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DISCUSSION GROUP ON HOMELESSNESS
November 24, 1999
Delta Ottawa Hotel, Ottawa ON
Keynote Presentation: An Aboriginal Homelessness Strategy Framework for Toronto
Roger Obonsawin, of Obonsawin-Irwin Consulting, discussed the issue of Aboriginal homelessness in Toronto (25% of the city's street homeless population), making reference to the research he conducted for the Toronto Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force, chaired by Anne Golden.
Mr. Obonsawin said he was
"overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem ... Our initiatives over the
last 30 years have failed to address issues for a substantial segment of the
Aboriginal population." In order to help outline a comprehensive approach
for the Golden Task Force, he developed the Toronto Aboriginal Strategy
Framework, with an aim to increase Aboriginal individual and communal
self-sufficiency by providing culturally-based alternatives to homelessness.
The Framework incorporates the following guiding principles:
Four strategic directions are recommended for the Strategy Framework: prevention of homelessness, crisis intervention, case-managed health facilitation, and supportive community reintegration. An Aboriginal Steering Committee will likely be formalized in December 1999 to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Strategy.
Mr. Obonsawin also emphasized the need for research data. He indicated that while baseline data is available from 1991, the data from the 1996 census on Aboriginal people living in Toronto has serious discrepancies, as it inaccurately indicates a drop of almost 50% in Toronto's Aboriginal population.
He noted the need to measure the success of the following key outcome indicators:
In conclusion, Mr. Obonsawin emphasized that the Aboriginal Steering Committee's major tasks will be to obtain commitment from all levels of government to utilize resources in a coordinated way, and to foster Aboriginal cooperation and coordination so that agencies will work together.
During the ensuing discussion, Frank Palmater, Vice President of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, commented that part of the problem lies in resources being disproportionately allocated for 235,000 on-reserve Aboriginals, compared with funds for 265,000 off reserve and 418,000 non-status Aboriginals and Metis. Given recent funding cuts, and the federal government's transfer of off-reserve social housing responsibilities to the provinces, Mr. Palmater felt that a national perspective was needed.
Reports of Research Initiatives / Conferences
Selected highlights from updates on activities in British Columbia, Quebec, Ottawa, Toronto, Ontario and Alberta:
· British Columbia's initiatives include: the development of a planning guide for local government on homelessness and innovative housing options for low-income people; an evaluation of the cost effectiveness of the recent purchase of two SROs in downtown Vancouver--first part of the evaluation to be available in March 2000; six pilot projects combining shelters with transitional housing (which involve partnerships with health boards or local governments); development of a housing options paper (at the request of the provincial government) on affordability, homelessness and building quality; new provincial legislation to protect the rental market; and continuation of the cold wet weather strategies in the lower mainland area, Prince George and on Vancouver Island.
· The Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ), in cooperation with the City of Montreal and Quebec City, manages Accès Logement (Housing Access), which finds housing for specified groups. Unlike the rest of Canada, many Quebec cities have a high vacancy rate. Efforts focus on interventions to improve services to the homeless population.
· The Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton (RMOC) has a Homelessness Initiative Fund with $1.7 million from various sources. The RMOC Housing department is now reviewing the over $7M of requests for this funding. The University of Ottawa's Population Research Institute will be evaluating successful forms of intervention for moving homeless people into work and housing. A health status tool, developed by the University, will assist in diagnosing health care needs of homeless people and delivery of appropriate health care.
· Toronto's budget for homelessness initiatives has grown from $400,000 in the 1980s to $8 million today. Youth are not moving off the streets into more stable situations; some have been on the streets for numerous years, and many are graduating to adult hostels. A warehouse was renovated two years ago (Eva's Place) to serve as a short-term winter youth hostel. More recently, homeless youth have participated in building 10 houses (Eva's Phoenix), and local businesses have been providing job training for these young people. These houses will provide 50 youth with a one year residency, thus helping them to become independent. To date there has been no political commitment to hire a facilitator to coordinate homelessness initiatives in Toronto, as recommended in the Golden Report.
· Ontario has recently focused on single room occupancies (SROs), specifically multi-residential dwellings with units under 300 sq. ft. A report has been published, Assessing the Economic Feasibility of Single Room Occupancy Development in Ontario. There is an estimated demand for 100,000 units renting for less than $400 per month. Two types of low-rental tenants have been identified: people with no significant mental or physical problems, and those who have problems, including substance abusers. The private sector is unwilling to build for the second group without some form of government assistance. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has identified three barriers to affordable rental: allowance of very small suites (the Ministry is currently working on amending the Ontario Building Code required minimum of 275 sq. ft.), higher taxes for rental properties and municipal parking requirements (presently at about. one-half space per unit for inner city) .
· Responsibility in Alberta for housing and homelessness is now with the Ministry of Community Development, not Municipal Affairs. The Alberta Action Committee on Homelessness is developing a provincial policy on homelessness, incorporating principles of continuum of care, support services and transitional housing. (While other provinces have many activities under way, it appears that no one has a provincial policy on homelessness.) Alberta is also developing a database to determine the amount being spent on homelessness in the province by all levels of government.
Updates on CMHC, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the National Secretariat on Homelessness initiatives.
· The National Roundtable on Best Practices Addressing Homelessness, held in June 1999, was co-hosted by CMHC, FCM, Raising the Roof and Urban Core Support Network. On the first day, representatives from the regional roundtables held in April reported on their sessions and workshops were led by agencies which had documented their best practices (effective solutions). The second day was devoted to developing an action plan for next steps. Participants drafted a letter to Minister Claudette Bradshaw, federal coordinator for homelessness, including their analysis of and solutions to homelessness in Canada. Research reports from the roundtables and best practices are available.
· The Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) stand-alone version will be ready by the end of the year, and a pilot will proceed in Calgary in January. Subsequent testing is planned for Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax, but computer hardware is still being sought. Toronto is interested in developing a LAN version and wants to add special functions to source codes. Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) has spoken with Statistics Canada regarding housing the database when pilot testing has been completed.
