Post on 03-Dec-2018
Homelessness Partnering Strategy
Community Plan 2014–2019
Community: Fort Frances Aboriginal
Region: Ontario
The plan has been approved by Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres for
implementation.
As this Aboriginal Homelessness allocation is not over $200,000, the community is not
required to commit any of its HPS allocation towards a Housing First approach.
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Current Situation: Establishing your Baseline Data ................................. 3
Data ..................................................................................................................... 3
Readiness for Implementing Housing First ............................................................... 4
Community Advisory Board Membership .................................................. 6
Planning and Reporting ............................................................................ 8
Your Planning Process ............................................................................................ 8
Reporting ............................................................................................................ 11
Your Priorities ....................................................................................... 13
Description of your Priorities ................................................................................. 18
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Current Situation: Establishing your Baseline Data
Data Please report on your current situation based on the following indicators. All
CABs should review their progress annually against these indicators. This
review will form part of the annual update. Note: Although this data is not
required at this time, data for 2013 will be required as part of the first annual update.
1. Number of unique Aboriginal individuals who used an emergency homeless shelter in the twelve month period between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012
2. Number of Aboriginal shelter users who were chronically homeless in 2012
3. Number of Aboriginal shelter users who were episodically homelessness in 2012
4. Number of Aboriginal homeless individuals identified during the latest point in time count (if available)
5. Date count was undertaken
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Readiness for Implementing Housing First
Please rate your community’s readiness to implement Housing First based on
the following questions. Each component of the scale has a rating of one to four
with four demonstrating full implementation of the HPS HF model. Use this information
to decide where to focus your efforts in implementing your HF program. Because
implementing Housing First may take some adjustments, communities will have the
opportunity to rate progress annually and use the information to update priorities.
Note: Responses will only be used by ESDC to understand the selection of the HF
priorities and activities.
Criterion Community’s Rating
CORE PRINCIPLES Rapid Housing with Supports. Program directly helps participants locate and secure permanent housing as rapidly as possible and assists them with moving-in or re-housing if needed.
-1-: Program expects participants to find their own housing and does not offer participants who have lost their housing a new housing unit.
Housing Choice. Program participants choose the location and other features of their housing.
-2-: Participants have little choice in location and other features of their housing, including the decorating and furnishing of their unit.
Separating housing provision from other services. Extent to which program participants are not required to demonstrate housing readiness.
-3-: Participants have access to housing with minimal readiness requirements.
Integrated Housing. Extent to which housing tenure is assumed to be permanent housing with no actual or expected time limits, other than those defined under a standard lease or occupancy agreement.
-2-: There are some time limits on housing tenure or the housing is considered transitional.
Tenancy Rights and Responsibilities. Extent to which program participants have legal rights to the unit.
-1-: Participants have no written agreement specifying the rights and responsibilities of tenancy, have no legal recourse if asked to leave their housing and can keep housing only by meeting requirements for continued tenancy.
Reasonable Cost for Housing. Extent to which participants pay a reasonable amount of their income for housing costs and/or program has access to rent supplements or subsidized housing units.
-2-: Participants pay 46-60% or less of their income for housing costs and/or program helps participants obtain rent supplements or subsidized housing units.
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Criterion Community’s Rating
Housing Support. Extent to which program offers services to help participants maintain housing, such as offering assistance with landlord relations and neighborhood orientation.
-3-: Program offers some ongoing housing support services but does not offer any property management services, assistance with rent payment, and co-signing of leases.
SERVICE PHILOSOPHY Service choice. Extent to which program participants choose the type, sequence, and intensity of services such as recovery, medical and other services.
-4-: Participants have the right to choose, modify, or refuse services and supports at any time, except regular face-to-face visit with staff.
Participant-Driven Program & Services. Extent to which the program and services are participant-driven.
-3-: Program offers some opportunities for input on their individual services, but no opportunities to input more generally on program services.
Contact with Participants. Extent to which program maintains regular contact with participants.
-2-: Program meets with participants once every 4 to 8 weeks to ensure participants’ safety and well-being.
Continuous Services. Extent to which program participants are not discharged from services even if they lose housing.
-4-: Participants continue to receive program services even if they lose housing.1
Directly Offers or Brokers Services. Program directly offers or brokers support services to participants, such as recovery, medical and other services.
