Toronto’s Housing First Approach

FCM Conference

Phil Brown, City of Toronto

June 7th, 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

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Helping people to find and keep their homes …

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

More than 3100 people housed since 2005

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How our Housing First approach started – Tent City 2002

Toronto’s Housing First Approach

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Street outreach workers engage with people on the street, building relationships and assisting 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

Affordable Housing Ten Year Plan Council approved the Housing Opportunities Toronto

Ten Year Affordable Housing Strategy in August 2009 Key themes:

Help homeless and vulnerable peopleto 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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Critical success factors

Council commitment to end street homelessness

Opportunity to innovate under Federal Homelessness Partnership Initiative

Committed and innovative staff who believe in making a difference, one person at a time

Client-centred thinking; listening to clients Non-profit and private sector partnerships

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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 perspective

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

Specialized Services Mobile Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team (Mdot) – team of specialists (nurse, concurrent disorders therapist,

case manager, housing worker, psychiatrists) who provide outreach and assessment to individuals on the street with severe mental illness

Inter-departmental protocol to respond to encampments with a social service response prior to enforcement City-wide outreach services for Aboriginal people incorporating traditional cultural values and spirituality Post-incarceration housing services for people upon discharge or release from correctional facilities Low-barrier Rapid Access Housing to move people off the street quickly, while developing a permanent

housing plan

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Streets to Homes Assessment & Referral Centre Purpose is to help people who don’t use traditional 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

Partnerships Street Outreach Steering Committee -

advisory group with representatives from community agencies, health sector, police and EMS, housing providers, and business associations

Services delivered through partnership between City staff and more than 28 community agencies

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