· The Canadian Centre for Public-Private Partnerships in Housing (CCPPPH): In December 1998, the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) was given an additional $50 million to spend by the end of March 1999. Much of this funding has been used to renovate old rooming house hotels, warehouses and apartment buildings: the CCPPPH has worked with various groups to use RRAP dollars, combined with mortgage funds, to assist groups in purchasing properties to house homeless people.
· FCM's National Housing Policy Options Paper sets forth actions required to increase affordable housing and relieve severe homelessness problems. FCM estimates that 800,000 Canadians pay more than 50 percent of their income on rent. The Options paper recommends that the federal government should provide capital funding for more affordable housing, expand RRAP funding, provide shelter allowances, and facilitate the development of 400,000 new homes over the next 10 years. The options are estimated to cost $2 billion each year. It is recommended that the federal government take the lead in working with provinces on how best to share the funding. Committee members were reminded that the Affordability and Choice Today Program (ACT) provides funding for projects aimed at regulatory reform - thereby reducing housing costs and helping house low-income Canadians. Queries should be directed to Rosemary Kinnis at FCM.
· The current foci of the National Secretariat on Homelessness are i) to address immediate shelter needs, ii) to form short-term partnerships with the private sector and NGOs in order to assess needs and organize solutions, and iii) to form long-term partnerships. The Secretariat is assessing unsolicited proposals received from community groups, in consultation with regions, to determine steps to be taken.
Research Priorities
From the list of research topics previously distributed, a sub-committee of the Discussion Group on Homelessness met earlier to tentatively identify five of them as top research priorities for the committee:
1. Paths into (causes of) homelessness
2. Indicators of the impact of homelessness
3. Characteristics and size of the "at risk" population
4. Models for collaboration between agencies
5. Aboriginal people and homelessness
Comments from members about the research priorities included the following:
Additional Points
A proposed topic for the Spring 2000 meeting of the Discussion Group on Homelessness, scheduled for the week of May 29,2000, was a demonstration of HIFIS. Other suggestions are welcome before March and should be directed to Tom Kerwin or Anna Lenk.
Articles for the Winter 2000 NHRC Newsletter must be submitted to Brenda Baxter no later than January 17, 2000.
Discussion Group on Homelessness
May 31, 1999
Minto Place Suite Hotel, Ottawa ON
In the opening introductions, one of the Discussion Group members recommended the winter 1999 issue of Canadian Housing, Canadian Renewal and Housing Association's magazine, which contains an article about the Discussion Group, as well as other articles on homelessness.
Key Presentation: Edmonton Task Force on Homelessness
Task Force's Mandate and Timeframe
Faced with pressure to provide extra emergency beds in Edmonton in the fall of 1998, the Mayor of Edmonton and the Minister of Alberta Family and Social Services determined that longer term solutions needed to be developed. They formed a task force at the beginning of November with a mandate to
All work was to be completed within six months, with no extra funding provided.
The task force, chaired by a MLA, included 12 members representing non-profit community groups, private industry and government at all three levels. A working group also formed to assist the task force. In May 1999, the task force completed its work with the release of a final report, Homelessness in Edmonton: A Call to Action.
Sundari Devam, Housing Manager with the Edmonton City Centre Church Corporation, presented an overview of the final report to NHRC's Discussion Group on Homelessness. She was the only person to serve on both the task force and the working group.
Process and Findings
In order to meet tight deadlines, the task force worked quickly in making decisions and stayed very focused. It defined homelessness as including absolute and sheltered homeless people, but not people at risk of homelessness. The work involved several steps, including a public forum, roundtable sessions with agencies to look at barriers to serving Edmonton's homeless populations and a count of the city's homeless people.
The count, taken by 46 volunteers over a 24-hour period in March, involved a count of shelter beds used plus a survey of homeless people in inner city areas, popular youth areas, public transit stations, some malls, drug centres, jails and hospitals. A practice count done the month before included abandoned buildings, but this required too many extra resources to be justified. The volunteers also collected data on agency turn away counts and people ready to be discharged from shelters, group homes, jails and hospitals but with no place to go. The aim of the count was not to achieve accuracy, but to have a mechanism to track trends.
The findings revealed that Edmonton's problem was not a lack of shelter beds but one of affordable housing. Its shelters and hospitals had become long-term housing facilities for many homeless people with no alternatives. "The results show there are very few cracks in Edmonton's foundation. Services are there, but they're overtaxed," said Ms. Devam.
Of the 836 people counted, 313 were absolute homeless people and 523 were homeless people in shelters. These included 70 homeless families with 112 children altogether. Ms. Devam noted they were surprised to learn that 15% of the 70 families were headed by men only, and another, smaller percentage were seniors with children. "These were not groups we had thought to address," she said. "We need to look at the barriers they encounter to affordable housing and to support services that go with housing."
Some Solutions
With Edmonton's homeless being comprised of many diverse groups, addressing the problem in the long term requires diverse solutions. Ms. Devam highlighted a few of them.
One recommendation calls for an additional 500 housing units each year for the next five years. Additional support services are recommended, such as transportation to help people look for accommodation outside the inner city, and day care for homeless families with children, as a support to parents when searching for accommodation and employment. The task force proposed an increase in shelter allowances and called for consideration of a graduated formula for Rents Geared to Income, in place of the standard 30%. Ms. Devam mentioned damage deposits and damage insurance as two other areas to be addressed.
A newly formed, community-based Edmonton Housing Trust Fund, which has hired an executive director, will provide funding to groups, private developers and others looking to provide housing solutions. Proposed source funds include $1.3 million from eliminated subsidies for social housing. A nominal charge on sales of municipal and provincial lands might also generate some funds.
Another group is forming a land trust, in which the trustees would own the land, but not the homes. Occupants would rent-to-purchase for five years, and then assume ownership. Mortgages would be lower as land costs would not be included. This option, initially for low-income families not on social assistance, might be available to people on social assistance within a couple of years.
Quebec
Making linkages between housing affordability and other client issues is of key importance to the province's Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ). Issues around access to shelter involves dealing with multiple problems of a diverse nature.
