PEI Report on Homelessness 1

PEI Report on Homelessness

The Fourth Report on Homelessness in Prince Edward Island November 2015

The fourth PEI Report on Homelessness is

published by the PEI Community Advisory

Board on Homelessness, an interagency

board representing non-profit and public

sector agencies that work with homeless

populations and those at risk of becoming

homeless. A complete list of

organizations represented is included on

page 8.

Through the publication of this report,

the Board wishes to increase awareness

and action about issues surrounding

homelessness, poverty, and housing in

Prince Edward Island.

Good News…

Better understanding of the scope and factors contributing to homelessness on PEI

Improved understanding leads to a more targeted approach

Targeted approach is leading to better coordination and more effective use of resources

Strategies in place to help address homelessness are proving successful

Number of Provincial rent supplement units has been increasing

Minimum wages continues to increase

Things that worry us…

Increased need for safe, humane, affordable and/or subsidized housing stock

Expiring Federal Social Housing Agreements, resulting in decreased numbers of subsidies

Continuation of funding for Federal-Provincial Housing Agreements uncertain

Long waiting lists for subsidized housing for individuals, families, and seniors

Need for a coordinated Provincial Housing strategy

Reducing homelessness is only as good as the sustainability of the programs and strategies in place to address the factors

PEI Report on Homelessness 2 CAMH Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

PEI Report on Homelessness 3

Canada is nearing an important crossroads in our response to homelessness. Since homelessness emerged as a significant problem – in fact, as a crisis – in

the 1990s, with the withdrawal of the federal government’s investment in affordable housing, communities have struggled to respond. Declining wages

(even minimum wage has not kept up with inflation in any jurisdiction in Canada), reduced benefit levels–including pensions and social assistance—and a

shrinking supply of affordable housing have placed more and more Canadians at risk of homelessness. For a small, but significant group of Canadians

facing physical and mental health challenges, the lack of housing and supports is driving increases in homelessness. Prevention measures – such as ‘rent

banks’ and ‘energy banks’ that are designed to help people maintain their housing are not

adequate in stemming the flow to homelessness. The result has been an explosion in

homelessness as a visible and seemingly ever present problem.

Over the past 10 years we have learned much about what to do to end homelessness –

the need to shift from a focus on managing the problem (through an over-reliance on

emergency services and supports) to a strategy that emphasizes prevention and, for those

who do become homeless, to move them quickly into housing with necessary supports.

The success of the At Home/Chez Soi project demonstrates that with housing and the right

supports, chronically homeless people can become and remain housed. While there are

still areas that need work – we need more robust solutions for youth homelessness,

women fleeing violence and Aboriginal homelessness – we are creating solutions and

effective interventions. The one missing piece of the puzzle, however, is affordable

housing. The decline in availability of low cost housing (and in particular, rental housing)

affects many Canadians – young people setting out on their own, single parents, people

working for low wages and the elderly. It also contributes to the homelessness problem in

a significant way.

See more at: http://homelesshub.ca/resource/state-homelessness-canada-2014

“I am encouraged to see the tremendous amount of work that is being done to

address homelessness in PEI. We have many barriers to

overcome, however, I believe the enhanced focus on this issue

will prove very beneficial to Islanders who find themselves

unable to access housing.”

Reid Burke,

Executive Director

CMHA PEI

“We see women from all walks of life; family violence, relationship

breakdowns, addictions, mental illness, poverty, etc. There’s not a

one-size fits all solution or approach. Services working together to

alleviate barriers would be helpful.”

Shelter Providers, Chief Mary Bernard Shelter for Women

“Increasing waiting lists . . . for example, the seniors

housing waiting list is over 900 people. Most of those will

not make it to the top of the list therefore will not be

offered a unit. There is a lack of affordable housing in

the private markets.”

Chris Reeves, Acting Provincial Housing Coordinator

“Rents are too high . . . what is being built

does not meet the income of the renters.

Some housing units are substandard and

inadequate; people are living in squalor or in

dumps.”

Bill Campbell, Administrator Kings Square

Housing

“There is concern over where affordable housing is going to come from over the

next 5-10 years. We are a good speed bump away from going out of business.”

Douglas Coles, President Abe Zakem House

PEI Report on Homelessness 4

Homelessness on PEI

Understanding the People and the Need Behind the Problem

By Bobbi Jo Flynn

Understanding the Problem: Often there are perceptions and assumptions

about what homelessness looks like- but what does it look like for PEI? In

2015, the Community Advisory Board on Homelessness, through the John

Howard Society of PEI, conducted its first point in time caseload review

(within a defined 24 hour window) with service providers to better

understand the scale of homelessness and the needs of the people

experiencing homelessness in Charlottetown and Summerside.

While this measure has some limits and is from the perspective of the

provider, it does help us begin to understand this complex social problem for

PEI. On the day the survey was completed, 41% of the people identified had

direct contact with a service provider.

What is Homelessness? Homelessness describes the situation of an

individual or family without stable, appropriate housing or the immediate

prospect, means and ability of acquiring it. Most people do not choose to be

homeless and the experience is generally negative, unpleasant, stressful and

distressing (Canadian Homelessness Research Network 2012).

