Homelessness Partnering Strategy

Tim ForanHomelessness Partnering Strategy

Employment and Social Development Canada

The North American Housing and HIV/AIDS Research Summit VIII

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Homelessness in Canada

Approximately 150,000 people use homeless shelters

annually

This includes approximately

30,000 youth using shelters annually

14,400 people stay in emergency

shelters on any given night

Approximately 65,000 additional

people are staying in Violence Against Women shelters

annually

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The National Homelessness Initiative (NHI)1999-2007: Emergency Needs Infrastructure

In 1999, in response to growing pressure from various stakeholders to address a “national crisis”, the federal government steps in.

– In 2002, the number of people staying in emergency shelters in Hamilton increased by 15% from 2001, and by 124% from 1998.

– From 1990 to 2002, Toronto homeless population increased by 21%.

– Homelessness in Calgary more than doubled from 1994 to 2000.

Focus was moving people from the streets into emergency shelters.

Development of a strong emergency needs infrastructure.

Communities played a central role during this period.

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Community-Based Approach Communities are best placed to address homelessness, with the

federal government playing an essential role in supporting them in their efforts.

Local Community Advisory Boards (CABs) set the direction for addressing local homelessness issues.

Community Entity Delivery Model: The federal government entrusts a community body, often the community’s municipal government, through a single contribution agreement, with the ability to select and manage HPS projects in the local area, based on their community plan.

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The Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS)2007-2014: Longer-term Solutions

Encouraged communities to shift away from a focus on emergency responses to homelessness towards longer-term solutions.

Provinces and territories (P/Ts) became more engaged in providing a response to homelessness.

Federal investments also began to recognize the prevalence of mental health issues among the homeless — At Home/Chez Soi research demonstration project.

“Local communities are best placed to overcome their unique challenges, but government can help create

the conditions for these communities — and the industries that sustain them — to succeed.”

— Speech from the Throne, 2011

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Evidence Points to a Need for Change

“When I first was appointed Minister of HRSDC in 2006 and I asked the Department how many homeless we had in this country…I was told

150,000. Three years later when I was appointed once again as Minister of HRSDC, after spending time as Minister of Citizenship and Immigration,

I asked again how many homeless and was told 150,000.”

— The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of HRSDC, 2012

“Any given night over 2,000 more people slept in homeless shelters each night in 2009 than was the

case two years earlier.”

— National Shelter Study, 2012

“Housing First rapidly ends homelessness. Across all cities, HF

participants in At Home/Chez Soi rapidly obtained housing and retained their

housing at a much higher rate than the treatment as usual (TAU) group.”

— At Home/Chez Soi National Final Report, 2014

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MHCC’s At Home/Chez Soi Project The At Home/Chez Soi research demonstration project was funded by

the federal government at $110 million over five years and established pilots in five cities (Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montréal and Moncton).

The project evaluated the effectiveness of the Housing First Approach, where people are provided with a place to live and then offered recovery-oriented services and supports that best meet their individual needs.

At Home /Chez Soi demonstrated that Housing First: – Works to rapidly end homelessness for people experiencing

mental illness; – Can be implemented in different sized cities and cultural contexts– Is a sound financial investment.

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The Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS)2015-2019: The Housing First Approach Economic Action Plan 2013 announced nearly $600M for the Homelessness

Partnering Strategy (HPS) for five years, from April 2014 to March 31, 2019, with a focus on Housing First (HF).

This builds on the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s (MHCC) At Home/Chez Soi project, as well as the work in many communities in Canada and internationally.

HF is an evidence-based approach capable of producing measurable results. It will drive the shift from managing homelessness to reducing the size of the homeless population.

As a philosophy, the HF approach is premised on the assumption that the first and primary need of a homeless individual is to obtain stable, permanent housing. Once stable housing is obtained, other more enduring issues, such as addictions or mental health, can be appropriately addressed.

As an intervention, the HF approach involves moving individuals who are chronically or episodically homeless from the streets or homeless shelters directly into permanent housing. Permanent housing is complemented by the provision of services to assist clients to sustain their housing and work towards recovery and reintegration into the community.

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Housing First

Homeless

Shelter placement

Transitional housing

Permanent housing

Based on slide from S.Tsemberis

Treatment FirstClient must demonstrate readiness for each step

No requirement for readiness to move directly to permanent housing

Difference between Housing First and Treatment First

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The HPS Housing First Approach Key principles of HF include:

– Quickly moving homeless individuals into stable permanent housing;– Offering clients choice in housing; – Separating housing provision from treatment services;– Requiring tenancy responsibilities, such as paying a portion of the rent; – Integrating housing into the community; and – Supporting participants to maintain housing and increase self-sufficiency.

The target population is individuals who are chronically or episodically homeless, i.e. those who have experienced extended periods and/or repeated bouts of homelessness in the recent past. In order to successfully implement HF, it will be important for communities to assess the size and location of their chronically and episodically homeless populations.

Communities moving to Housing First continue to have the opportunity to support other approaches and priority areas. A balanced approach ensures that communities adopt Housing First as a cornerstone of their plan to address homelessness, yet retain some flexibility to invest in other proven approaches that complement Housing First and measurably reduce homelessness at the local-level.

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Reflections on the first year of implementation

The foundation for the successful implementation of Housing First has been laid.

Communities are positioned to meet their targets.

Areas where communities have identified needing increased support in implementing Housing First include:

– developing a systems approach and building partnerships in the community;

– engaging a new set of partners (including landlords);– accessing rent supplements/mental health supports; and– increasing networking opportunities within their community and

with other communities across Canada to share best practices and lessons learned.

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Highlight of Key HPS Achievements

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Questions?

Tim ForanHomelessness Partnering Strategy

Employment and Social Development CanadaTim.Foran@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.c