Hélène Aubé noted that counting homeless populations itself has been problematic. "Community groups feel they have been burned in the past," she said. As such, their first reaction is to criticize any results.
In counting homeless people, Santé Québec has adopted a definition developed in France, which includes those of no fixed address, people who are poorly housed and those using services for the homeless populations. This effectively more than doubled previous counts, increasing the number from 15,000 to 40,000. In Quebec City alone, there are some 12,000 to 15,000 homeless. (See Dr. Louise Fournier's study on homelessness, Dénombrement de la clientèle itinérante dans les centres d'hébergement, les soupes populaires et les centres de jour des villes de Montréal et de Québec 1996-97.)
Three groups recently initiated an annual conference for the Réseau solidarité itinérance (Homeless Solidarity Network). The network had not met before at a provincial level. As a result of this new development, Ms. Aubé said there is greater pressure for more social housing.
Ottawa-Carleton
The Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton (RMOC) passed a declaration last fall endorsing the campaign to declare homelessness a national disaster. At that time, the RMOC called for a report on Ottawa-Carleton's situation by January 1999. Bill Rooney, Manager, Initiative to End Homelessness, advised the Discussion Group that a second report presenting an action plan for dealing with homelessness is almost complete and will be released in June 1999.
The Alliance to End Homelessness, a local Ottawa area organization predating the regional campaign, and which currently has approximately 50 members, collaborated with the RMOC in developing the plan. This initiative reflects the Alliance's focus since 1995 on forming partnerships to end homelessness for substance abusers and people suffering from mental illness.
The information gathered for the action plan points to five factors leading to homelessness:
Mr. Rooney emphasized the need to deal with all five areas.
In developing the plan, the collaborators attempted to consult with as many people as possible representing those who have a stake in the issue. For example, developers, agencies and former homeless people participated in a one-day community forum. There was a great deal of consensus on short-term solutions, but very little on long-term ones.
The forum gave rise to five groups which put forward over 80 recommendations. These have been collapsed into about 24 recommendations. Throughout the process, participants stressed key principles for the plan:
1) focus on prevention, not just intervention
2) collaboration and cooperation are essential
3) develop long-term solutions and partnerships
4) involve the community from the outset
5) be research-based: have benchmarks and evaluate findings.
Further information about the plan can be obtained by accessing the RMOC's website, www.rmoc.on.ca, and then selecting the following in sequence: Regional Council, Agenda, Community Services Committee, April 15, and June 17.
Joanne Lowe, Member, Alliance to End Homelessness, noted two areas of current importance to the Alliance, specifically increasing affordable housing stock and research. For example, the Alliance recently developed a research proposal, in partnership with the University of Ottawa, to investigate the impact of services provided to homeless people and those who are mentally ill.
Raising the Roof
Raising the Roof, a charitable agency, raises funds to give to groups working with homeless populations, and it also seeks to raise public awareness on the issues involved. Catherine Boucher, President, Raising the Roof, noted that although the agency has a national mandate, it has been active mainly in the Toronto area since its formation a couple of years ago.
So far, the organization has raised funds locally, which it distributed to five Toronto groups, plus keeping a portion to cover its own costs. The agency is pursuing ways to increase its profile, in order to raise more funds. Global TV has become a partner, and specialized television networks - such as Comedy Network, Women's Television Network and Life Network - have aired announcements for Raising the Roof. Entertainment-based links seem to be a good means of educating others, and there may be other suitable event-based opportunities. Ms. Boucher said they are also targetting new homeowners through a magazine specifically for that audience.
The board composition will likely change, in order to bring in representatives and partners from outside the Toronto area. Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax are three other areas where Raising the Roof wants to establish a strong profile.
As it proceeds, the agency will be using electronic conferences, discussion groups and a website to facilitate dialogue on a national strategy. The process will be evaluated over a two- to three- year period, to determine whether these forms of electronic communication are a good way for people to come together and discuss the issues.
Health Canada
Carl Lakaski of Health Canada shared findings of a research study, by Dr. Paula Goering, on the role of mental health as a contributing factor to homelessness. Dr. Goering is with the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (formerly the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry) based in Toronto.
According to the project, Pathways to Homelessness, most homeless people who are identified as mentally ill are actually suffering from depression, with less than 10% being seriously mentally ill. In fact, Dr. Goering could attribute only 3% of those studied as being homeless due to mental illness. She concluded homelessness is a macro socio-economic problem stemming from a lack of affordable housing, employment and income security.
Ms. Lowe noted there has been criticism about the study. "They didn't get those most at risk," she said.
Mr. Lakaski also reported that five national groups have formed an alliance to develop a national action plan to address homelessness for those with mental health issues. The alliance includes the following NGOs:
CMHC Initiatives
Roundtables on Best Practices Addressing Homelessness
Luba Serge, an independent consultant working on CMHC homelessness projects, reported on the regional roundtables on best practices addressing homelessness, which were held in April in five regions across Canada: Atlantic; Quebec; Ontario; Prairies, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories; and British Columbia and the Yukon. The roundtables were small, focused sessions primarily for front-line agencies involved with homelessness. these agencies had identified the need for sharing information and learning from successful initiatives in a 1998 survey. With funding from CMHC, front-line agencies subsequently documented ten "best practices", which formed the basis for the roundtable discussions.
A two-day national roundtable, which is a culmination of the regional roundtables, will take place in Ottawa on June 14 and 15, 1999. This event will be co-hosted by CMHC, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Raising the Roof and Urban Core Support Network. Participation is by invitation only and will include regional roundtable representatives, representatives from the ten agencies which documented their "best practices", a small number of municipal and provincial representatives, national agencies involved with homelessness issues and a limited number of representatives from federal departments. It will provide an opportunity for front-line agencies to share effective solutions in addressing homelessness and to support the creation or enlargement of information networks.
Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS)
In January 1999, CMHC organized a Joint Application Development (JAD) session for the development of a software database called the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS). The JAD session, which included representatives from British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia, allowed future users of HIFIS to participate in its development. John Engeland, with CMHC's Research Division, said that a one-month Beta test of the software is tentatively scheduled to begin mid-June 1999. Enhancements can then be completed by mid-July, followed by preparations in late summer for the start of a national pilot test, which will include shelters located in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax. CMHC is also looking to involve a pilot test site in Quebec and is actively seeking other partners, such as Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) and Industry Canada, to assist with equipment and funding.