-2-: Program directly offers or brokers some services.
Selection of Vulnerable Populations. Extent to which program focuses on chronic and/or episodically homeless individuals.
-2-: Program has some method to identify chronic and/or episodically homeless.
TEAM STRUCTURE/HUMAN RESOURCES Low Participant/Staff Ratio. Extent to which program consistently maintains a low participant/staff ratio.
-1-: 50 or more participants per 1 FTE staff.
1 There may be a service hiatus during institutional stays.
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Community Advisory Board Membership
1. Name of the Community Advisory Board: Community Advisory Board
2. Number of members in your CAB: 14
Community Advisory Board Membership
Last
Name
First
Name
TITLE
ORGANIZATION
SECTOR(S) Role
on CAB
Include on
Distribution List?
Weir Sandra Housing Manager, RRDSSAB Housing MEMBER yes
Lindholm Judy Program Director, United Native Friendship Centre
Aboriginal Social Service Agency MEMBER yes
Spuzak Danielle Homelessness Outreach Worker, United Native Friendship Centre
Aboriginal Social Service Agency CHAIR yes
McMahon Shelia Executive Director, United Native Friendship Centre
Aboriginal Social Service Agency CO-CHAIR yes
Sullivan Paul Housing Community Support Worker, Canadian Mental Health Association Fort Frances Branch
Mental Health Care Sector MEMBER yes
Loyie
Peggy Victim Services Non-profit Social Services Agency MEMBER yes
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3. Given the requirement to allocate funding to the Housing First
approach, which involves both housing and individual supports, are
there any sectors or organizations the CAB needs to include and/or
engage in the future to more fully represent your community? (for
example, Provincial or Territorial representatives responsible for
housing and/or mental health, landlord organizations, people with
lived experience, police, corrections, health and health promotions
(including the Health Authority), income supports, other funders,
addictions treatment)
Currently the Homelessness Committee has many organizations and agencies
that are active on this board representing the Fort Frances Community. However,
there two sectors in which the Homelessness Committee requires representation
from. They are key landlords and a person with lived experience. The Committee
will be inviting these individuals to the table so as to bridge the gap in service
while meeting the needs of the homelessness and the at-risk of homelessness
population.
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Planning and Reporting
Your Planning Process
1. Stakeholder Engagement
a. Who and how did the CAB consult in your community as you prepared this Community Plan? Please include information about the approach you took and the extent of your consultations. In order to get a good representation of the Aboriginal community that
struggle with homelessness the Homelessness Committee meet with 25
aboriginal individuals from the Fort Frances area between the ages of 6-100.
The Homelessness Committee had two open forums where 25 Aboriginal
people attended each time and in which issues surrounding homelessness
were discussed. Within these discussions it became apparent that there is a
lack of affordable and sustainable housing within the Fort Frances area.
Furthermore, there is a lack of public transportation, emergency shelter and
emergency supports. It was also evident there is a high cost of living and
many individuals suffer lack of support for basic needs such as food, life
skills training, clothing and lack of affordable furniture, mainly beds. The
outcomes of the forums were that there is a need for more social
housing/rent supplements, housing supports, meal supports and emergency
supports within the Fort Frances Community.
b. How is your CAB working with the Designated Community to get access to data and implement Aboriginal homeless priorities? The United Native Friendship Centre, Homelessness Outreach Worker is responsible for daily operations of the program. The integrated network of service providers that sit on the Homelessness Committee assist with the direction of clients’ needs with regard to housing. With this approach the Homelessness Outreach Worker holds meetings where information is discussed on how to effectively meet clients’ needs. The majority of clients who are homeless or experiencing episodic homelessness are referrals from these agencies and therefore they have much insight with regards to a housing first approach.
