OPENING THE RIGHT DOOR

NOVEMBER 21ST, 2013

A TEN-YEAR PLAN TO ADDRESS HOUSING

& HOMELESSNESS ISSUES

IN HASTINGS COUNTY

Presentation Outline

Hastings County—who we are and what we do

Purpose of the Plan?

How did we develop the Plan?

Key Findings

Recommendations

Implementation

Monitoring the Plan

HASTINGS COUNTYWHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

Municipalities: 14Separated Cities: 2Population: 138,600 which includes the Cities of Belleville and Quinte West

The focus of our work at Hastings County is:

Supporting People and

Communities

Purpose of The Plan

To work together with our community partners to attain the ultimate goal of securing, maintaining and supporting the housing needs of people in our community. The Plan focuses on:Existing best practices, partnerships and

resources;Expanding and improving these

partnerships and resources, and;Creating new partnerships.

The Plan is built around the “Housing First” principle:The “Housing First” approach is based on the concept that a homeless individual or household's first and primary need is to obtain stable housing; other issues that may affect the household can and should be addressed once housing is obtained.

How Did We Develop the Plan?

WE HAD TO KEEP IN MIND THAT, TO DATE:

NO NEW FUNDING HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLAN.

Realistic

•With a common sense approach to addressing housing issues in our communities.

Resourceful

•With sound ideas and strategies which focus on existing resources and increasing community capacity.

Rational

•Balancing the communities needs while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

3 Rs

Prior to starting the Plan, we knew that:

Our population is aging--waitlist for long-term care facilities is lengthy.

The waitlist is long for support services which assist our seniors in living independently in their own homes.

We need more affordable housing for all segments of our communities, most notably single individuals, childless couples and families. Current and previous affordable housing programs have focused on seniors.

Support services are needed for tenants who experience mental health illnesses and/or addictions to help them appropriately maintain their housing.

We also knew that: Non-Profit and Cooperative Housing

Providers’ service agreements expire over the next several years.

Social Housing stock is aging. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s

(CMHC’s) residential rehabilitation programs ended on March 31st, 2012.

There is no designated homeless shelter in our community.

Access to housing and homelessness programs and services needs to be improved.

HOMELESSNESS IS A PROBLEM LARGER THAN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COUNTED ON THE STREETS OR IN SHELTERS.

IT’S LARGER THAN THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS ON THE SOCIAL HOUSING WAITLIST.

How did we develop the Plan?Community Consultations

Characteristics of our Population, Demographics and Housing Stock (most stats based on 2006 Statistics Canada Census)Data about: EmploymentIncomeHousing AffordabilityHousing InventorySocial Housing Waitlist

Consumer Usage of Housing & Homelessness Programs and Services, including, for example, services for victims of domestic violence, people with addictions and people with mental health concerns.

Some Statistics• Hastings County’s population is aging at a higher rate than the rest of the

Province—over 50% of the population will be 55 years of age or older in 2036

• Decrease in the average number of persons per households. Households without children forms the largest household group in the County (30.7%)

• 91% of all housing is single or semi-detached

• Employment structure is dominated by the retail trade at 18.4% with education, health and social care at 17.1%

• 51% of Hastings County’s tenant-occupied households spend 30% or more of their income on shelter costs (2006 Census)

• Three Oaks turned away 53 women (and their children in some cases) in 2012-2013 due to high demand and took 1,242 crisis calls

• Mental Health Services of HPE had a total of 601 active clients as of Dec. 31, 2012

• CMHA reported that on average 409 individuals have been turned away over the last several years

• Hastings-Quinte EMS reported that in 2012 76% of ‘’failure to thrive’ calls were for persons 70 years of age and older.

The Plan includes:

Historical Context of Social Housing Housing Related Assisted Living

ProgramsBest Practices/Community Partnerships

Community Consultations started in June of 2012 and were completed in March of 2013.Information Sessions and Consultations were held with:The general public.A variety of stakeholders.County staff.

A questionnaire was distributed by email, and the web-based program “Survey Monkey” was used as part of the community consultation process.