Canadian Centre for Public-Private Partnerships in Housing (CCPPPH)
Jamey Burr, Manager, CCPPPH, noted that, as of 1999, CMHC began providing Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) funding to shelters, with an unexpected development. "RRAP funding became a leveraging tool for groups to get additional funding," said Mr. Burr. "It was not planned, but it's working that way."
Edmonton documented the process of involving different funding partners in an A*C*T (Affordability and Choice Today) project. Mr. Burr said CMHC and two other funders usually start the process, and then a fourth one, and possibly a fifth, joins. Fundraising for youth housing projects is becoming a particularly fertile area he noted.
Federal Coordinator for Homelessness
In response to a query regarding Claudette Bradshaw's new ministerial role, Tom Kerwin, Chair of the Discussion Group, informed the meeting that she had been appointed in March as the coordinating Minister for 19 federal government agencies with programs related to homelessness. Her new role and the Secretariat on Homelessness do not change CMHC's lead role for housing nationally.
Toronto Symposium on Homelessness and Housing
This national symposium, held March 25 and 26, highlighted "a number of remarkable projects that directly benefitted homeless people," reported Bob Yamashita, who is with the City of Toronto. The event, sponsored by CMHC, HRDC, FCM and the City, proved important in providing a national perspective on what is happening and in fostering links, relationships and networks. Major issues revolved around provision of housing regardless of how people become homeless.
Toronto Homelessness Action Task Force Report
With the amalgamation of seven municipalities, preventive programs have been downgraded. The City is at a crossroads on its policy. The task force report does not present a theme or suggestions on how to achieve long-term results, but only addresses the short term.
Despite the expressed intention from the municipal and provincial governments to deal with homelessness, funding changes have resulted in a net loss of $1 million in one instance, instead of an increase, contrary to announcements.
Mr. Yamashita also briefly reported on some other initiatives:
- $50 million will go towards rent supplements
- 500 units of affordable housing are to be built on marginal lands
- $4.7 million is available for small community-based initiatives.
- make CMHC mortgages easier
- provide capital funding for secondary suites
- make more federally owned land available
- address Aboriginal and immigrant issues.
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Robbin Tourangeau reported on FCM's release of its Quality of Life report May 18. This report represents the first time there has been a consistent collection of data on social policy indicators across Canada. Sixteen large urban municipalities participated in the project. This reflects a significant shift and growing awareness among municipalities that they need tools, such as the indicators, to assist in developing social policy.
A National Housing Policy Options paper formed the basis of FCM's presentation to the national symposium held in Toronto. Ms. Tourangeau said the paper will be officially released at FCM's conference the week of May 31, and will be used during the summer in developing policy on homelessness and housing.
Research Priorities
Claude Roy, Luc Legault and an NGO member will work together with CMHC on the research priorities of the Discussion Group on Homelessness, as identified at the June 1998 meeting. Any interested NGO member who would like to join this group should contact Tom Kerwin at 613- 748-2073.
Proposed Agenda Items for November 1999 Meeting
Date for next meeting: a half day during the week of November 22, 1999.
24 November 1998
Indicative of the momentum building across Canada to solve problems of homelessness was the packed agenda of the National Housing Research Committee's Discussion Group on Homelessness. At its half-day meeting in Ottawa on November 24, 1998, the group heard 13 presentations from organizations active in addressing homelessness.
Keynote presenter was Kay Wong, a City of Calgary social planner who told group members about the situation in Calgary and what the city is doing. She is currently on the board of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, a group of volunteers seeking solutions to homelessness in that city.
Every two years, on one night in May, Calgary literally counts the city's homeless population. Workers take the count in hostels, shelters, police cells, hospital emergency rooms, the streets, public parks and any other place homeless people might be found. The method delivers only a snapshot of that day but the results show a trend when compared to previous years. The 1998 count turned up 988 homeless persons; in 1996 it was 615 and in 1994 the figure was 461.
Calgary developed a Community Action Plan which had two goals:
Having "consumers" participate helped the committee realize that homelessness encompassed more than people living on the street. It included people inadequately housed and those at risk of losing their homes as well.
The "consumers" were active in every phase of the project. They helped set up a community consultation process by recruiting people for focus groups, by running focus groups and by helping evaluate ideas from the focus groups. "Consumers" were also hired and trained to interview people in homeless shelters and helped define the five strategic directions of the action plan:
Ms. Wong said involving homeless people in the process was not easy but it was worthwhile because of what they could teach the others and their ability to connect with homeless peers.
"If you are going to involve them, you need to spend a lot of time. As a society we're probably not aware of how much anger we create in people when we marginalize them or they feel they are not getting their share of what everyone else is getting. We spent a number of hours trying to clarify what our expectations were of them and what they expected from us," she said.
Implementation of the plan is now underway with the Calgary Homeless Foundation in charge. The foundation works through front-line care givers and agencies for the homeless. It has an annual budget of $6 million, created with matched funds from the city, the province and the corporate sector. The foundation is committed to the permanent resolution of homelessness in Calgary. With about 3,800 homeless people in the city and 10,000 described as "near homeless", they face a daunting challenge.
Bob Yamashita, Manager, Community Housing Initiatives at the City of Toronto, highlighted the data contained in the interim report of the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force, chaired by Dr. Anne Golden. Mr. Yamashita noted that the report emphasizes strategies to avoid homelessness, in part because emergency shelters are a very expensive response. Instead, the report calls for greater access to low income housing, more rental assistance, new non-profit housing and municipal encouragement for secondary suites. Highlights from the interim report are contained in the account of the full NHRC committee meeting
The report also calls for eviction prevention strategies that would include rent banks, new non-profit housing (Toronto needs at least 4,000 more affordable housing units a year), rent subsidies and supportive housing units (an additional 5,000 in Toronto.)