What we asked and what we learned: Providers were asked to complete

the survey only if the client’s housing situation fit within one of the

categories listed in Table 1.

The greatest volume of people are ‘couch surfing’, in a correctional or

psychiatric facility, or shelter with no identified residence (72%). A

significant proportion (28%) have been homeless 1-2 times in the last year.

The majority of peopled identified (72%) were between the 18-45 years of

age, impacting their ability to work and establish families.

More than a third of people identified (35%), whose education level was

known, had a junior high school or lower level of education.

Income was a significant barrier with 33% having no source of income and

another 31% having only income assistance or a personal care allowance.

Disability was almost universal with 92 % having been diagnosed with a

disability- most commonly, substance abuse disorders, mental illness, and/

or learning disability.

Point in Time Caseload Review

150 service providers were invited to participate. Of those, 103 service

providers responded from 22 different community and government

sectors; 209 of those clients surveyed met the definition of

homelessness.

“This client upon release from custody engaged in criminal activity

purposefully to go back to jail so he would have somewhere to go,

eat, etc. This occurred three times in a row until he was remanded

for a lengthy period of time”

Table 1

PEI Report on Homelessness 5

Government services and friends are housing the majority of people

identified through the caseload review. When asked about their current

housing situation, the largest number (20%) were being housed in a mental

health facility, followed by living with friends (14%), or at an addiction (9%)

or correctional (8%) facility.

Homelessness is not a temporary problem; many are coping with frequent

and extended periods with the absence of this basic need. The greatest

proportion (19%) of those who had experienced homelessness were

without a home for 2-4 months. For 50% of those identified, this was not

the first episode of homelessness.

Respondents cited a range of reasons for not finding permanent housing,

which speaks to the complexity of social, economic, and environmental

issues known to impact homelessness. The most frequent reasons were:

Addiction/ substance abuse

Poor housing options and condition of housing

Low or no income and affordability of housing

Family breakdown and conflict

Criminal activity

Health and disability

Domestic violence

Using this information: This information was used to assist with the

implementation of the Housing First service delivery model in Summerside

and Charlottetown. The results supported the importance of a Housing First

model that address some of the barriers to safe, stable, housing for

individuals. Most people identified had contact with a provider on the day

of the review. People are accessing services, but the services are not

adequately equipped to meet these complex needs. The caseload review

reinforced further that a range of solutions and collaborative approaches

are needed to address the social, health, economic, and environmental

factors that contribute to this problem.

“He uses the hospital as an emergency shelter. He uses all

community services that he can. He is very capable in many

ways but has had no housing stability for years”

CANADA PEI

20% YOUTH 16-24 years old

38% YOUTH 16-24 years old

47.5% SINGLE ADULT MALES 25-55 years old

48% SINGLE INDIVIDUALS 25-55 years old

40-68% ADDICTIONS/SUBSTANCE ABUSE

52% ADDICTIONS/SUBSTANCE ABUSE

33% MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

47% MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

15-20% SLEEPING ROUGH

3% SLEEPING ROUGH

How do we compare?

SERVICES 0

TIMES

1 TIME 2 TIMES 3 or

MORE

UN-

KNOWN Been hospitalized 21% (44) 11% (22) 6% (13) 6% (13) 56% (117)

Been in Psychiatric Facility 22% (45) 20% (42) 6% (13) 6% (13) 46% (96)

Used Emergency Medical 13% (27) 8% (16) 6% (14) 5% (10) 68% (142)

Interactions with Police 12% (25) 10% (20) 9% (19) 14% (30) 55% (115)

Been in Jail 28% (59) 16% (34) 8% (16) 6% (12) 42% (88)

Table 2

PEI Report on Homelessness 6

What is Housing First? Housing First is a supported approach to ending

homelessness that centers on quickly moving people experiencing

homelessness into independent, safe and permanent housing. Housing First

provides additional supports and services as needed to help the individual

move towards self-sufficiency and prevent those at imminent risk from

becoming homeless. Housing choice is a key principle of Housing First and

individuals should be able to exercise preference regarding the location and

type of housing they receive; choice may be constrained by local availability

and affordability. Housing readiness is not a prerequisite; even the

acceptance of any services, including treatment or sobriety, is not a

requirement for accessing or maintaining housing, but individuals must be

willing to accept regular visits from the Housing First support team.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada, through its At Home-Chez Soi

projects, had adopted the Housing First approach as a best practice model.

Following this, a five-year (April 1 2014-March 31, 2019) funding agreement

through the Employment and Social Development Canada’s Homelessness

Partnering Strategy (HPS) was put in place with an aim to prevent or reduce

chronic homelessness across Canada. On Prince Edward Island, this fund is

administered through the John Howard Society.

The PEI Experience: In addition to the existing resources that support people

who are homeless such as shelters and food banks, PEI has adopted the

Housing First model as part of its response to homelessness. This model of

intervention was first introduced on Prince Edward Island through funding

support from the Homelessness Partnering Strategy’s Rural & Remote

Program.

