also work
with its community partners
to deliver this service through
partnerships; the Homelessness
Committee should play a role
in defining job descriptions and
coordinating the work of different agencies.
Context
Measures
• To end homelessness in Chatham-Kent, it will 6.1 Adopt shared indicators related • Annual
be essential for the Municipality and its comto homelessness that can be
Housing and
munity partners to be able to monitor the
used to assess progress toward
Homelessness
extent of homelessness and evaluate the outthe target and objectives identiReport Card
comes of services and supports for people
fied in this Plan.
who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
• •
A shared set of indicators will support
these goals by ensuring that there is consistent measurement and that outcome data
are comparable across different programs
• Measures of homelessness and program
6.2 Regularly aggregate and review
outcomes represent a valuable tool for future
the data at the Homelessness
service planning, and should be used as part
Committee to use in future
of a regular review process.
service planning and resource
allocation.
• Annual CHPI
investment
plans
• Five Year
Review of the
Housing and
Homelessness
Plan
PAGE | 55
• Public accountability is a provincial require6.3 Incorporate these metrics into
• Annual
ment for local housing and homelessness
the Annual Housing Report
Housing and
plans. In addition, making homelessness
Card and rename it to the AnHomelessness
data public will support the advocacy efforts
nual Housing and Homelessness
Report Card
described in Objective 7 by raising awareness
Report Card, to ensure public
of homelessness in Chatham-Kent.
accountability for the outcomes
of homelessness programs.
• Low-cost homeless management information systems such as HIFIS allow service
providers to share data in addition to tracking it, which would facilitate coordination of
services for shared clients.
6.4 Investigate the feasibility of
adopting a Homeless Management Information System such
as the no-cost federal Homeless Individuals and Families
Information System (HIFIS) to
monitor homelessness and
share data.
• Homelessness
Committee
first year
agenda
Context
Measures
• Homelessness in Chatham-Kent is often
7.1 Develop public awareness cam- • Homelessness
invisible. To build support for homelessnesspaigns to educate community
Committee
serving programs, it will be important for the
members about homelessness
first year
Municipality and its community partners to
in Chatham-Kent and the supagenda
raise awareness about how homelessness
ports that the Municipality and
occurs in Chatham-Kent.
its community partners provide.
• It is also important to ensure that community
members are aware of the services that are
available, and can see the successes.
• The Annual Housing and Homelessness
Report Card will be complemented by these
ongoing activities to educate the community
about homelessness in Chatham-Kent.
• Over the next ten years, there may be ad7.2 Seek out opportunities for
ditional opportunities to apply for federal or
federal and provincial funding
provincial funding for homelessness initiafor homelessness initiatives and
tives. The Municipality should actively pursue
work to build local support in
any opportunities that are aligned with the
Chatham-Kent.
goal of this Plan.
• More affordable housing, increased social assistance, and living wage policies, as well as
additional employment and educational opportunities in Chatham-Kent, are essential to
reduce the number of people who struggle
to afford their housing and are hence at risk
of homelessness. Ongoing advocacy to the
provincial and federal governments for such
systemic changes are needed.
• Annual
Housing and
Homelessness
Report Card
• Five-year
Review of the
Housing and
Homelessness
Plan
7.3 Continue to advocate for ad• Annual
equate funding and resources
Housing and
to provide long-term supportive
Homelessness
housing and larger-scale povReport Card
erty reduction goals.
74
PAGE | 56
Three-Year Action Plan
The overall recommendation of this Plan is that the Municipality of Chatham-Kent adjust its processes and funding priorities to deliver homelessness services as effectively as possible, and should make investments in service
models that have demonstrated positive outcomes in other jurisdictions.
During the first year of the Plan, the Municipality should focus on establishing the foundations of the Plan, which
includes developing the partnerships that will help with later implementation. The priorities will be to:
• Establish the Homelessness Committee;
• Develop a coordinated data collection strategy, which will include shared indicators of homelessness;
• Select a CAT Tool and develop a diversion protocol;
• Develop program guidelines for Rapid Re-Housing;
• Revise the guidelines and eligibility criteria for the Hope Housing program
The second year should focus on piloting and testing the new programs and monitoring the outcomes.
By the third year, these programs will be well established and the focus should be on reviewing the impact of the
changes and making refinements as necessary.
Target
Establish a Homelessness
Committee
Timeline
Ownership
• Convene the first meeting by June of 2014, Municipality, service provider
and meet regularly thereafter.
partners, health sector, justice
sector, and private-sector and
non-profit housing providers
Development of a coordinated • Develop data collection strategy and train
data collection strategy
frontline staff by end of Q4, 2014
• Begin collecting data by Q1, 2015
Municipality, service provider
partners
Implement coordinated
assessment, screening and
diversion
• Select/develop pre-screening and assessment tools by end of Q3, 2014
• Pilot the processes with the Municipality
and two other service providers from Q1
2015 to Q4 2015
partners
Develop and pilot a Rapid ReHousing program for households with mid-range acuity
• Develop program guidelines by end of Q3, Municipality, service provider
2014
partners
• Identify landlords willing to participate
in the program and hire or assign a case
manager by Q1 2015
• Beginning 2015, use CHPI funds to create
at least 10 Rapid Re-Housing rent supplement allocations for families and 66 for
individuals.
• By Q2 2016, conduct a review of the
program’s first year and identify potential
refinements.
PAGE | 57
Target
Timeline
Ownership
Extend the Hope Housing In• Develop program guidelines and eligibility Municipality, housing providHome Support program as a
criteria by end of Q3, 2014
ers
form of transitional assistance • Hire or assign an additional case manager
to build tenancy skills and proto the program by Q1 2015
mote housing stability.
• Pilot and monitor the impact of the supports on housing stability throughout
2015
• By Q2 2016, conduct a review of client
outcomes for the program’s first year and
identify potential refinements.