Mr. Yamashita said the interim report is a clear call for The City of Toronto to act. But, he added, it is not a document for Toronto alone. It proposes a host of imaginative solutions, all built on solid research. As such, it will no doubt stimulate solutions elsewhere. The final report will be released in January 1999.
Claude Roy Director of Analysis and Research, Société d'habitation du Québec, briefed the group on Quebec's response to homelessness. He said Montreal and Quebec City have serious problems, although not as severe as Toronto's. A 1996 study found that there were 12,700 homeless in Montreal and 3,600 in Quebec City. He said the SHQ has partnered with community housing groups to draw on their expertise in developing local solutions to homelessness.
As recognition grows that solving homelessness requires a multi-disciplinary approach, inter-agency cooperation also grows. In Montreal and Quebec City, for example, provincial health, social services, and housing agencies are working together on the problem. Community organizations working with the homeless in different parts of Quebec are also banding together to exchange information and to voice their needs in a unified fashion.
Luc Legault Direct, Area Operations Centre at the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton reported on an initiative to preserve Ottawa's rooming house stock. Twenty years ago, the downtown core had upwards of 450 rooming houses; today there are only about 200.
Worried by this attrition, the City of Ottawa and a number of community agencies set up a rooming house information exchange network a few years back. From that network came several initiatives designed to facilitate communications between agencies that provide services to rooming house tenants, landlords and rooming house neighbours. These initiatives have helped stabilize Ottawa's rooming house supply. The formation of a landlords' association gives them a voice with the city and provides a way for landlords to liaise with other organizations over concerns such as policing, tenants with mental health problems and so on. The association may also eventually improve rooming house quality as it builds support among landlords for voluntary rooming house standards.
Catherine Boucher, is the volunteer president of this national charity devoted to galvanizing public attention and support for solutions to homelessness. She said her organization called for a national strategy to solve homelessness two years ago.
Her group is well aware that the problem will eventually be solved through initiatives at the community level and that is where they do their partnering and work. In 1997, the group launched a three-year project in Toronto to bring attention to the issue of homelessness and to raise funds that will be used to help find and to fund solutions. They plan to launch similar efforts in Vancouver and Halifax.
Representatives from several groups within CMHC reported briefly on initiatives underway there. A capsule description of each follows.
Dr. Liz Roberts, Senior Program Officer, National Programs said the association has circulated a discussion paper on the health impacts of social and economic conditions and what they mean to public policy. One of the topics discussed in the paper is the connection between health and homelessness.
The topic was also on the agenda at the association's annual general meeting in June 1997 where members voted to adopt a position paper on homelessness and health. The organization is exploring the possibility of partnering with some other group (or groups) to stage a conference on this topic.
Joanne Lowe, Alliance co-chair, said the Alliance, an umbrella group of about 30 organizations, undertakes projects that support the efforts of individual members to achieve their goals.
One of the alliance's first projects was devising a way to gather data from emergency shelters in Ottawa-Carleton and collect it in a regional data base. Having access to region-wide data has helped the alliance identify gaps in services and raise public awareness about the extent of homelessness in the region. This effort is now linked to CMHC's national data collection project.
Before describing a research project, Robbin Tourangeau, Policy Analyst with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), told the discussion group that the just-concluded FCM caucus of Big City Mayors had homelessness high on its agenda. The mayors:
On the research side, FCM is directing the creation of a system to measure the quality of life in Canada's cities. One of the measures is housing and FCM is now pushing to include information about homelessness as part of that indicator.
Liz Sutherland, Co-Coordinator, Research Resource Centre of NAPO said the organization's focus is not on homelessness per se but on issues linked to this topic things such as cuts to unemployment benefits, child care and other aspects of Canada's record on economic and social rights. NAPO is, however, preparing fact sheets on homelessness it hopes to distribute during the winter. These fact sheets will compile information that various non-government organization have gathered at the community level. The organization has also applied for funds to research links between women's health and homelessness.
Kevin Lee, Manager, Community Housing Division, said the council's Urban Poverty Project, sponsored by a number of municipal and non-profit partners, is filling some of the information gaps around homelessness. For example, one topic covered is near homelessness. This data collection is part of a Canada-wide effort to assemble data on poverty, as defined by Statistic Canada.
Following their formal session, members of the discussion group visited the Union Mission in downtown Ottawa where they toured the facility and spoke with staff about the Mission's various programs. They also got a first-hand look at a data system that is used by all of Ottawa's homeless shelters for men.
17 June 1998
CMHC National Office, Ottawa ON
Jeanine Ratcliffe, Manager, Special Needs Housing, BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs
Jeanine profiled the homeless situation in BC and presented a wealth of information on provincial programs and housing stock initiatives. She noted that the homeless situation in BC differs from that of central and eastern Canada, due to factors such as: BC is still building new social housing, with an emphasis on families and special needs; welfare rates for families have not been cut; and the stock of market housing is in relatively good condition.
A brief survey of BC anti-poverty groups showed that there are probably more than 1,000 people who are absolutely homeless in BC, and another 20,000 who are relatively homeless. The concentrations are in Vancouver and Victoria, but about 75-150 people have absolute homelessness in each of Prince George, Kamloops and Kelowna.
The number of BC street youth is growing, projected at 2.5% per year increase. Almost 20% of all BC youth depend on income assistance. Among the many innovative BC initiatives, two in particular attracted attention, the cost-effectiveness of the SRO (single room occupancy) as a housing unit for the homeless, and the integrated planning approach of the different BC agencies addressing homelessness.
Len Bulmer of the Canadian Centre for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPH) noted difficulty for social housing/homeless projects in getting mortgages and mortgage insurance given that typical construction costs often far exceed the value of the finished building. CCPPPH recently assisted Woodgreen Red Door, a 50 bedroom project for homeless young mothers in the Toronto area, obtain mortgage insurance. The project was a success due to: involvement of the City of Toronto ($200,000 contribution), the fact that the project only entailed modest retrofit, willingness of the lender, and the proven capacity of the proponents.