2. Other Related Strategies and Programs
a. In this section, you will identify and describe the federal, provincial, territorial, or local strategies, programs (other than HPS) which
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fund activities in your community that you will access to support your Housing First and other homelessness effort. How many have you identified? 29
Name of federal, provincial or territorial or local strategies and programs
Focus of strategy or program
United Native Friendship Centre Programs: Aboriginal Combined Courtwork Program Aboriginal Criminal Courtwork Program Aboriginal Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program Addictions and Mental Health Program Urban Aboriginal Children’s Program Alternative Secondary School Program Apatisiwin Children’s Mental Health Project Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Program Homelessness Partnering Strategy Life Long Care Program Urban Aboriginal Healthy Living Program Wasa-Nabin: Urban Aboriginal Youth Program
Mental Health, Addictions, Health Care, Employment, Income Supports, education support, income supports, improving their quality of life by providing a cultural framework; promote healthy active living, provide education, provide employment and training opportunities (if applicable); and social integration.
Victim Services Mental health, health care, social integration
Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board
Income supports, social housing, rent supplements and social integration.
Salvation Army Programs that will be utilized will be the Food Bank and Thrift Store for individuals and families to have a better quality of life.
Fort Frances Tribal Area Health Authority Addictions, mental health, health care, transportation support and social integration
Canadian Mental Health Association Mental health, housing supports, criminal justice system supports, social integration, addictions
Northwest Community Legal Clinic Income supports, housing supports, legal rights and awareness
La Verendrye Non-Profit Supportive Housing
Housing supports, social integrations, rent supplements, social housing
Riverside Community Counselling Mental health and social integration
Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen/New Beginnings Fellowship
Social integration
Northwestern Health Unit Addictions, mental health, education and awareness (harm-reduction)
Wahkaihganun Housing Social housing, rent supplements
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Name of federal, provincial or territorial or local strategies and programs
Focus of strategy or program
Annishinabeg Counselling Mental Health, addictions, health care
Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services
Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services’ is
an advisory service that provides training to
enhance the overall management skills and
opportunities of the area First Nations.
These services include Economic Development,
Housing, Financial, Technical, Indian Registration
and Fire Protection all while respecting and
reflecting the Anishinabeg cultural beliefs, traditions
and practices.
Fort Frances Clinic Healthcare services
Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre Healthcare services
Non-insured Health Benefits Mental health, addictions, health care
Rainy River District Women’s Shelter of Hope
Housing support, addictions, mental health, social housing, social integration, rent supplements, income supports, education, employment
b. Does your Province or Territory have a plan or strategic direction to address homelessness, poverty, housing, or another related issue?
Yes
How does your HPS Community Plan complement Provincial or
Territorial direction in this area?
Fills in gaps
Please explain.
Within the Fort Frances Region the Rainy River District Social Services
Administration Board (DSSAB) has developed a 10-Yeart Housing and
Homelessness Plan. The plan outlines 7 strategies; 1) Improved system
access and prioritization; 2) Maximization of existing housing stock; 3) Close
housing gaps through new development and redevelopment; 4) Meeting the
Current and Future Needs of Seniors and Others with Accessibility Needs; 5)
Enhancement of Advocacy and Education; 6) Meet the Needs of Aboriginal
People Living Off Reserve; 7) Meet the Needs of Victims of Domestic
Violence. Furthermore, DSSAB is developing a Housing Team in which the
United Native Friendship Centre has been invited to sit on. This will enhance
the ability to meet service gaps as well as to ensure there is an Aboriginal
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component while addressing each family/individual unique need in regards
to homelessness. This program is funded through the provincial government
strategy and falls in line with the mainstream components regarding a
housing first approach. Because we are partially aligned with mainstream
we are able to encompass an aboriginal component in order to address
poverty, addiction and mental health.
c. The Housing First approach requires access to a range of client supports. How will you engage (or how are you engaging) provincial or territorial programs to facilitate access to provincial/territorial services for Housing First clients? The Homelessness Committee has a good representation of agencies and
organizations that work mainly with homeless and at-risk of homelessness
population. The UNFC has developed partnerships with these agencies in
order to service the Aboriginal homelessness population. Because of these
partnerships, the UNFC Outreach Worker has been able to effectively assist
the Aboriginal homelessness population with housing needs through the
rent/utility bank to secure housing/prevent eviction/disconnection of vital
services through provincially funding. Furthermore, the Outreach Worker
also assists with temporary shelter supports. Moreover, the Outreach Worker
has been able to provide essential services to this population to ensure
success through a variation of services. These services include but are not
limited to; cultural components, identification supports, emergency
transportation supports, assisting with basic life skills training like budgeting,
meal supports (Food Bank and Breakfast Buddies), clothing supports, income
supports (connecting clients with Ontario Works E.I., ODSP, Employment
Services), peer counselling, and advocacy/referral. These working
partnerships are vital to meeting the needs of the homeless and at-risk of
homelessness population.