Publish first Annual Update
on homelessness in ChathamKent, drawing on the aggregated data from service
providers
• By end of Q4, 2015
partners
PAGE | 58
Cost Benefit Analysis of Selected Actions
Action
Category
Cost
Benefit
Priority
Homelessness Committee
Partnerships
• Staff time
• Improves awareness of other agencies’ programs, resources, issues and opportunities
for assistance
• Creates stronger alignment among all partners toward the goal of the ending homelessness and best practices
Immediate
Screening and Diversion
Emergency
Shelter
• Staff time
• Resources for time-limited, minimal financial assistance
• Reduces need for emergency accommodation in motels
• Facilitates connection with housing assistance
High
Adopt a Rapid Re-Housing strategy Transitional
to assist homeless families
Supports
• Staff: case managers
• Short-term rent supplements
• Provides households with short-term intensive assistance to access housing, stabilize,
and connect with community services
High
Explore feasibility of providing
funding for limited-time shallow
rent subsidies to formerly homeless households
Transitional
Supports
• Staff time to process applications
and issue funds
Adopt a Common Assessment and
Triage Tool
Service
Coordination
• Staff time
• Cost of the CAT Tool 74
• Training
• Improved ability to consistently identify and
prioritize the needs of homeless individuals
and families
High
Explore the feasibility of a Coordinated Intake System
Service
Coordination
• Staff time
• Facilitates system navigation for households
that are homeless or at risk of homelessness
Medium
Expand access to short-term housing outreach services
Transitional
Supports
• Case management position
• Improved access to supports to build housing stability
Expand supply of short-term rent
supplements to homeless households
Transitional
Supports
• Staff time to process requests
and issue funds
• Cost of supplements
• Increased housing stabilization for households that are at risk.
High
Create a shared definition of
homelessness and shared indicators
Data and
Planning
• Staff time
• Builds capacity to monitor homelessness in
the community
Builds capacity to monitor outcomes of
homelessness services
Immediate
High
PAGE | 59
Action
Category
Cost
Benefit
Regularly assemble and publish
aggregated administrative data
from homelessness service providers
Data and
Planning
• Staff time to collect, aggregate and • Provides the Municipality and community
analyze data
partners with up to date information for
service planning
• Provides the Municipality and community
partners with ability to evaluate and refine
programs based on outcomes
Develop a public awareness
campaign to educate community
members about homelessness
Advocacy
• Staff time to develop the campaign
• Cost of assembling and publishing
educational materials
• Builds community support for homelessness
services in the Municipality
Priority
High
Medium
PAGE | 60
Appendix A: Community Needs Assessment Survey
The community survey was distributed to all Ontario Works recipients in Chatham-Kent, and participants were
also recruited at community meals, directly through frontline service providers, through notices on the Municipality’s website, and via notices in the public libraries and local paper. In total, 181 individuals participated in the
Community Needs Assessment survey, although not all participants answered each question.
The average age of the participants was 37.7. 18 to 24 year-olds constituted the largest single age cohort of participants.
More females than males participated in the survey.
What is your gender (Please select one)
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Male
43.0%
77
Female
55.9%
100
1.1%
2
Transgender
PAGE | 61
Do you describe yourself as (please select all that apply)
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
15.7%
21
Francophone or
Franco-Ontarian
6.0%
8
Newcomer to
Canada within the
past 5 years
4.5%
6
A person with a
disability (physical,
developmental or
mental)
56.7%
76
None of the above
18.7%
25
Aboriginal
answered question
skipped question
134
47
The majority of the Community Survey participants (N=139) identified Chatham as their home community; 22.6
percent reported that other communities were ‘home’. 75 percent of the respondents who selected ‘other’ are
from the Municipality.
Figure 1: Community Survey Participants’ Home Community
The majority of the participants reported that they had been staying in the same community for at least the
past 3 nights, and again, a large majority was from Chatham. 8 individuals (4.4 percent) reported that they slept
in more than one community during that time, although only 4 (2.2 percent) described themselves as currently
homeless.
PAGE | 62
What community were you staying in for at least the last three nights?
(If you stayed in more than one community, please select all that apply)
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Blenheim
4.2%
7
Bothwell
1.8%
3
Chatham
83.1%
138
Dresden
2.4%
4
Ridgetown
4.8%
8
Tilbury
4.2%
7
Wallaceburg
1.8%
3
Wheatley
1.8%
3
Other (please specify)
3.6%
6
answered question
166
skipped question
15
More than 80 percent of the survey participants described themselves as single; only 16 percent (N=29) were
married or in common-law relationships. However, just over one half of the participants reported that they have
children.
What is your family status?
Answer Options
Single
Response Percent
Response Count
63.2%
103
Separated
6.7%
11
Divorced
12.3%
20
Common law
10.4%
17
7.4%
12
Married
answered question
163
skipped question
18
Do you have children?
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Yes
53.9%
90
No
46.1%
77
answered question
skipped question
167
14
PAGE | 63
What is the highest educational level you have reached? (Please select the
answer that fits best)
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Primary School
3.4%
6
Middle School
4.5%
8
Some High School
39.5%
70
High School Diploma
26.0%
46
Some College/University
14.7%
26
College/University
Diploma
11.9%
21
answered question
177
skipped question
4
Were you adopted or in foster care while growing up?
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Yes
20.3%
36
No
79.7%
141
Do you currently live in housing that you either rent or own?
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Yes
76.8%
136
No
23.2%
41
answered question
177
skipped question
4
If no, what would best describe your current situation?
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Shelter
22.9%
Motel
14.3%
5
With friends or family
(couch surfing)
54.3%
19
8.6%
3
Outdoors
8
14
answered question
35
skipped question
146
‘Other’ responses include individuals who have housing but are currently couch-surfing or staying in a motel,
individuals who have been both couch-surfing and staying in motels recently, and an individual who has just
been discharged from a hospital.
PAGE | 64
If no, how long have you been without a permanent home?
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
less than 24 hours
8.1%
3
1 to 3 days
2.7%
1
4 to 6 days
2.7%
1
1 to 2 weeks
10.8%
4
3 to 4 weeks
10.8%
4
1 to 3 months
21.6%
8
3 to 6 months
13.5%
5
6 to 9 months
8.1%
3
9 to 12 months
2.7%
1
1 to 2 years
8.1%
3
3 to 5 years
10.8%
4
0.0%
0
more than 5 years
answered question
37
skipped question
144
If yes, what best describes your present housing situation: (Please select one)
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Own my home
8.1%
11
Own a mobile home
0.7%
1
Rent a mobile home
0.0%
0
Rent (house or apartment) on my own, paying market rent
33.3%
45
Rent (house or apartment) with other roommates, paying
market rent
10.4%
14
8.9%
12
Rent (house or apartment) with other family members, paying
market rent
Live in subsidized housing
18.5%
25
Rented room
8.9%
12
Boarding house
2.2%
3
Long term care facility
0.0%
0
Group home with care
0.0%
0
8.9%
12
answered question
skipped question
135
46
‘Other’ responses include several individuals who are currently living with their parents to have housing and
several respondents who described their living arrangements as temporary although they did not identify themselves as homeless.
PAGE | 65
Have you been homelessness before (including couch surfing, staying in a motel or a
shelter, or staying in your car)?