CMHC is developing a data collection and management system that shelters could use to collect standard and consistent information to better identify the number and characteristics of homeless making use of their facilities. Two stages of work have been completed: focus group work by an Ottawa-Carleton group identifying basic data elements to be collected and confidentiality issues; and a cross-country survey of shelters identifying interest levels in such a system, confirming the range of data to be collected, and obtaining the information necessary to develop the HIFIS specifications. In July 1998, CMHC will start the third stage of the work by issuing a request for proposals for the design of the system. Beginning early in 1999, CMHC will "beta test" the pilot HIFIS system.
CMHC is documenting 6-10 examples of best /effective practices addressing homelessness. The final selection of the projects to be documented and the characteristics being documented are based upon CMHC's 'Protocol for the Collection of Best Practices Addressing Homelessness' (previously tabled). The documentation will be completed in the late fall.
Based upon consultation with representatives of the various levels of government, national non-profits and front line agencies, CMHC intends to sponsor a series of regional roundtables followed by a national "Best Practices Forum". The structure of the regional roundtables, including number of attendees and the partners, would be flexible by region. The objectives of the regional roundtables are to build networks and to exchange information on effective practices (produced under the "Documentation" project listed above). The national forum would be a culmination and consolidation of the regional events. Participants would include regional, municipal and provincial government representatives, organizational reps and representatives from the homeless population. The objectives of the national roundtable are to build avenues of exchange beyond the regions, to share the results of the regional sessions and exchange information on effective practices.
Through CMHC's External Research Grants Program, Sylvia Novac is conducting a study titled, "Chronic Homeless among Women- A Decade of Changing Needs and Services". It will be completed in mid-December. The project's executive summary will be posted to CMHC's web-site.
For the third year in a row, CMHC has included questions on the Environics Omnibus Public Opinion Survey. Both new and trend questions were included on the recent March 1998 survey. The results have been posted to CMHC's web page on homelessness (www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca).
CMHC, in partnership with Health Canada, will undertake a project to explore the spaces and services available to children and youth in family shelters in Canada. This project will be underway in late August.
Dr. Christina Mills, CPHA
Dr. Mills discussed how the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) is looking beyond physical health, such as the creation of a committee on equity and social justice issues, which Christina chairs. At their 1997 AGM the CPHA membership endorsed a series of measures on homelessness. A copy of the CPHA's position paper "Health Impacts of Social & Economic Conditions: Implications for Public Policy" was made available.
Greg reviewed the history and progress of the Task Force. Greg observed that the various Task Force-commissioned research projects are slated to be completed this fall. He also noted that 1/6 of Toronto's homeless shelter population are frequent/long term, 2/6 use them on an emergency short term basis, and that 3/6 use the shelters only every few weeks or months.
Bob noted that Toronto's chronic homeless shelter users account for 1/2 of the budget. He also reported on a workshop he recently attended in Chicago sponsored by the (U.S.) National Coalition of Homeless. Major trends reported there were: HUD (Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. federal housing agency) has lost 1/2 of its funding and over 100,000 public housing units over the past few years; and the privatization of welfare agencies, with Lockheed now the largest welfare agency. The privatization approach places an emphasis on removing people from the welfare lists. Another trend is the usage of the "continuum of care" model throughout the U.S., often by religiously-oriented agencies.
Unfortunately Kay Wong, social planner with the City of Calgary ,was unable to attend. Brenda Baxter reported that Calgary has been actively working on developing initiatives to reduce homelessness. The most recent effort has been a community action plan, developed with the input of front line agencies, churches, academics, bureaucrats, politicians and the people affected or at risk. The plan outlines strategic directions and is organized under five headings: housing supply; umbrella system; culturally sensitive services for Aboriginal Peoples; community awareness; and Implementation. Copies of the publication were made available. This information, and more, is available on the City of Calgary's web site which is "hot linked" to the CMHC site.
Mr. Roy of the Société d'habitation du Québec (the Quebec housing ministry), noted that an evaluation of the supportive housing model is now available in English, as well as the report of the Comité de Recherche (in French only). Claude mentioned that the fall 1998 issue of "Canadian Housing" (published by CHRA) will focus on homelessness.
The Information Transfer Strategy was developed by the Discussion Group just over a year ago to more effectively facilitate the exchange of information on homelessness, both among members and with people outside of the Discussion Group. The strategy has two objectives: 1) facilitate a cross-national flow of information on homeless research and 2) bring new research to the forefront. The implementation of the strategy has contributed to a revived Discussion Group through for example, the guest presenters, development of web site, and development of an on-line discussion.
There have been some recent changes to the web site: 1) The bibliography has been updated (June 1998) and posted (a hard copy was made available); 2) A hot-link has been made to Calgary's web site; and 3) Recent public opinion survey data is posted to the site. Discussion Group members and others are encouraged to visit the web site and, particularly, to get the word out on the availability of the on-line discussion, so it can be tested as an effective tool for sharing information.
One of the action items in the Strategy is to include an update of research on homelessness in the NHRC newsletter. Members should expect to be contacted for information to be included in the fall newsletter.
Catherine provided a review of the recent history of Raising the Roof. Presently it has identified potential funders and agencies to fund. In 1997, its first year of operation, Raising the Roof raised $72,000 to distribute to five local community agencies. They have a three year commitment in Toronto, but are tentatively looking at replicating their success in Vancouver and Halifax.
She members participated in a multi-voting exercise of prioritizing both five previously-identified research areas and fourteen possible research topics. The results are appended, along with other information .
The main suggestion for a featured speaker at the next meeting of the discussion group, was Kay Wong of Calgary. Other topics would include a report from Greg Sutter on the results of the Homelessness Action Task Force. Suggestion that there be an ongoing compendium of all federal and provincial legislative changes that affect homelessness.
[Please contact Gloria Redekop at 613-748-2300 ext. 3362 if you wish copies of the items listed below.]
05 June 1997
Jamie Angus, CMHC Chair, welcomed members to the meeting, introduced new participants, and reviewed the agenda. Brief summaries of the discussion and presentations made at the meeting are provided below.
