Phil_Brown_Presentation

Toronto’s Housing First Approach

IPAC Conference Phil Brown, City of Toronto August 28th, 2011

Evidence that Housing First is working in Toronto  April 2009 Street Needs Assessment shows a 51% decline in outdoor homelessness compared with the 2006 survey  In those service areas directly administered by the City of Toronto (street outreach and emergency shelters), 2009 survey shows a 1.7% decline since 2006 2

Helping people to find and keep their homes …  More than 3200 people housed since 2005  More than 80% remain housed for more than 12 months  Research on the program shows that quality of life improves and use of costly emergency services decreases once housed 3

How our Housing First approach started – Tent City 2002

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Toronto’s Housing First Approach  Street outreach workers engage with people on the street, building relaLonships and assisLng them through all the steps to move into housing  Follow-­‐up supports for up to one year to help people connect to community services  Housing First approach is key to all homeless services funded by the City, including emergency shelters 5

Clients choose where they live Three requirements for service 1.

Must agree to have rent paid directly to landlord

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Must agree to have follow-­‐up supports

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Must agree to complete an applicaLon to be on the centralized waiLng list for subsidized housing

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Role of the private sector 

Approx. 2/3 of clients are housed in the private market

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Appealed to private landlords from a business perspecLve

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Landlords get tenants with supports and direct payment of rents

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Landlords also receive follow-­‐up support

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Strong support from the business community for a social service response, rather than an enforcement response, to street homelessness and panhandling 7

Specialized Services  Inter-­‐departmental protocol to respond to encampments with a social service response prior to enforcement  City-­‐wide outreach services for Aboriginal people incorporaLng tradiLonal cultural values and spirituality  Post-­‐incarceraLon housing services for people upon discharge or release from correcLonal faciliLes  Low-­‐barrier Rapid Access Housing to move people off the street quickly, while developing a permanent housing plan 8

Mobile Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team (MDOT) 

Team of specialists (nurse, concurrent disorders therapist, case manager, housing worker, psychiatrists) from several agencies provide outreach to individuals with severe mental illness

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Provide comprehensive assessment to clients on the street

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Focused on linking to appropriate services within the mental health, primary care and addicLon sectors

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ConsultaLon to outreach teams is also provided.

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Streets to Homes Assessment & Referral Centre  Purpose is to help people who don’t use tradiLonal shelter system to come in from the street and access shelter, housing and other services  24/7 Street Respite  Walk-­‐in Housing Access with Housing counsellors on-­‐site daily  Overnight Program -­‐ 40 beds for clients engaged in a housing plan  Walk-­‐in Referral to Shelter  Dedicated Local Outreach Services – Assist local stakeholders with issues related to homelessness and panhandling 10

Partnerships  Street Outreach Steering Commi_ee -­‐ advisory group with representaLves from community agencies, health sector, police and EMS, housing providers, and business associaLons  Services delivered through partnership between City staff and more than 28 community agencies 11

Streets to Homes: building on success  Post-­‐occupancy survey of people housed through Streets to Homes  49% decreased or quit alcohol  73% decreased or quit other drugs  Less use of 911, ambulance, fire, court and police detox services  54% panhandled when homeless  23% reported panhandling once housed  Housing makes the future look be_er – 82% more posiLve. 12

Client perspectives on Housing First  Friendliness and persistence of outreach workers was key to accepLng service  Being housed – especially the first few months – is a difficult adjustment and many people think about leaving  Despite all the difficulLes and adjustments, clients are inclined to want to stay housed “…to leave would screw everything up. I would go back to square one. I’m walking a fine line right now and I don’t want to go that way.”

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Critical success factors  Council commitment to end street homelessness  Opportunity to innovate under Federal Homelessness Partnership Strategy  Commi_ed and innovaLve staff who believe in making a difference, one person at a Lme  Client-­‐centred thinking; listening to clients  Non-­‐profit and private sector partnerships

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Affordable Housing Ten Year Plan  Council approved the Housing OpportuniLes Toronto Ten Year Affordable Housing Strategy in August 2009  Key themes: Help homeless and vulnerable people to find and keep homes  Assist people to afford rents  Help people buy and stay in their own homes  Preserve and fix rental housing and keep it affordable  Create and renew mixed, inclusive and sustainable neighbourhoods  Create new affordable housing 

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Role of the emergency shelter system  Housing First as a key principle in the shelter system  Returning the shelter system to its original purpose as short term emergency accommodaLon  More than 11,500 households have been housed from shelters, mostly in the private-­‐sector  Redevelopment of select shelter sites to provide housing and emergency shelter 16

Housing Help and eviction prevention  Alignment of funded iniLaLves with Housing First approach  Goal is to avoid evicLon and homelessness  Housing Help delivered through 7 centers located throughout the city, plus at other shelters and community agencies  Housing help workers help people find and keep their housing  Landlord/tenant mediaLon, tenant informaLon and supports, help finding alternaLve housing, Rent Bank loans  Importance of drop-­‐in sector and supports to assist those in need to remain housed 17

Future challenges  Sustainable follow up supports  IntegraLng health services with homeless services  Sustainable funding from provincial and federal governments

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Contact me

Phil Brown General Manager Shelter, Support and Housing AdministraLon City of Toronto 416-­‐392-­‐7885 pbrown1@toronto.ca www.toronto.ca/housing www.toronto.ca/affordablehousing

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