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
2.
Must agree to have follow-‐up supports
3.
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
Appealed to private landlords from a business perspecLve
Landlords get tenants with supports and direct payment of rents
Landlords also receive follow-‐up support
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
Provide comprehensive assessment to clients on the street
Focused on linking to appropriate services within the mental health, primary care and addicLon sectors
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 18
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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