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Yes
67.5%
112
No
32.5%
answered question
54
166
skipped question
15
There is variation in the number of previous episodes of homelessness. In some cases the responses were vague
(e.g., “a couple”, “off and on, here and there”). 26.9 percent of the participants have experienced one previous
episode of homelessness, and 25 percent have experienced 2-3 episodes of homelessness; 30.7 percent have
experienced 3-5 previous episodes of homelessness.
Number of previous Episodes of Homelessness
Number of Responses
10 previous episodes
5
1 homeless episode
28
2-3 homeless episodes
26
3-5 homeless episodes
32
4 years or more off/on
3
a lot/many
8
only one episode
2
Total
104
If you have previously experienced homelessness, what caused you to become homeless?
(Select all that apply)
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Lost Job
26.2%
27
Addiction
35.9%
37
Family Crisis
53.4%
55
Too many dependents
1.0%
1
11.7%
12
Post-traumatic Stress
Disorder
9.7%
10
35.0%
36
Mental Illness
answered question
skipped question
103
78
The most frequent ‘other’ reason given (12 participants) is a family crisis or breakdown with more detail provided
(e.g., kicked out of parents’ home); 3 participants also cited abuse and 3 cited an eviction, and 3 indicated that
they could not afford their rent. 2 participants reported that they became homeless as a result of unsafe housing
conditions.
PAGE | 66
What were you living arrangements before you became homeless?
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Lived with parents
36.8%
43
Lived with family members (non-parent)
10.3%
12
Lived with friends
17.9%
21
Lived on my own
39.3%
46
Lived in a group home
3.4%
4
Lived in a penitentiary
1.7%
2
14.5%
17
answered question
117
skipped question
64
In the past year have you:
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Had more than four (4) interactions with police
41.6%
32
Had more than four (4) visits to the emergency room
57.1%
44
Used an ambulance more than four (4) times
10.4%
8
Spent more than three (3) days in hospital
24.7%
19
Spent more than three (3) days in jail or prison
13.0%
10
answered question
77
skipped question
104
Have you ever had a substance abuse problem?
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Yes
41.0%
71
No
59.0%
102
answered question
173
skipped question
8
Are you currently employed?
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Yes
21.9%
37
No
78.1%
132
answered question
skipped question
169
12
PAGE | 67
If yes, which best describes your employment position: (Select One)
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Full-time
38.9%
14
Part-time
44.4%
16
Informal/casual
labour
16.7%
6
answered question
36
skipped question
145
Do you get income from (please select all that apply)?
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Ontario Works
54.9%
84
Ontario Disability Support Program
28.1%
43
Employment Insurance
2.0%
3
Spousal /child support payments
0.0%
0
Child tax credit
7.8%
12
Canada Pension Plan/Old Age Security/
Guaranteed Income Supplement
4.6%
7
20.9%
32
answered question
153
skipped question
28
What community services are you currently accessing? (Please check all that apply)
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
Emergency Shelter
7.9%
11
Emergency financial assistance (e.g., a rent top up or utility
assistance)
7.9%
11
Family or individual counselling
21.4%
30
Food bank
70.0%
98
Meal program
16.4%
23
Youth program
9.3%
13
Mental health services
28.6%
40
Addiction treatment
13.6%
19
9.3%
13
19.3%
27
Services for persons with physical disabilities
answered question
skipped question
140
41
The most frequent ‘other’ response was the Hope Housing Program (10 participants), followed by no services (4
participants). 2 each indicated that they were accessing some type of medical support, a soup kitchen, or the
Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre.
PAGE | 68
How easy is it for you to access the community services you use? (Please select one)
Answer Options Very hard
12
Hard
I don’t have an opinion
Easy
Vey easy
46
29
59
14
Although the greatest number of respondents reported that services are easy to access in Chatham-Kent, nearly
one third (32%) reported that they are either hard or very hard to access.
In your opinion, homelessness is: (Please select one)
Answer Options
Not a problem in the Chatham-Kent community today
Response Percent
Response Count
3.7%
6
A small problem in the Chatham-Kent community today
12.8%
21
A moderate problem in the Chatham-Kent community today
33.5%
55
A major problem in the Chatham-Kent community today
39.0%
64
The biggest problem in the Chatham-Kent community today
11.0%
18
answered question
skipped question
164
17
The survey participants consistently identified lack of employment and lack of affordable housing as the two factors that contribute to homelessness in Chatham-Kent, although more than half of the participants (58) felt that
there is more than one factor.
Similarly, ‘more affordable housing’ was most frequently identified as the most important thing that the community can do to expand access to stable housing, but more than half of the participants (58) felt that there is more
than one thing that is needed.
PAGE | 69
Appendix B: Community Consultation Themes
The OrgCode project team facilitated five community engagement sessions in Chatham-Kent attended by service providers on June 25 and 26; the following organizations were represented:
• Abiding House
• AIDS Support Chatham-Kent
• Canadian Mental Health Association
• Chatham-Kent Community Health Centre
• Chatham-Kent Assertive Community Treatment Team
• Chatham-Kent Employment & Social Services
• Chatham-Kent Municipal Council
• Chatham-Kent Police Services
• Chatham-Kent Sexual Assault Crisis Centre
• Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre
• Chatham-Kent Victims Services
• Community Living Chatham-Kent
• Family Services Kent
• Ministry of Community & Social Services – Ontario Disability Support Program
• Riverway Non-profit Housing
• United Way
The Delaware First Nation and the Walpole Island First Nation were also invited to attend these meetings.
Brief interviews were also held with representatives from The Salvation Army youth program and Salvation Army
Child and Family Services, the Local Health Integration Network, and Outreach for Hunger.
Additional focus groups with community members with lived experience were held in the following locations:
•
•
•
•
•
Victoria Avenue United Church (4 participants)
Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre (4 participants)
Interfaith Caring Kitchen (6 participants)
Praise Fellowship (6 participants)
Hope Housing (12 participants)
In addition, focus groups were arranged through The Salvation Army youth program and CMHA to allow these
two distinct groups to share their perspectives. Although no clients chose to attend the scheduled groups,
several youth and individuals who self-identified as having a diagnosed mental health condition participated in
other focus groups. These groups also shared their perspectives through the community survey.
PAGE | 70
Summary of Consultation Themes:
Homelessness in Chatham-Kent is hidden and often affects the ‘working poor’. Both service providers and community members who participated in the focus group sessions indicated that homelessness in Chatham-Kent
is typically hidden. Individuals and families who are ‘hidden homeless’ may stay with friends, in motels, or in
temporary accommodations with family members. Several service providers stated that it is a challenge to assess
how many of their clients are ‘hidden homeless’ because some may not want to identify themselves as homeless,
while others do not consider themselves to be homeless. Sleeping outdoors may occur on occasion, but it is not
common. Two community members noted that there are people in Chatham who sleep in tents and outside,
particularly near the rail bridge at the east end of Chatham. Another focus group participant described sleeping
in a locker.
