Housing First. Bridging the Gap for Rural Communities

Transcription

1 Housing First Bridging the Gap for Rural Communities BCNPHA RENT Cranbrook, September 15, 2016 Presented by Ingrid Liepa Coordinator, Cranbrook Community Service Alignment Project / Keys to Home

2 Session Overview Introductions Cranbrook s Community Service Alignment Project Getting to Know Housing First & Systems Approaches Challenges & Opportunities for Rural Communities Keys to Home Helpful Resources

3 Session Goals Explore implementation of Housing First in smaller communities & rural regions Identify opportunities for systems approaches & service alignment Ask good questions Gain new perspectives Learn from each other

4 My Background I am NOT an affordable housing or homelessness expert

5 Introductions Table talk: 5 min What attracted you to the session? What are you hoping to learn/gain from it?

6 The Backstory MCFD Community Service Alignment Pilot Pilot Objectives: Back-end and front-end efficiencies in service delivery Improved client experience and outcomes Community benefits

7 Where to Start?

8 Scoping the Challenge Loss of 300 rental units since 1990s Canadian Rental Index Affordability Rating: Severe ~22% of renters paying more than 50% of pre-tax income on rent and utilities Local housing societies with long wait lists HOP/HPP seeing average 14 new clients every month people in cycle of chronic homelessness 2014/15: 161 homeless on first contact; 265 at significant risk Structural changes to local/regional economy Year-round shelter project

9 Image Credit: Homeless Hub

10 Housing First (image credit: Green Party of Canada)

11 Housing First

12 Housing First

13 Housing First Average Monthly Costs of Housing Someone While Homeless

14 Leading the Pack

15 Leading the Pack

16 What do Utah and Medicine Hat have in common?

17 Digging Deeper: Calgary s Systems Approach Shift from managing homelessness to ending it Organizations working together to end homelessness Rethinking how homeless services are organized and delivered Data/metrics used to set goals, monitor progress and measure outcomes Shared protocols and standards Image credit: Calgary Homeless Foundation

18 Digging Deeper: Calgary s Systems Approach Image credit: Calgary Homeless Foundation

19 System Components image credit: Alina Turner

20 Yes, and Small town homelessness tends to be more hidden Implementing a systems approach is a complex, longer-term undertaking Existing funding opportunities dictate a piece meal approach Shortage of affordable rental housing Provincial capacity for community level partnering

21 Yes, and Permanent supportive housing for high acuity clients in smaller centres Not enough housing for scattered site approaches Landlord engagement Scalability of systems approach to smaller rural centres

22 Making sense of the pieces Table talk: 10 min What s the experience in your community? Current conversations priorities opportunities?

23 Keys to Home

24 K2H Builds on Housing First 1. Better Data for Decision Making 2. Coordinated Access & Community Service Alignment 3. Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness 4. Increase Affordable Housing 5. Community Collaboration and Engagement

25 Better Data for Decision Making Point in Time Count Housing need Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS)

26 Coordinated Access & Community Service Alignment

27 The Full Wishlist Housing Navigator for real time housing inventory & landlord engagement Housing retention team & complex cases working groups for high acuity clients Dedicated system planner/coordinator 10% increase in affordable rental housing by 2020 Applied research projects with College of the Rockies Collaboration with other community partners and initiatives, including local government and business

28 Successes to Date Eight organizations collaborating on a systems approach Education on Housing First, systems approaches, Coordinated Access & Assessment, SPDAT, local housing and homelessness data Developed a five-point action plan to guide system building and community engagement Two funding applications more to come

29 This morning s inbox From: The Very Poor and the Affordability of Housing, School of Public Policy, UCalgary, Septemeber 2016

30 Questions, Reflections What do you see as the key challenges/opportunities in tackling homelessness in smaller urban centres? In what ways can we reframe the narrative to engage and attract more collaboration, partnerships and innovation? Could a systems approach to homelessness be helpful in your community or region? What does your wishlist look like?

31 Helpful (Homelessness) Resources Homeless Hub (Canadian Observatory On Homelessness at York University) BCNPHA Rental Housing Index Other Communities in BC and Canada working on homelessness pick up the phone and compare notes!

32 Thank you