Reporting The Community Advisory Board is expected to report to its funder (Employment and
Social Development Canada), its stakeholders and the broader community on what it is
doing and the progress the community is making in reducing homelessness.
The HPS was renewed with a commitment to using a Housing First approach and demonstrate reductions in homelessness. The collection of data and results will be
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critical to this change. As part of your community planning process, you will set priorities and select activities. Projects should lead to results that contribute to reductions in homelessness. The HPS has identified specific results that it will be collecting through Results Reporting, but the CAB and CE should also be working together to identify other results they would like to gather.
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Your Priorities
Priorities The percentage of your HPS Aboriginal Homelessness
(AH) allocation that will be invested in this
priority in:
Activities Selected Targets for 2014-2015 Where a target is set at 0 it could be because:
(1) The community will not be implementing the activities in 2014-2015.
(2) The activities will lead to outcomes different from the ones identified in the targets.
2014 -
2015
2015 -
2016
2016 -
2017
2017 -
2018
2018 -
2019
To reduce homelessness through a Housing First (HF) approach*
0% 0%
To improve the self-sufficiency of homeless individuals and families and those at imminent risk of homelessness through individualized services †
98% 98% Connecting clients to income supports
30 people will increase their income or income stability.
Pre-employment suport and bridging to the labour market
25 people will increase their employment stability or will start part-time or full-time employment.
0 people will start a job training program.
Life skills development (e.g. budgeting, cooking)
The HPS has not asked for targets related to this activity.
Supports to improve clients’ social integration
The HPS has not asked for targets related to this activity.
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Priorities The percentage of your HPS Aboriginal Homelessness
(AH) allocation that will be invested in this
priority in:
Activities Selected Targets for 2014-2015 Where a target is set at 0 it could be because:
(1) The community will not be implementing the activities in 2014-2015.
(2) The activities will lead to outcomes different from the ones identified in the targets.
2014 -
2015
2015 -
2016
2016 -
2017
2017 -
2018
2018 -
2019
Culturally relevant responses to help Aboriginal clients
The HPS has not asked for targets related to this activity.
Connecting clients to education and supporting success
20 people will start part-time or full-time education
Housing loss prevention (only for individuals and families at imminent risk of homelessness)
20 people will remain housed at three months after receiving a housing loss prevention intervention.
Liaise and refer to appropriate resources
The HPS has not asked for targets related to this activity.
Basic or urgent needs services
The HPS has not asked for targets related to this activity.
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Priorities The percentage of your HPS Aboriginal Homelessness
(AH) allocation that will be invested in this
priority in:
Activities Selected Targets for 2014-2015 Where a target is set at 0 it could be because:
(1) The community will not be implementing the activities in 2014-2015.
(2) The activities will lead to outcomes different from the ones identified in the targets.
2014 -
2015
2015 -
2016
2016 -
2017
2017 -
2018
2018 -
2019
To preserve or increase the capacity of facilities used to address the needs of people who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness.
0% 0%
To ensure coordination of resources and leveraging
2% 2% Partnership and development in support of a systems approach to homelessness
The HPS has not asked for targets related to this activity.
To improve data collection and use
0% 0% Tracking non-Housing First clients
The HPS has not asked for targets related to this activity.
Notes:
* The Housing First model includes both housing and access to supports primarily for chronically and
episodically homeless individuals. The services provided are offered through an integrated approach
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and are interdependent. Generally, the approach will be to ensure that Housing First clients have
access to all the existing services required.
‡ Housing First readiness activities include:
• Determining the Housing First model (e.g. consultation, coordination, planning, and assessment)
• Identifying, integrating and improving services (including staff training on Housing First activities
and functions)
• Partnership development in support of a Housing First approach
• Working with the housing sector to identify opportunities for and barriers to permanent housing
(e.g. establishing landlord relationships, mapping of current available assets)
§ Client intake and assessment activities include:
• Coordinated intake management (where feasible)
• Client identification, intake and assessment, focusing on the chronically and episodically homeless
populations.