Substance use – Across all of the focus groups, participants reported that substance use is a major concern in
Chatham-Kent that may contribute to homelessness, and that substance use is believed to be increasing. The
growth in the number of methadone clinics and growing number of people seeking assistance for homelessness support these perceptions. Persons accessing services indicated that the increase in methadone clinics is a
welcome change, but that more should be done in order to advertise these services, and additional services for
addiction may be required. Several focus group participants who reported that they previously had a substance
use issue stated that a detox facility is needed in Chatham-Kent.
Crime and Safety – Participants in the Victoria Avenue focus group described the area around the rail bridge,
where people who are sleeping rough tend to congregate, as unsafe. The association of substance use with
homelessness may unintentionally add to the negative view of homelessness as being a contributor to crime
within the Municipality. Crime and safety were also major themes in the focus group with Hope Housing clients,
although this group focused on crime in existing social housing neighbourhoods and areas with a concentration
of privately owned low-cost rental housing.
The working poor – The face of poverty is changing. Service providers have seen an increase in the number of
middle-income families accessing emergency assistance as they have been impacted by the economic downturn
in Chatham-Kent. The closing of Navistar and the ripple effect it had on local business had a pronounced negative impact on economic vibrancy throughout the Municipality.
Service Mapping & Identification of Vulnerable Groups and Gaps
The service providers were asked to divide into small groups to create ‘maps’ of the network of supports and
services for people experiencing homelessness in Chatham-Kent. Five different maps, which visualized the connections between agencies and the pathways individuals and families take through that network, were created.
These maps help to identify areas where there are gaps in the available supports, and the challenges people face
in accessing the services they need. They also identify the major services in the community.
Vulnerable groups
•
•
•
•
Youth between the ages of 16 and 18 years old are vulnerable as they may not be eligible for Ontario Works assistance if they do not attend school, and many can no longer access services through
CAS
Women leaving domestic violence. The focus group and CKWC staff felt that the shelter provides a
great opportunity for women to be housed and access multiple services.
Persons with compromised mental wellness were identified in all community engagements.
Persons with addictions were identified in all community engagements.
PAGE | 71
•
•
•
•
Participants in all focus groups identified that there is a lack of emergency services available to men.
Service providers reported that people, particularly men, who are charged with a crime may be particularly vulnerable as they may be unable to return home and there are limited emergency shelter
options.
Households receiving Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support are often precariously housed
and at higher risk of homelessness because social assistance shelter rates are well below average
rents. Participants in the community focus groups as well as the focus group with service providers
in Wallaceburg said that both women and men sometimes engage in sex work to supplement their
incomes. This elevates the immediate loss of security, creates dangerous situations and may expose
clients to substance use.
First Nations. Service providers who work with the First Nations reported that some people who
move off-reserve may not have the resources necessary to access and maintain housing, and the
supports that are available may not adequately reflect cultural sensitivity.
Gaps and Challenges in Homelessness Services
No definition of homelessness in Chatham-Kent – people who are homeless may not be recognized as such or
may not self-identify as homeless, making it difficult for service providers to offer appropriate supports to assist
them to access stable housing.
Family break-ups - Focus group participants reported that the involvement of child protection services may
result in family breakups and extend periods of homelessness: e.g. when the children of lone parents who lose
their housing are removed, the parent’s OW/ODSP income is reduced and the parent may then be unable to secure suitable housing. Additionally, when families separate due to domestic violence, the perpetrator may have
no housing options; men are particularly vulnerable as there is no men’s shelter in Chatham-Kent. During the
CKWC focus group it was also identified that the process of moving can be very disruptive to clients, which may
indicate that it is best to accommodate clients in permanent housing situations as quickly as possible; the lack of
stable housing increases the difficulty in stabilizing children who are susceptible to emotional distress and may
pose negative long-term lasting effects.
Long wait times for social housing. Wait time for affordable housing can be long and far exceed emergency
shelter services available to clients. One CKWC client said “having to wait for a home is depressing, my children
are particularly affected and I have to lie to them about why we are staying here. I tell them that this is like a
vacation.” A community member indicated that in some instances wait times for apartments can be in excess of
one year, so that clients are forced to secure market rental housing that is either unaffordable or of substandard
quality, which over the long-term may lead to negative health effects.
Lack of counseling services for young children. A single participant with dependents identified that although
counseling services are available to adults and youth, there are no counseling services available to children under the age of 4. This may exacerbate already stressful situations experienced by persons who find themselves to
be without a permanent home.
Crime. Some community members stated that crime and drug culture have a negative impact on people who
are experiencing homelessness, exposing them to high levels of stress and a lack of personal security.
Lack of service awareness. Focus group participants reported that they do not always know about the services
that are available, and in some cases did not have a clear understanding of the services of which they were
PAGE | 72
aware. Some participants felt that some agencies are secretive about what they do and place a burden on them
to ask for help. Clients felt that some organizations may not inform of the service that are available because they
want to save their resources.
Lack of a single access point for services. Clients are referred to services and required to explain their story
multiple times, forcing them to relive the humiliation, anguish and emotional distress.
Lack of service coordination. According to the focus group participants, agencies do not always connect those
who need assistance with appropriate supports and services. The service providers reported that while coordination happens at some level, there is much that could be done to work together more effectively to provide
seamless support.
Lack of appropriate services for people with addictions and compromised mental health. Focus group
participants stated that hospitals lack addictions services and staff able to assist clients who present with mental
health issues and substance use issues. One focus group participant described seeking mental health care from a
doctor, only to be referred to the hospital and then told to return to the doctor; another described being refused
admittance to hospital while in crisis. Detox facilities, drug rehab, and harm reduction services in addition to the
methadone clinics were all identified as needs. People who use substances may not be able to access emergency shelter if they are in crisis as a result, as there may not be a staff person who can monitor the individual to
ensure their safety.
Affordable housing (including social housing) located in rural areas without access to services or transportation. Housing may be available in satellite locations such as Dresden, but services are not available locally
and there is no transportation to get to Chatham where most service hubs are located
Poor relationships between landlords and low-income tenants. Low-income applicants have to provide false
information in order to be able to rent, possibly establishing poor rapport with potential landlords and reducing
their own self-esteem.
Credit checks. Bankruptcy and poor credit ratings may lead to homelessness, as individuals are unable to pass
credit check applications.
Housing necessary to garner income, income necessary to acquire housing. Community members in both
focus group sessions identified a “catch-22” situation, in which they need a mailing address to access income support, but without income support they are unable to access housing, even with assistance through CHPI.