Key Findings of

Community Consultations

Key Priorities by Area

North Hastings

Unaffordable homes/lack of rental stockNot In My Backyard (NIMBY)High heat and hydro costsBudgeting programs and access to themIncreased home repairs and lack of funding for them

Key Priorities by Area

Central Hastings

Family Housing

Transitional Housing

Additional supports for people with mental health concerns

Increased home repairs and lack of funding for them

More supports for an aging population on fixed incomes

Belleville

Need for a shelter

Need for more transitional and supportive housing including staffing supports (i.e. for tenants with mental health and addiction issues, victims of domestic violence)

Need for more single non-senior housing

Need for budgeting and life skills for lower functioning adults

Greater focus on social determinants of health (housing, income, education/training, and social and physical environment)

Key Priorities by Area

Key Priorities by AreaQuinte West

Need for more transitional and supportive housing including staffing supports (i.e. tenants with mental health and addiction issues, victims of domestic violence)Need to provide longer term supports to enable clients to live independentlyNeed for more single-non senior housingNeed to educate the community/public awareness of the issues of homelessnessMore supports for the aging population on fixed incomes

Key Priorities for Non-Profit Housing Providers

Wait list/Wait timesArrears, rent collectionDamages to the unitsAging population (mobility issues, modifications, health issues)Social Problems/Issues with neighbours

Ten Recommendations and Strategies have been developed.These are:

Recommendation1. In order to create a climate

conducive to the development of affordable housing options, support the inclusion of provisions for affordable housing development in our planning documents.

Strategies

Planning is in the process of updating the official plan which will reflect the requirements of the Provincial Policy Statement. The update will include policies that (for example): • Encourage the provision of adequate affordable housing for low, moderate and middle income people.• Provide for an appropriate range of housing types and densities.• Set targets for new housing development to include a minimum number of affordable housing units.• Promote working cooperatively with private and non-profit sectors as the principal suppliers of affordable housing options.

Recommendation2. Increase individual’s and families’

capacities to remain in their homes with support programs and services for non-senior people experiencing mental health, addictions and/or life skills issues.

Strategies

Create a partnership between the South East LHIN and Housing Services to pilot a ‘supportive services’ program in Non-Profit Housing Providers’ and Hastings Local Housing Corporation-owned properties for tenants who suffer from mental health and/or addictions issues.

Good Neighbour/Home Visitor Program staff will continue to work with tenants of the Housing Services, (which includes rent supplement properties, Non-Profit and Co-operative Housing Providers) to assist them in appropriately maintaining their housing.

The Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative Program funding (CHPI) has been used to create a local Housing and Homelessness Fund (HHF) in Hastings County. It is recommended that the fund will support the ‘Housing First’ approach adopted in this Plan.

Recommendation3. Develop a realistic and outcomes-

based eviction prevention program that will coordinate the provision of services by community agencies to preserve tenancies and assist tenants to appropriately maintain their housing.

StrategiesIn partnership with local service providers, create an ‘eviction prevention protocol’ that encourages agreement by all agencies (i.e. Community Advocacy and Legal Centre, Canadian Mental Health Association and the Good Neighbour/Home Visitor Program) that work with housing and homelessness related programs and services so that tenants never feel they are going to ‘the wrong door’.

Recommendation4. Increase Affordable Family Housing

Options in Hastings County and the Cities of Belleville and Quinte West.

Strategies

Be ‘shovel ready’ with new project proposals.

Support local Non-Profit Housing Providers who wish to build new units.

Proceed as directed by the Hastings/Quinte Social Services Committee and Council (February, 2013), to prepare a comprehensive implementation plan for the potential sale of some, or all of the single, detached houses in Belleville and Trenton.

Housing Services will explore a potential partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

The County of Hastings will advocate to senior levels of government for funding commitments related to the development of new affordable housing options.

AGING IN

PLACE

I don’t want to go to the home. I can take care

of myself if someone could

help me.

Recommendation

5.Promote the development of affordable retirement living programs for low income seniors, and plan for a greater percentage of one-bedroom units for future affordable housing construction projects.

Strategies

That the Planning and Development Department create policies that, subject to proper approvals, allow for:

The temporary placement of a garden suite.

A renovation or addition to an existing dwelling to create a second unit.

A network of housing for senior citizens, nursing homes and homes for the aged which will provide a variety of levels of care and service for its residents, and be located close to amenities and services required by seniors.

Promote the creation of ‘Assisted Living’ programs for social housing residents in partnership with the South East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) which can be piloted in Non-Profit Housing Provider buildings and Hastings Local Housing Corporation–owned properties.

Support local Non-Profit Housing Providers who wish to build new ‘Assisted Living’ units.