An information transfer strategy sub-committee was struck at the last meeting of the NHRC Discussion Group on Homelessness. The sub-committee includes Richard Franz, Claude Roy, Luc Legault, Brenda Baxter, Randy Risk, John Engeland and Jamie Angus. This group has been working since the last meeting to develop a framework for action to help establish a national exchange of information on research on homelessness. Richard Franz, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and Claude Roy, Société d'habitation du Québec, provided an overview of the proposed information transfer strategy framework.
The framework establishes two objectives: 1) to facilitate a cross-national flow of information on homeless research; and, 2) to bring new research on homelessness to the forefront . A handout outlining the proposed strategy was provided. Each objective includes actions for implementing the objective, a medium through which to facilitate the action, a target audience, and a measurable outcome. This framework cites both CMHC's Internet web site and the NHRC Newsletter as effective media to keep members well informed. The successful implementation of the framework requires the active participation by all Discussion Group members, as members need to take the time to contribute to the flow of information.
Claude Roy also informed the group that Quebec was announcing a new initiative which would link the Social Services Department and the University of Quebec in a project that would improve individual self-esteem and quality of life of the single "at-risk" population. He offered to circulate the information.
As part of the implementation of the new information transfer strategy, Rob Cressman and Bob Yamashita of the City of Toronto's Housing Department were invited to make a presentation on the state of homeless research, projects and policy, in Toronto. Rob commented on the overlap and parallels between the City of Toronto's priority areas for homelessness and those developed by the Discussion Group.
Bob reported on the history, theory and practices that have helped shape current research issues on the homeless and the "at risk" population by the City of Toronto's Housing Department. Since the 1985 "off the streets" policy, the City has been helping the homeless and those at risk to stay safe, healthy and protected. For those homeless people wishing to improve their situation, the City, through the Alternative Housing Sub-committee, provides community-based support services. These services range from a first level emergency response, to support services, to a community development program.
Toronto has found that housing projects, as a solution to homelessness, have usually failed unless the necessary support services are also made available. The current strategy is based on community development, maintenance, access to services, and monitoring of the stock.
Future research questions, from the perspective of the City of Toronto, deal with 1) The need for action research to document the experience of helping the homeless, such as the StreetCity projects; 2) The changing face of the housing stock in the City and the need to know more about the emerging trends. For example, the supply and quality of rooming houses requires investigation; and 3) The Savard project for "hard to house" women opened in January. As a successful example of how to develop a low-demand high-support environment, this experience needs to be documented.
Toronto's annual "State of the Homeless" in the city report will be published in the next 2 - 3 months. This report will be an interesting source of information for this Discussion Group. Minutes from Toronto's Alternative Housing Sub-committee are posted on the City's Internet site (www.city.toronto.on.ca) and would serve as interesting reading for Discussion Group members.
Brenda Baxter indicated that two new literature reviews are now available from the Canadian Housing Information Centre: "No Place of Her Own: Literature Review on Women and Homelessness" (Elles ont besoin de toits: Analyse documentaire sur les femmes sans-abri) and "Literature Review on Aboriginal Peoples and Homelessness".
Homelessness was previously viewed as a male experience and problem; gender has not been a factor in much of the literature on this topic, but this is changing with the growing numbers of homeless women. The literature review on Women and Homelessness is based on a review of the recent literature on women and homelessness, including the role of violence against women, health factors, and shelter provision. A brief overview of regional field reports on women's homelessness in Canada is included, as are recommendations for future research.
There is scant information focusing specifically on Aboriginal homelessness. Through an extensive literature review and interviews with experts in the field, both academics and service providers, the Literature Review on Aboriginal Persons expands the understanding of the causes of homelessness for Aboriginal peoples, especially those causes and risk factors that are distinct from the non-Aboriginal homeless population. Recommendations for future research are included.
Results of the eight questions included in the March 1997 "Survey of Canadians' Attitudes Toward Homelessness'" were also presented. Five of the eight questions were replicated from the June 1996 survey in order to observe any broad changes in public opinion based on the time of year -- in this case summer versus winter. While the overall response breakdown between "agree" and "disagree" did not vary greatly from the June 1996 results, shifts occurred within categories between those who responded "strongly" versus those who responded "somewhat". The responses to the three new questions provide a picture of an optimistic environment in which governments and organizations can begin to address homelessness.
Brenda also indicated that CMHC will be undertaking a study this summer on family shelters. The purpose of the study is to develop an inventory of the services for children and youth that are available in Canadian shelters for homeless families, including physical spaces and support services.
Michael Macpherson, CMHC, provided a brief report on the CMHC Housing Awards program, whose theme this year is "housing for youth". He indicated that several of the submissions dealing with youth homelessness and youth "at risk" might be appropriate for discussion with this group.
John Engeland provided a status report on the development of a data collection system. Phase I is now complete. Phase II involves developing the specifications for the system, programming, the development of all hard-copy data collection forms as well as computer software. Phase III will involve pilot testing for a full year before the tool will be made available for implementation. Although Phase II is behind schedule, a very good survey instrument has been developed and survey recipients are very interested in the study, but wish to consult with their Boards prior to returning the questionnaires. Quebec will be surveyed shortly, as Louise Fournier will have completed her current study on census-taking of the homeless in Montreal and Quebec City. It is anticipated that the pilot test can begin early in 1998.
Rosemary Spendlove, National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO), raised three items of interest. She explained that NAPO is continuing to research the impacts of cuts to transfer payment and changes to the CHST. With the removal of standards from legislation, there is a loss of monitoring requirements. A copy of the progress report on the impact of these cuts was made available. A survey of, by and for, low income and homeless Calgarians on homelessness in Calgary was conducted this year. "The Street Speaks" survey gained the attention of non-profit , municipal and provincial decision makers and led to the preparation of a consultation summary for Calgary's Homeless Initiative Search Committee. This summary served as preparation for a three-day intensive working conference on homelessness held at the end of May. Copies of both reports were made available. The survey "Can People on Welfare Pay Rent and Eat Too?" from the Daily Bread Food Bank, was made available. This survey is based on information regularly collected by The Daily Bread Food Bank for its annual survey. This particular survey questions the issue of general assistance and concludes that, in some cases, households are cutting back on food budgets by as much as 50% in order to pay fixed costs, such as rent.