Lack of one-on-one caseworkers. Community members identified the lack of case management services as
one of the priority challenges for those who are in crisis situations but not on OW or ODSP, or accessing CKWC
services. Focus group participants suggested that when dealing with multiple issues in a crisis situation, it is
difficult to prioritize step-by-step actions and that more informed decisions could be made if they had help to
identify their choices. An example of this was the counseling services available through the CKWC, which works
with clients on a one-on-one basis to help them identify and choose solutions; this was described as a very effective and empowering approach, which the focus group participants felt should be more widely available.
Outreach services for First Nations living off-reserve - Those who live on reserve but wish to access housing
and homelessness services or those addressing substance use, may be vulnerable to stigmatization by other
members of their community.
PAGE | 73
Needs Identified by Service Providers and Focus Group Participants
Service providers and focus group participants brainstormed a number of potential actions that could be taken
and services that are needed. These include some that are directly related to homelessness or homelessness
prevention, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Permanent supported living and living with supports. Service providers in the Chatham focus group
session were particularly interested in addressing the issues for person with special needs. They
identified that persons with compromised mental wellness would particularly benefit if such housing options were available to them.
Landlord incentive for low-income individuals. Continue and expand programs that allow lowincome tenants to sign leases without paying 1st and last month‘s rent.
Landlord-tenant awareness programs. Programs that would encourage landlords to work with rent
supplements and/or renting to low-income individuals
Emergency housing options. Both service users and service providers agreed for the need of an
emergency shelter that would offer services to a wide variety of high-risk populations. Additionally,
participants of the focus group held at CKWC indicated that a program allowing clients to remain
housed at CKWC for a small fee when the maximum number of days has been reached and participants have not secured permanent housing would allow for clients to continue to access services.
Alternatively, mobile services could be delivered to people staying in motels. Throughout the consultation process it was suggested that an increase in provision of emergency shelter options for all
demographics, but particularly for men, should be incorporated into the homelessness strategy.
More transitional housing options. This action was proposed in every focus group session. Participants in both the focus groups and the consultations did not always articulate a clear distinction
between emergency shelter and transitional housing.
More affordable housing. The need for more affordable housing has been identified in all of our
focus group sessions.
Improved coordination and improved standards for services delivery. Service providers identified
that improved coordination and provision of services, especially in rural areas, is essential to improve service delivery throughout the municipality. Services do exist, but agencies need to collaborate with one another more effectively. Clients felt that service providers should improve advertisement of services for persons experiencing homelessness and those who may be at-risk of losing
their homes. It is important that in addition to providing clients with a complete list of services that
may be available to them, service providers should involve their clients as active participants in the
services that they access, and should treat clients with respect. Women in the CKWC focus group
session identified that service providers in certain organizations provided poor quality services. Improved coordination and high standards for services delivery may also reduce the number of clients
on waiting lists and result in ending people’s homelessness.
Other needs were less closely connected to homelessness and address quality of life issues for people living in
low income. For example,
•
•
Supports for Parents with children who have special needs. More day camps for children with special
needs
Increased supports for OW and ODSP recipients & improved standard of living. Service providers
and participants in the CKWC specifically advocated for this change.
PAGE | 74
Priorities for Action
Service providers mapped the actions they identified through the Breakthrough Thinking exercise on a Strategic
Opportunity grid, and engaged in a ‘fist of five’ voting exercise to prioritize their ideas. The Strategic Opportunity
Grid is composed of two axes: the degree of difficulty of implementation and the community benefit expected
to result. Actions mapped in the ‘Big payoff – Easy to implement’ quadrant are generally seen as top priority,
short-term actions. Actions identified in the ‘Big payoff – Difficult to implement” quadrant, are also top priority
but are identified as long-term goals. The ‘Small payoff - Easy to implement’, are secondary activities that may be
desirable if resources are available. The last quadrant holds actions that are expected to result in a small payoff
and are difficult to implement.
Participants voted on which actions are high priority by holding up 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 fingers. Each participant casts
a vote for each of the proposed actions and the results are tabulated; the actions with highest scores have the
greatest degree of consensus.
The service providers identified the following priorities in the two consultation meetings:
Wallaceburg (4 participants; high score 20):
1. Improve access to emergency and transitioning services – including shelter for men and 2nd stage supportive housing: 20
2. Improve service coordination – including delivery of services in rural areas and/or improved transportation, access to childcare, wraparound programs, outreach programs with good client buy-in: 20
3. More affordable housing – specifically targeting senior populations: 19
4. Increased financial supports for OW and ODSP recipients – implement living wage: 19
Chatham (14 participants; 75 high score 70):
1. More affordable housing – 70
2. Improve availability and coordination of services: 68
3. Emergency shelter: 63
4. Transitional housing: 59
5. Housing for specific populations that have difficulty accessing housing (e.g., youth): 59
6. Housing with supports: 58
7. Living wage and more social assistance: 56
8. Long term funding that is less complicated, in order to get property owners involved in providing
housing: 55
9. Community education about homelessness: 51
These votes illustrate that among service providers, more affordable housing, emergency and transitional housing options, and improved service coordination are viewed as the top priorities to respond to homelessness in
Chatham-Kent, and are similar to the issues raised in the focus groups with service users.
PAGE | 75
Appendix C: Pre-screen and Assessment Tools
Pre-screen Tools:
The pre-screen tool should be able to quickly assess the housing crisis and identify the severity of the client’s
need. A sample question set for a prescreen process may include the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Where did you stay last night?
Why do you have to leave the place you stayed at last night?
What is your relationship to the person who gave you a place to stay last night?
How long have you stayed at this location?
Do you pay anything?
When do you have to leave?
If we can’t house you where will you stay tonight?
Can you find a place for a couple of nights?
What is your relationship to the person who is giving you a place to stay while you wait for a shelter
bed or housing unit to open?
If the person who gave you a place to stay allows you to continue to stay over night, will that person
put her/his own housing in jeopardy (violating lease)?
Where do you have your personal belongings?
Do you have any income?
How much money do you have (to determine if a motel or rent is possible)?