Recommendation6. Address the expiring operating

agreements and reduction of federal subsidies with local Non-Profit and Cooperative Housing Providers.

Strategies

As directed by the Hastings/Quinte Social Services Committee in February, 2013 :

Staff are to commence discussions with each Non-Profit Corporation, at least three years before the retirement of their mortgage, in order to determine the most cost-effective approach to maintaining the number of units available for social housing purposes.

Staff are to prepare, at the appropriate time, a report on the results of those discussions for consideration by the Joint Social Services Committee outlining any arrangements for continuing to participate with the non-profit corporation or any alternatives that may be beneficial in meeting the needs for affordable housing.

Recommendation7. Advocate to the Provincial and

Federal governments for residential rehabilitation and repair programs and services.

StrategiesThe County of Hastings will advocate to senior levels of government for funding commitments related to residential rehabilitation programs, such as CMHC’s former RRAP programs, to address the need to assist low to moderate income home owners in maintaining their homes as it relates to energy efficiency, health and safety, water conservation and accessibility. Research indicates that the age and condition of some housing across the municipality requires such programs. In addition, Hastings County’s Housing Services Belleville office has received over 900 telephone inquiries about programs for emergency repair, retro-fitting for accessibility and heating upgrades.  Investigate the development of incentive programs to assist landlords willing to rent their units at affordable rates. These incentives could include funding to retrofit these units for accessibility, energy efficiency, health and safety and other green initiatives.

Recommendation8. Promote the development of

consistent delivery across the municipality of housing and homelessness-related programs and services.

StrategiesIn coordination with the development of an eviction prevention protocol, local service providers will be approached about working toward improving service, universal access, and consistency of program and service delivery. The new process will be regularly monitored to ensure expected outcomes.

Recommendation9. Support the creation of a designated

24-hour response shelter for the homeless.

Strategies

Improve public awareness about the ‘face of homelessness’ across Hastings County, including the Cities of Belleville and Quinte West by taking advantage of available free resources with local media providers and on-line. Advocate with local partner agencies to encourage in-kind support from local corporations, landlords and the like to obtain their support for the creation of a shelter.

Recommendation

10. To continue to create, promote and participate in programs that: assist in the maintenance of social

housing stock; reduce the carbon footprint, and; promote energy efficiency, water

conservation and other green measures.

Strategies

Create and promote programs and services that reduce the carbon footprint of public and non-profit housing.

Hastings County staff will continue to properly maintain, to the highest standards possible, all social housing properties across the County. In addition, staff will, in partnership with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, deliver programs such as the Social Housing Renovation and Retrofit Program (SHRRP) to ensure that funding dollars are maximized for capital expenditures that not only extend the life of social housing properties, but also incorporate conservation and efficiency measures to reduce operating costs and the carbon footprint.

Provide educational opportunities regarding the aforementioned programs to tenants of public, non-profit and private sector housing as well as landlords and private proponents of new and existing affordable housing development.

Implementation

September 11th Social Services Committee & September 26th County CouncilSeptember 30, 2013: Plan was submitted to MMAHOctober 23, 2013: Preliminary Observations received from MMAHMid-December, 2013: Minister’s letter expectedJanuary 1st, 2014: Implementation

Monitoring The PlanThe Plan must be reviewed every five years, with annual progress reports to the public.

The Ontario Housing Policy Statement provides direction for housing and housing related services policy and anticipated results for each of the following seven categories:•  Accountability and Outcomes• Goal of Ending Homelessness• Non-profit Housing Corporations and Non-profit

Housing Co-operatives• The Private Market• Co-ordination with Other Community Services• A Broad Range of Community Needs• Environmental Sustainability and Energy

Conservation   

Monitoring The Plan

Staff are developing a variety of mechanisms to monitor the success of The Plan. These may include ‘Quality of Life Indicators’, surveys, data collection, and other tools to ensure The Plan is working as intended.  

How to get a copy of The Plan?Available January 2014 at:

www.hastingscounty.com

AT THE RECENT ONTARIO NON-PROFIT HOUSING ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE IN

TORONTO

FATHER GREG BOYLE OF HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES (LA) SAID

“HOUSING OPENS DOORS, AND

OPENS THE DOOR TO KINSHIP.”

THANK YOU TO

EVERYONE WHO ASSISTED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF

THE PLAN