Community-Oriented Approaches to Housing and Homelessness Solutions in Ontario

1. Community-Oriented Approaches to Housing and Homelessness Solutions in Ontario Janet Hope, Assistant Deputy Minister Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

2. Evolution of Housing – Ontario Context • Development of public housing (1950s to mid-1970s) • Community-based non-profit and co-op housing (mid-1970s to 1995) • Social Housing • Local Services Realignment (1997 to 2001) • Social housing devolved under Social Housing Reform Act, 2000 • New Federal-Provincial and Provincial Housing programs (2002 to present) • Affordable Housing • Provincial-Municipal Fiscal and Service Delivery Review (2008) • Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy (LTAHS) (2010) • Housing Services Act, 2011

3. Current Status of Housing Delivery • All orders of government share funding and delivery responsibility for social housing and homelessness programs • Ontario municipalities have service delivery responsibility for most housing and homelessness programs through 47 Service Managers: • Consolidated Municipal Service Managers, typically regional governments, counties or separated cities; and • District Social Service Administration Boards, special agencies created by the province and given the funding and administrative responsibilities for northern Ontario regions, including lower tier and unorganized territories • Service Managers also have responsibility for delivering Ontario Works and municipally administered child care services. Some Service Managers are working towards integrating the delivery of human services • Municipalities also have tools under the Planning Act to support market development of affordable housing

4. Non-Profit Housing Providers Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Federal Government (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada) Service Managers Housing Cooperatives Local Housing Corporations Homeless Shelters and Initiatives Ministry of Community and Social Services Dedicated Supportive Housing Providers Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Sector Roles Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services MiziweBiik Development Corporation

5. Drivers for Developing a Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy • System apparently more focused on legislation or programs than people • Need to increase focus on improving housing outcomes for people • Mismatch between prescriptive provincial legislation/controls and local financial and administrative responsibility • Need for greater local flexibility and more streamlined regulation • Confusion about the respective roles of the Province and Service Managers • Need for clarity in roles and accountabilities • Legislation focused only on social housing • Need for a more systems-oriented approach • More than 20 provincial housing and homelessness programs • Need for a more effective provincial program approach

6. Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy • LTAHS Vision • To improve Ontarian's access to adequate, suitable and affordable housing, and provide a solid foundation on which to secure employment, raise families and build strong communities • The LTAHS is based on the following principles: • People-Centred • Partnership-Based • Locally Driven • Supportive • Inclusive • Fiscally Responsible • We will continue to work in partnership as we move forward

7. Accountability Framework • Sets out legislative and regulatory requirements Housing Services Act • Sets out provincial interest for local housing plans Housing Policy Statement Housing and Homelessness Plans • Comprehensive Strategic Plan developed at the local level • Outlines provincial reporting and contractual obligations for the Service Manager for the program Service Agreements

8. Local Housing and Homelessness Plans • Local Plans are: • High level strategic plans that address the whole housing continuum • Treat housing as a whole system with links to other municipal planning activities, for example: • Land-use planning and Official Plans • Infrastructure planning • Human services planning • 10 year planning horizon, reviewed at least every five years • Province will have 90 days to comment on plans before they are finalized but plans are approved by Service Managers • First plans approved by January 1, 2014 • Local Plans must Include: • An assessment of current and future housing needs within the Service Manager’s service area • Objectives and targets relating to housing needs • A description of activities proposed to meet the objectives and targets • A description of how progress towards meeting the objectives will be measured

9. Housing and Homelessness Program Consolidation • A central element of the LTAHS, program consolidation builds on the strategy’s focus of enabling Service Managers to develop housing solutions tailored to local needs. • The LTAHS committed to consolidate five homelessness-related programs starting in January 2013: • Consolidated Homelessness Prevention Program (MCSS) • Emergency Energy Fund (MCSS) • Emergency Hostel Services (MCSS) • Domiciliary Hostel Program (MCSS) • Provincial Rent Bank (MMAH) • We worked with Service Manager representatives from across the province on the development and implementation of the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI). • In Ontario, 47 Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social Services Administration Boards deliver housing and homelessness programs.

10. CHPI - New Program Approach • Service Managers will be measured against two outcomes. The extent to which: 1. People experiencing homelessness obtain and retain housing; and 2. People at risk of homelessness remain housed • The Ministry flows a single annual funding envelope to Service Managers who now have the flexibility to use funding in any of the following four service categories: 1. Emergency Shelter Solutions (e.g. emergency shelter bed); 2. Housing and Related Supports (e.g. permanent housing, rental allowance); 3. Services and Supports (e.g. street and housing outreach, food banks, housing search); and, 4. Homelessness Prevention (e.g. rent support/eviction prevention). • All programs and services that were eligible to receive funding under the five former homelessness-related programs are eligible under the CHPI, however, many additional programming options are now possible as a result of enhanced program flexibility. • Service Managers are not be required to provide services under all four service categories, so long as both program outcomes are addressed.