Assessment Tools
As assessment tool should be both comprehensive and succinct, and provide information that will allow for
service prioritization. In addition, assessment tools can be applied multiple times with the same client in order
to assess changes in acuity as a result of the service intervention, so they can be used to monitor outcomes as
well as assess clients’ needs. Three assessment tools that have been validated in other communities are recommended for this purpose:
•
•
•
Vulnerability Index
Vulnerability Assessment Tool
Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT)
Vulnerability Index
The Vulnerability Index is a tool for identifying and prioritizing the street homeless population for housing according to the fragility of their health. It is a practical application of research into the causes of death of homeless
individuals living on the street conducted by Boston’s Healthcare for the Homeless organization, although given
its emphasis on street homelessness, it may be less suited to the needs of a community like Chatham-Kent. The
Boston research identified the specific health conditions that cause homeless individuals to be most at risk for
dying on the street. For individuals who have been homeless for at least six months, one or more of the following
markers place them at heightened risk of mortality:
•
•
•
•
More than three hospitalizations or emergency room visits in a year
More than three emergency room visits in the previous three months
Aged 60 or older
Cirrhosis of the liver
PAGE | 76
•
•
•
•
End-stage renal disease
History of frostbite, immersion foot, or hypothermia
HIV+/AIDS
Tri-morbidity: co-occurring psychiatric, substance abuse, and chronic medical condition
Administered in the form of a survey, the Vulnerability Index captures a homeless individual’s health and social
status. The most vulnerable clients are identified through a ranking system, taking into account an array of risk
factors and the duration of homelessness. The subsequent ranking allows providers to identify those with the
most severe health risks and to prioritize these clients for housing and other supports. 76
Vulnerability Assessment Tool
The DESC Vulnerability Assessment Tool provides a structured way of measuring a homeless person’s vulnerability to continued instability. The assessment process entails a structured interview followed by completion of the
rating scales. The tool is designed for use by service workers accustomed to interacting directly with homeless
people, and training is required to ensure reliable application of the tool. 77
The DESC Vulnerability Assessment tool is composed of ten separate domains that interviewers use to measure
client vulnerability. The domains are as follows:
1. Survival Skills
2. Basic Needs
3. Indicated Mortality Risks
4. Medical Risks
5. Organization/Orientation
6. Mental Health
7. Substance Use
8. Communication
9. Social Behaviours
10. Homelessness
Each domain represents an area that assesses a homeless person’s limitations in meeting his or her own needs.
Over the years, DESC determined that the above domains are key to understanding a homeless person’s risk for
victimization or death on the street. The numerical score that is applied to each domain provides a way to rank a
homeless person’s vulnerability when compared to other clients who have been interviewed and assessed. Once
a community of homeless adults has been assessed, those with the highest scores are considered to be at highest risk and can be prioritized for services.
PAGE | 77
Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT)
The Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT) is an assessment tool designed by OrgCode.
Launched in 2011, the SPDAT is now in use in more than 50 communities across North America. 78 The SPDAT
uses 15 dimensions to determine an acuity score that will help inform professional Housing First or Rapid ReHousing practitioners about the following:
•
•
•
•
•
People who will benefit most from Housing First
People who will benefit most from Rapid Re-Housing
People who are most likely to end their own homelessness with little to no intervention on your part
Which areas of the person’s life that can be the initial focus of attention in the case management
relationship to improve housing stability
How individuals and families are changing over time as a result of the case management process
The 15 dimensions are:
1. Self Care and Daily Living Skills
2. Social Relationships and Networks
3. Meaningful Daily Activity
4. Personal Administration and Money Management
5. Managing Tenancy
6. Physical Health and Wellness
7. Mental Health and Wellness
8. Medication
9. Interaction with Emergency Services
10. Involvement in High Risk and/or Exploitive Situations
11. Substance Use
12. Abuse and/or Trauma
13. Risk of Personal Harm/ Harm to Others
14. Legal
15. History of Homelessness and Housing
The SPDAT can be integrated with existing HMIS systems and, in many communities, it has been used to supplement or replace various self-sufficiency matrices. The SPDAT has also been reviewed by practitioners in the
health, mental health, addictions, housing and homelessness sectors and has proven to be effective for a range
of populations from age, gender and cultural perspectives. Appropriate use of the SPDAT requires a one or twoday training program to ensure that frontline staff, team leaders, supervisors and other important community
stakeholders know how to effectively use this tool.
PAGE | 78
Appendix D: Pre-screen and Assessment Model
Client Requests Services
Pre-Screen
Attempt Diversion
Diversion Successful?
NO
Direct to
Emergency Housing
YES
End Process
Allow time for
Client to Resolve
Housing Situation
Is Client Able to Secure Suitable Housing?
NO
Perform
Assessment
YES
End Process
Facilitate
Referrals
PAGE | 79
Appendix E: Metrics
All service providers who are working with homeless or unstably housed clients should be able to answer three
questions: Who are we serving? How are we helping them? What happens to them?
Input Measures
Measure
Metrics
Collection
Demographic characteristics of clients
Age, sex, family size and status,
income sources, Aboriginal
status, etc.
At time of intake and assessment
Current housing situation
Is the household in their own
housing, staying with relatives or
friends, staying in shelter, staying
in a motel, or unsheltered?
Source of housing instability
The reasons why the household
is homeless or facing homelessness (e.g., eviction notice, housing unsafe, housing unsuitable,
domestic violence).
Urgency of housing risk
Days until the household is
evicted or otherwise will lose
their housing.
Client acuity
The severity of the household’s
need, according to the assessment.
At time of assessment
Output Measures
Measure
Metrics
Collection
Turnaways
Number of clients who are deAt time of intake and assessment
nied service and the reason why
(e.g., ineligible, lack of funds, etc.)
Type of assistance received
Including all programs available
from the service provider (e.g.,
rent arrears, rent deposit, utility
arrears, emergency accommodation, food voucher, etc.)
At time of initial service provision
Amount of service received
Dollar value of the services
provided
Duration of services received
From the time the client file is
opened until the time the client
file is closed
and at time of client file closing.
Referrals
Name of other service provider
or government agency to which
client is referred during service
provision
and throughout the period that
the client receives services
PAGE | 80
Output Measures
Measure
Metrics
Collection
Service outcome
Number of clients who remain
stably housed after service provision
One month after service/beginning of service; 6 months after
service/beginning of service;
12 months after beginning of
service
Housing type
Housing type where client
resides (e.g., private market, subsidized housing or rent supplemented housing, housing with
transitional supports, supportive
housing, assisted living, etc.)
One month after service/beginning of service; 6 months after
service/beginning of service;
12 months after beginning of
service
Client recidivism
The number of clients who apply At time of intake and assessment
for the service more than once in
a year, regardless of whether they
receive the service or not
END NOTES
73.National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2010). Prevention Targeting 101
74.A number of validated Common Assessment and Triage tools exist that have been tested across different sites and are descried in Appendix D. Typically, there will be no cost to obtain the tool but there may be conditions placed on its use: for example, that assessors be
trained by the organization that developed the tool and/or that organizations adopting the tool provide feedback or de-identiied data to
support ongoing refinement of the tool.
75.Although there were 16 participants throughout most of the meeting 2 individuals had to leave before the voting exercise.