In 2014, the Rural & Remote Advisory Board supported two Housing First

pilot programs in the Western and Eastern regions of the Province. In April

of 2015, as a direct response to the PEI Point-in-Time Caseload Review held

in January 2015, the PEI Community Advisory Board on Homelessness also

adopted the Housing First model to prevent and reduce homelessness in the

cities of Charlottetown and Summerside. The Advisory Board’s on

Homelessness contracted with the Canadian Mental Health Association/PEI

Division and the John Howard Society of PEI as host agencies to deliver these

programs. PEI can now boast of being the only Province in Canada that

provides a tip-to-tip response to homelessness.

It is important to understand that to be successful, the delivery of the

Housing First approach to homelessness on Prince Edward Island requires a

strong collaboration between the host organizations, provincial services, and

community stakeholders to ensure rapid access to services and supports for

participants of the Housing First Program are possible. While each of PEI’s

three Housing First programs is responsive to their regional differences, they

all follow a similar model of intervention. Each program recognizes that the

factors leading to homelessness are complex and while many individuals

may experience one or more risk factors, the causes of homelessness are not

always clear. The Housing First coordinators and support workers have

experience in dealing with the high level of interventions required of the

Housing First program and have an ultimate goal of promoting an

individual’s self-sufficiency in the areas of housing, employment, social

integration, improvements in health, or other goals to help stabilize the

individual’s situation.

Housing First has been shown to increase housing stability, improve an

individual’s quality of life, and improve their health outcome and reduce

involvement and the costs associated with high utilization of acute systems,

including hospitalization, emergency hospital visits, and the criminal justice

systems.

Program referrals are accepted from community and government

stakeholders as well as from family, friends and self-referral sources.

Core Principles of Housing First

Access to permanent housing with no housing

readiness requirements

Individual choice and self-determination

Individualized, recovery- oriented, and client- driven

supports

Social and community integration

Strength-based and promoting self-sufficiency

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOUSING FIRST PROGRAM IN YOUR COMMUNITY, CONTACT:

CMHA West Prince Housing First

West Prince

902-853-4180

wphousing@cmha.pe.ca

My Place Housing First

Charlottetown/Summerside

902-629-0352

m.kenny@cmha.pe.ca

WrapAround Housing First

East Prince/Rural Queens/Kings

902-569-7682

jhoward@gov.pe.ca

PEI’s Response to Homelessness A Tip– to– Tip Service Delivery Model

PEI Report on Homelessness 7

From left to right: Michelle Arsenault, West Prince Housing First Coordinator; Jessica MacAulay, My Place Housing Support Worker; Melissa

Arsenault, My Place Housing Support Worker; Michael Kenny, My Place Program Coordinator; Lisa MacLean, WrapAround Housing First Support

Worker; Gina Clow, WrapAround Housing First Coordinator; Julie Gaudet, My Place Housing Support Worker.

“You saved by son’s life no doubt and probably saved me from having a nervous breakdown too. I don’t even want to think about where my family

would be if this program hadn’t come along.”

Program Family Member

“The work you are doing to improve the lives of those who “fall between the cracks” of our society and its formal welfare protocols is nothing short of amazing and so needed by those who become your clients, because they are homeless and until now, nobody cared enough to make a difference . . .”

Christian Council Representative

“If it wasn’t for this program, I would still

be turning tricks on the street and probably

using harder drugs. Now I am sober and

have a future.”

Program Participant

“This is an incredible program. I can’t

get over the changes I’ve seen in *client* since she has started it. You have a good

thing going on here.”

Government Service Provider

“No matters what happens in life I know that someone is willing to help me

no matter what. You helped me when I had no one and I know I can turn

to you, no questions asked.”

Program Participant

PEI Report on Homelessness 8

The Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) is a unique community– based program aimed at

preventing and reducing homelessness. It provides direct funding to communities across Canada to support their efforts in

addressing local needs and includes projects aimed at preventing individuals and families who are chronically, episodically or

imminently at risk from becoming homeless. Funding was renewed for five years effective April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2019. HPS

aims to prevent and reduce homelessness across Canada, primarily using a Housing First approach. It does so by developing

partnerships that contribute to a sustainable and comprehensive continuum of supports.

On Prince Edward Island, funding is made available by the Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada, and is

delivered through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy in partnership with the John Howard Society of PEI as the Community

Entity.

PEI COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON HOMELESSNESS

Charlottetown & Summerside

Boys & Girls Club of Charlottetown Canadian Mental Health Association

Community Connections Inc Department of Family and Human Services

East Prince Youth Development Centre Health PEI

John Howard Society of PEI PEI Family Violence Prevention Services

Salvation Army Charlottetown Service Canada

University of Prince Edward Island Veteran Affairs Canada

Volunteer Community Members

RURAL & REMOTE ADVISORY BOARD

Family and Human Services Health & Wellness

John Howard Society of PEI Canada

For inquiries on this report, please contact the PEI Community Advisory Board on Homelessness: Tel: 902-367-3356 or visit :www.pei.johnhoward.ca