Brenda Baxter reiterated Bob Yamashita's comment that it is difficult for front-line workers and agencies to document and disseminate information on successful and innovative projects because they rarely have the time or the resources to do so. Consequently, notable projects, like the StreetCity projects, are never comprehensively documented. However, identifying and disseminating information on "best practices" aids in the recognition and promotion of innovations in addressing the needs of the homeless population and will possibly influence the quality of future innovations and support efficiency in the system by promoting examples of successful approaches.
CMHC is currently developing a protocol for the collection of best practices in addressing homelessness such that selected initiatives can be documented and the information can be used by a wide audience, including local shelter agencies, municipalities, provincial housing departments and other organizations. As part of this process a Best Practices Forum is being considered by CMHC, for the fall of 1998. The forum is seen as a venue for key informants working in the area of housing and homelessness to exchange information, to discuss approaches to addressing needs and to facilitate future partnerships in developing solutions. It was stressed that the public message of such a forum should be hopeful. It was felt that there is a need to focus on "good news" stories and show that there are successful practices that could be used across the country to help the homeless. CMHC was encouraged to work with others on the dissemination of any best practices. As part of the preparations CMHC is currently involved in documenting aspects of the StreetCity project and is exploring this possibility with the Savard project.
Jamie Angus asked members for ideas regarding the timing and topics for the next meeting. It was agreed that the Homelessness Discussion Group should continue to meet the morning following the meeting of the NHRC -- the next series of meetings will be in November. Suggestions for the fall presentation include presentations by Louise Fournier to discuss her recent work on surveying the homeless in Montreal and Quebec City; and representatives from the Calgary based "Street Speaks" committee to discuss their recent survey of the homeless by the homeless. Suggested items for the fall agenda include: meritorious projects from CMHC's Youth Housing Awards program that have addressed the homeless and/or the youth "at risk" population; the City of Toronto's "State of the Homeless" report; and CMHC's web site on-line discussion on homelessness.
The meeting adjourned at noon.
06 November 1996
Jamie Angus welcomed members to the meeting, introduced new participants, and reviewed the agenda. He introduced Randy Risk, Manager, Social and Community Development Issues, Social and Economic Policy and Research, who would assist in co-chairing the meeting and assume the chair at future meetings.
The group reviewed a framework for research priorities consisting of three themes: Reasons and Prevention; Linking Housing and Social Services; and Housing Preferences. It was generally agreed that this would be a good framework on which to base future work and discussions.
There was some concern that the framework did not necessarily lead to a particular action plan with respect to solutions for homelessness. It was noted that the term "Linking Housing and Social Services" may cause some to think we are going against the current trend of "de-linking" housing and social services where accessing services is increasingly becoming the responsibility of the recipient, and services are not necessarily available through a central location.
Another concern was expressed with the use of the words "unused capacity in emergency shelters" in describing the Housing Preferences research theme. One must be careful not to allow any inference to be made that homeless people prefer to live on the streets just because shelters are not filled to capacity each night. Furthermore, the emphasis must be on permanent housing even though there are some long-time users of shelters. It was suggested that the focus might be on how to prevent homelessness and the recurrence of homelessness. Also, the issue of how to fund programs for the homeless is not apparent in the proposed framework. Another area for research could be the societal costs of homelessness.
Randy Risk thanked members for their comments on the research priorities and undertook to circulate a revised draft of the priorities before the next meeting.
In terms of the group's mandate, it was agreed that the group serves as a useful forum for information exchange and possibly for fostering joint efforts in the area of homelessness. Homelessness is becoming increasingly important in the public eye given the rise in numbers of homeless youth and families.
Members discussed the need to have wider representation on the group in order to facilitate information transfer. Strategies such as linking up with other meetings that are taking place might be useful to increase participation. Also "outside" groups might be invited to make presentations to the group.
There was a consensus that a communications strategy should be developed which would more effectively transfer research and related information to and from NHRC members and external parties. Luc Legault, Claude Roy and Richard Franz volunteered to help develop the strategy with CMHC which would be tabled at the next meeting.
Brenda Baxter updated the group on research being undertaken on Women and Homelessness and Aboriginals and Homelessness, and indicated that CMHC has produced a revised Bibliography on Homelessness. She also presented the results of the public opinion survey conducted as part of a larger Environics survey in June 1996. It appears that Canadians do perceive homelessness as a problem and are looking toward partnerships between all levels of government and other service providers to address the issue.
John Engeland reported on the development of a data collection system. Phase I is now complete. The next phases will involve developing the specifications for the system, programming, test piloting and finally implementation.
Luc Legault presented highlights of a U.S. conference he recently attended entitled: "Systemic Causes of Homelessness". He described the conference as "sobering". The cuts to social programs and welfare reform will likely result in greater numbers of homeless, including homeless families. The notion of providing a "continuum of care" was often raised.
Rosemary Spendlove indicated that NAPO was continuing to monitor the social consequences of the CHST. including concern that changes in the CHST will lead to social assistance competing with health and post-secondary education programs.
Claude Roy reported on the research project managed by the Fédération des O.B.S.L. d'habitation de Montréal. Preliminary results show that providing social housing along with support services reduces the depression rates, increases self-esteem and quality of life, and provides increased optimism about the future. A written report will be available by next spring.
Rosemary Kinnis reported that FCM is working with a number of large municipalities in developing community indicators to measure the impact of the CHST. A common template and reporting system will be developed. The FCM's standing committee on social development will be reviewing this research project at their upcoming meeting in December.
Group members were asked for their views on the idea of holding a Best Practices Forum in 1998. In general, it was felt that such a forum would be useful although there might be other ways to engage others in discussing solutions to homelessness, such as through the Internet or at regional meetings of professional associations, i.e., planners. A more detailed proposal will be tabled at the next meeting by CMHC.
It was agreed that the Homelessness Discussion Group should continue to meet the morning following the meeting of the NHRC.
Randy Risk summarized the follow-up action required:
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