76.From Vulnerability Index: Prioritizing the Street Homeless Population by Mortality Risk. Available online at: http://www.jedc.org/forms/
Vulnerability%20Index.pdf
77.From Vulnerability Assessment Tool for determining eligibility and allocating services and housing for homeless adults. Available online
at: http://www.desc.org/documents/09.11.2012.DESC.Intro_to_Vulnerability_Assessment_Tool.incl%20VAT%20&%201-page%20validity.
pdf
78.More information about SPDAT is available online at: http://www.orgcode.com/resources/what-is-spdat/
PAGE | 81
Appendix 2
Chatham-Kent
Housing Report Card
January – December 2014
Overall Summary
Insert general description on community progress towards housing actions and targets.
Include as part of this description the total number of affordable housing units,
accessible units, and supportive units created to target.
2011 1
2014
DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS
Population
Population Growth (%)
Households
Household Growth (%)
Unemployment Rate
104,075
-4.2%
46,391
5.9%
8.4%2
Ontario Works Maximum Shelter Allowance for One Benefit Unit
$409
ODSP Maximum Shelter Allowance for One Benefit Unit
$474
General Minimum Wage
$10.25
Average Household Income
$69,7453
Median Household Income
$57,233
Change in Consumer Price Index from Previous Year
2.9%
1
All data provided as of December 2011 unless otherwise stated.
September 2011.
3
Average and median household incomes for 2011 are estimated using Statistics Canada 2005 Census
figures (average = $62,248, median = $51,081) and applying the annual increase in consumer price
index (2005-2011).
2
Municipality of Chatham-Kent Housing Study Update Report
(Final - January 2014)
1
HOUSING INDICATORS
Private Rental and Ownership Housing
Average Market Rent
$6434
Average Vacancy Rate (private rental market)
7.0%5
Average Resale House Price Singles6
$149,854
Average Resale House Price Semis
$153,766
Average Resale House Price Rows
$165,400
Average Resale House Price Condo
$122,688
Number of New Building Permits Issued for Single/Semis 7
121
Number of New Building Permits Issued for Rows
2
Number of New Building Permits Issued for Apartments
0
Number of New Building Permits Issued that include Accessible Units
n/a
Social and Affordable Housing
Number of Social Housing Units
1,592
Average Vacancy Rate for Social Housing Units
5.5%8
Number of Households Receiving RGI with Income at or below HILS
1,256
Number of High Needs Households Receiving RGI
961
Number of Modified Units in Social Housing Portfolio
63
Number of Social Housing Households Receiving Support Services
13
Number of Households on Social Housing Waiting List as of December 31st
371
Number of Households Housed from the Social Housing Waiting List
301
Number Of New Applications for the Social Housing Waiting List
Number of Evictions (public housing)
Total Number of New Affordable Units Created this Year
4
5
6
7
8
9
1011
8
249
October 2011. $456 bachelor, $590 one-bed, $679 two-bed, $670 three-bed.
October 2011.
MPAC Sales Data, August 2011.
December 2010
June 2011.
Riverview Terrace.
2
Cumulative Total of Affordable Units Created Toward Housing Targets
24
Emergency, Transitional and Supportive Housing
Number Of Emergency and Transitional Housing Units
3710
Number Of Supportive Housing Units (outside social housing)
18311
Number of Applicants Waiting for Supportive Housing Units
89+12
Number of Accessible Housing Units
1813
HOUSING SUPPORT SERVICE INDICATORS
Number of New Tenant Support Services
n/a
Number of New Services in Rural Communities
n/a
Number of Households Assisted by Energy/Renovation Programs
n/a
Number of Households in Receipt of OW
3,386
Number of Households in Receipt of ODSP
3,323
Number of Households Assisted by (Municipal) Homelessness Programs
n/a
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR
# 1 – People Experiencing Homelessness Obtain and Retain Housing
# of households that have moved from homelessness to emergency shelters
# of households that have moved from homelessness to transitional housing
# of households that have moved from homelessness to long-term housing
# of households that have moved from emergency shelters to transitional housing
# of households that have moved from emergency shelters to long-term housing
# of supports or services provided to households experiencing homelessness that
are not related to the provision of accommodation but contribute to a positive
change in the housing status
10
32 beds at Women’s Centre, 5 units at Nancy’s Place.
CMHA (16), March of Dimes (18), Community Living Chatham (87), Community Living
Wallaceburg(40), Westover Treatment Centre (22)
12
Not all supportive housing providers maintain waiting list. March of Dimes (14), Community Living
Chatham (66), Community Living Wallaceburg (9)
13
March of Dimes.
11
3
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR
#2 – People At Risk of Homelessness Remain Housed
# of households that have moved from transitional housing into long-term
housing
# of households at imminent risk of homelessness that are stabilized
# of households that are receiving ongoing subsidy / supports to retain their
housing (at six months)
# of supports or services provided to households at risk of homelessness that
allow them to maintain or retain their housing
INVESTMENT INDICATORS
This area provides space for outlining investments in affordable housing, including
• Investment in capital maintenance of social housing
• Financial investments in affordable housing by all partners
• Local government (waiving of fees, land etc.)
• Senior government (IAH, Ontario Renovates, SEED etc.)
• In-kind investments in affordable housing
PROGRESS ON HOUSING ACTIONS
This area provides space for outlining progress on strategic actions. Description
should describe all completed actions as well as all activities initiated in response to
housing strategy.
4
PROGRESS IN PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
This area provides space for outlining new partnerships and efforts of collaboration to
meet housing actions and targets.
PROGRESS IN HOUSING AWARENESS
This area provides space for outlining all housing education and awareness initiatives
including all housing and support service advocacy efforts.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
This area provides space for general comments and description of any other
community activities aimed at achieving the housing vision for Chatham-Kent.
5
Appendix 4
Recommended revisions to the 10 Year Chatham-Kent Housing Plan
 MMAH: HSA, 2011 requires the housing and homelessness plan to address the
housing needs of victims of domestic violence (VDVs) by including: current and
future housing needs; objectives and targets; proposed activities; and how
progress will be measured.
 Director, Housing Services: Chatham-Kent participates in two annual wait list
surveys that captures data on the housing of VDVs (also referred to as special
provincial priority – SPP - applicants). Our statistics consistently show that we
house SPP applicants in relatively short order. In fact, SPP applicants are
housed quickly enough that we quite often are unable to get SPP applicants to
accept an Affordable Housing unit, that is either short term (i.e., specific rent
supplement term) or more permanent affordable but no rent subsidy attached to
it. The Director recommends that specific targets for VDVs remain the
prerogative of the Province, when program specific funding is available.
