The Affordable Housing Action Network

1. The Affordable Housing Action Network Presentation to the Hastings/Quinte Social Services Committee July 13, 2005

2. Affordable Housing Action Network (AHAN) • Who We Are • What We Do • Boxed-In Report • Affordable Housing Crisis in Hastings County • Costs of a Lack of Affordable Housing • Value of Affordable Housing • Recent Provincial and Federal Announcements • Role of AHAN • Conclusion

3. Affordable Housing Action Network (AHAN): Goal To create more affordable housing options for people who are precariously housed or homeless using a variety of approaches including collaborative networking, housing development, capacity building and advocacy

4. Affordable Housing Action Network: Who Are We? • AHAN created from Hastings County’s Homelessness Advisory Committee, Housing Working Group and other similar groups • Illustrated the need • Unique group • Common vision and desire of the community to work together • AHAN helped develop the “Boxed-In” report

5. AHAN: Who Are We? • A group of local agencies, organizations and individuals who have a common community interest in creating more affordable housing in Hastings County • Includes representatives from more than 15 agencies, organizations and individuals, including: • Three Oaks Shelter and Services for Abused Women • Community Advocacy & Legal Centre (Formerly Legal Services) • Hastings Housing Resource Centre • Canadian Mental Health Association • Hastings & Prince Edward Health Unit • Mental Health Services • Community Visions • Youth Habilitation • Hastings County’s Social Services Department • Victorian Order of Nurses • Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation • Quinte Labour Council • Private Citizens and Landlords • Lack of affordable housing affects all of these agencies, organizations and people and the people they serve

6. AHAN: What Do We Do? • Bring the community together • Involve the community as broadly as possible • Ensure current local resources are efficiently and effectively used • Improve service coordination • Encourage collaboration • Create new affordable and innovative housing options

7. Boxed-In Report: Highlights • Interviewed 781 households • Homeless, at risk of being homeless, precariously housed • Low income households • 107 households self-identified as homeless (293 people) • Main reasons: • Affordability of housing • Loss of job or unemployment • Marital/relationship breakdown • Conflict or differences within households

8. Boxed-In Report: Highlights • Survey respondents asked to rank priorities • #1 Priority: Create more subsidized or rent geared-to-income housing • More than one-third of respondents had been homeless within the past three years • 70% of respondents reported that their current housing had one or more disrepair issues • Quote: “Rent is too high for people to live. Pay rent and don’t eat or eat and don’t pay rent”

9. Affordable Housing Crisis in Hastings County • 2004 in Hastings County (after hours service): • 396 households provided with emergency shelter • Over 1,100 people • 388 obtained permanent housing • 315 retained permanent housing • 852 nights accommodation • Average of 1.7 nights per stay • Represents about 1/3 of the people Hastings County’s Social Services Dept. helps

10. Affordable Housing Crisis in Hastings County • 1,100 households waiting for subsidized housing in Hastings County • A single person will wait four years to get subsidized housing • Only about 25% of these households receive OW or ODSP • Hastings Housing Resource Centre: increase from 2,695 clients annually in 2000 to 8,097 in 2004 • Over 100 households surveyed were homeless • Ontario Works Emergency Worker in Belleville: about 30 households each week in an emergency situation – does not include households already receiving Ontario Works benefits • Conclusion: There is an affordable housing crisis in Hastings County

11. Costs of a Lack of Affordable Housing • One homeless person costs about $60,000/year • Emergency funds • Health care • Policing • Use of resources • Unknown costs – stress on homeless and on their families, recovery from substance abuse, criminalization, mental health

12. Value of Affordable Housing • Reduced emergency services spending • Resources go to permanent, proactive solutions instead of temporary, reactive band-aids • Strengthens the community • Provides stability for families • Increases employment opportunities • Promotes health in children • Allows people to become hard working, tax paying citizens

13. Recent Provincial and Federal Announcements • $602 Million for affordable housing initiatives across the province • Housing allowances – similar to Rent Supplement Program • Creating new affordable housing units • Build new • Renovations of existing buildings • Home ownership program

14. Recent Provincial and Federal Announcements • $1.6 Billion in federal funding for affordable housing in the next two years • All of this funding will flow through Hastings County, the Service Manager • Service Managers must apply to get this funding • All three levels of government need to be committed to improving affordable housing options • Hastings County needs to commit to get as much funding for affordable housing as possible

15. AHAN’s Role • We are a community group reflecting the needs of the community • We are committed to taking action • We are committed to providing accountability • We are available to help Hastings County any way we can to improve affordable housing options • We can assist with determining locations for new affordable housing, getting people organized and implementation • AHAN has the capacity, ability and resources to improve affordable housing options

16. Conclusion • There is an affordable housing crisis in Hastings County • Over 1,100 households waiting for subsidized housing • Over 100 households surveyed were homeless • No new affordable housing has been built for 10 years • Affordable Housing Action Network is organized and ready • Hastings County needs to participate