 MMAH: re objective to “improve and maintain the existing supply,” and includes
actions such as participating in renovation funding programs and strategic asset
management of the housing stock, as well as an objective to “increase supply of
affordable housing.” The Plan could consider ways in which the Ontario Housing
Policy Statement (OHPS) Theme 7 of Environmental Sustainability and Energy
Conservation could be addressed in these contexts.
 Director, Housing Services: The underlined portions are recommended to be
added for greater clarity of the intent of these Actions.
Housing Plan Action no. 8 is amended to “develop a strategic asset management
plan for social housing stock including further analysis of the impact of expiring
senior government agreements, in order to best leverage existing resources and
ensure the sustainability of affordable housing supply.”
Housing Plan Action no. 5 is amended to “continue to participate in housing
renovation and energy efficiency funding programs.”
 MMAH: Engagement with and support of housing providers in addressing local
needs: considering OHPS Theme 3, the housing and homelessness plan(s)
could expand on this in regard to engagement and support specifically of nonprofit housing corporations and non-profit housing co-operatives.
 Director, Housing Services: Housing Plan Action no. 21 is amended to “Initiate
community working group comprised of non-profit housing providers (including
co-operative non-profits) and tenants (or co-op members), municipal Housing
Services staff, support agencies, as well as representation form the Erie St. Clair
Community Care Access Centre’s Chatham-Kent Geographic Implementation
Committee for Home First, to identify opportunities to leverage resources and
provide more support services for tenants.”
Housing Plan Action no. 26 is amended to “Conduct affordable housing capacity
workshop to bring together potential partners (i.e., community organizations,
private non-profit housing providers (including co-ops), private corporations,
developers, builders, financial institutions, support service agencies, real estate
sector, etc.) to work towards enhancing capacity for affordable housing
programs.
A Homelessness Plan for ChathamKent
Council Presentation
January 20 2014
Gwen Potter-King, OrgCode Consulting, Inc.
Overview
 About OrgCode
 The How & Why of the Chatham-Kent Homelessness Plan
 Key Findings
 Strategic Objectives
About OrgCode
 Social planning and policy research firm
 Experience with housing & homelessness includes:
 London Affordable Housing Strategy
 Elgin County Youth Homelessness Study
 Housing & Homelessness Plans for Huron County, Stratford
and Perth County, Simcoe County, and Rainy River District
 Kingston Homelessness Plan
 “Catalysts for change”
The How & Why of the Chatham-Kent
Homelessness Plan
 Provincially mandated to have a long-term plan for
homelessness services
 Assessment of the need for emergency supports and
transitional and supportive housing identified as a priority
 Limited availability of homelessness services in ChathamKent
How & Why, Continued…
 Community needs assessment survey that targeted lowincome Chatham-Kent residents
 Focus groups with people who have lived experience of
homelessness in the community
 2 consultation meetings with service providers
 Background research and review of locally available
data
 2 public forums
Emerging Themes and Trends
“Hidden” Homelessness and “At Risk”
 People are “homeless” when they do not have stable,
adequate housing or the immediate prospect of
obtaining it.
 Households “at risk” may be living in housing that they
cannot afford, living in unsafe housing, or living in unsafe
situations.
 Homelessness affects families with children, young
people, and single adults.
Homelessness on the Increase
 An estimated 590-629 households experience
homelessness on average, although most will be
homeless for a very short time
 Available data and reports from community-based
agencies in Chatham-Kent show that more households
appear to be experiencing homelessness.
 Collecting additional local data and integrating data
across multiple agencies will support ongoing refinement
of services to meet local needs.
Currently Available Supports are
Limited
 Most emergency accommodation in Chatham-Kent is
short-term and not integrated with assistance to secure
permanent housing.
 Limited availability of permanent supportive housing and
transitional supports
 Shortage of low-cost private market housing and rentgeared-to-income social housing means it is difficult for
households that are homeless or at risk because of low
income to find housing they can afford over the longterm
Recommendations
Strategic directions to work toward ending homelessness in
Chatham-Kent
Strategic Directions:
 1.0 Strengthen partnerships between service providers
 2.0 Promote service coordination
 3.0 Maintain a focus on homelessness prevention
 4.0 Expand access to emergency accommodation within a Housing
First framework
 5.0 Implement transitional financial and other supports to promote
housing stability
 6.0 Adopt common metrics for homelessness data for program planning
and performance monitoring
 7.0 Engage in advocacy and awareness-raising
Aligning the Plan with Community
Needs
 Addresses the need to expand access to emergency
accommodations for people who become homeless
and do not have a safe alternative
 Focuses on increasing access to housing with supports
(transitional and permanent) and assistance to find
housing
 Emphasizes the prevention of homelessness whenever
possible
 Ensures that services are coordinated and easy to access
and navigate
Aligning the Plan with Best Practices
to End Homelessness
 Housing First approach: The Plan focuses on prevention,
swift return to permanent housing, and supports to sustain
housing
 Service integration: Agencies and the Municipality adopt
shared tools and develop strategies that enable them to
provide appropriate supports to all clients
 Performance measurement and planning: Common
metrics enable ongoing improvement of programs and
services shaped by rich understanding of local needs
Supporting Implementation
 A coordinating committee, described in Strategic
Direction 1.0, will be formed to oversee the
implementation of the Plan and explore partnering
opportunities
 A phased-in approach ensures that recommendations
that require additional staff can be tested and
expanded over time
 Regular updates to the community maintain
accountability and transparency and integrate with the
Housing Plan
Linking the Housing & Homelessness
Plans
CHATHAM-KENT HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS PLAN FRAMEWORK
HOUSING VISION
HOMELESSNESS VISION
Chatham-Kent will have a community of service providers who
work collaboratively to prevent homelessness
HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS TARGETS
25% Affordable Housing (including 2% supportive) & 5% Accessible Housing
Senior
Gov’t
Policy
HOUSING OBJECTIVES
Plan for
Diverse
Supply
Improve
and
Maintain
Supply
Increase
affordable
Supply
Local
Policy
Expand
Range of
Supports
Ensure
Emergency
and
Transitional
Options
Promote
and
Educate
Strengthen
Partnerships
Promote
Service
Coordination
Maintain
Focus on
Homelessness
Prevention
Expand
Access to
Emergency
Accommodation
Implement
Transitional
Financial &
Other
Supports
Adopt
Common
Metrics
HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS MEASURES
Annual
Housing &
Homelessness
Report Card
5 Year
Official Plan
Review
5 Year
Housing &
Homelessness
Plan Review
Engage
Advocacy
Awareness
- Raising

Presentation by Valerie Colasanti, Director - Chatham-Kent

Transcription

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