** Connecting to and maintaining permanent housing require communities to establish housing teams that
implement the following activities:
• Facilitate access to housing, which could include providing emergency housing funding to bridge
clients to provincial/territorial system
• Set-up apartments (insurance, damage deposit, first and last months’ rent, basic groceries and
supplies at move-in, etc.)
• Furnish apartments for HF clients (furniture, dishes, etc.)
• Repair damages caused by HF clients
• Provide Landlord-tenant services
• Re-housing (if required)
†† Accessing services through case management include the following activities:
• Coordination of a case management team
• Peer Support
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• Working with clients to set goals
• Identifying a strategy for reaching the goals
• Connecting clients to services needed to reach the client’s goal
• Monitoring progress
• Support services to improve the self-sufficiency of chronically and episodically homeless individuals
and families in the Housing First program through individualized services, including: connecting clients
to income supports; pre-employment support, and bridging to the labour market; life skills development
(e.g. budgeting, cooking); supports to improve clients’ social integration; and culturally relevant
responses to help Aboriginal clients; and connecting clients to education and supporting success
† These services are offered primarily to individuals who are homeless or imminently at risk that are not
part of the Housing First program.
Results
With renewal, the HPS is increasing the focus on achieving results. All projects are expected to contribute
to reducing or preventing homelessness and CABs and CEs should be working together to determine how
they will measure project success. The HPS has identified a number of indicators it will be using to
measure the success of the HPS at reducing and preventing homelessness.
The responsibilities include a full-time Homelessness Outreach Worker for the Homelessness Committee. The Outreach
Workers responsibilities will include, but is not limited to, servicing the Aboriginal homeless or at-risk of homelessness
population through these efforts; client intake & assessment; assisting clients with connecting/maintaining permanent
housing, assisting clients with accessing services through case management; and be responsible for reporting data into
the database as well as tracking and monitoring the homeless population. Furthermore, the Outreach Worker will assist
this population with self-sufficiency through individualized services while encompassing a coordination of resources. This
client-centered approach will allow an improvement of data collection. In aligning with the mainstream HPS we work
collaboratively to ensure data collection is all encompassing with the possibility of incorporating HIFIS.
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Description of your Priorities
Housing First (HF) Priority N/A
Rationale
Why is this a priority for your community? If the priority was identified
in another related plan or planning process, please identify it.
What other resources can you leverage to contribute to your HF efforts?
• HF Readiness
• Client Intake & Assessment
• Connecting to and Maintaining Permanent Housing
• Accessing Services
• Data, Tracking & Monitoring
Description of the Housing First (HF) Approach
Please describe your Housing First approach, identify what percentage
of your allocation will be used towards furnishing and repairing
housing for HF purposes and provide a timeline for HF implementation.
Target Group(s)
Please describe in more detail the group(s) this priority will address.
• Chronically homeless individuals
• Episodically homeless individuals
Individualized Services priorities
Rationale
Why is this a priority for your community? If the priority was identified
in another related plan or planning process, please identify it.
Improving the self-sufficiency of homeless individuals/families and those at
imminent risk of homelessness through individualized services is a priority within
the Fort Frances Community because there is a lack of food security/meal
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supports due to the high cost of living. Moreover, there is a lack of public
transportation and no emergency shelter, therefore the program will provide
assistance with emergency transportation and shelter vouchers at local hotels.
Due to the fact that utility rates are so high a rent/utility bank is a priority.
Further priorities include clothing supports, furniture supports and laundry
voucher supports. Lastly in assisting individuals/families with self-sufficiency it’s a
priority to have a fulltime worker in order to follow-up on referrals that are made
for clients which is in conjunction with the HPS.
Target Group(s)within the homeless and at imminent risk of homelessness populations
Please describe in more detail the group(s) this priority will address.
Aboriginal, general population
Facilities Priority N/A
Rationale
Why is this a priority for your community? If the priority was identified
in another related plan or planning process, please identify it.
Target Group(s)within the homeless and at imminent risk of homelessness populations
Please describe in more detail the group(s) this priority will address.
Coordination of Resources and Leveraging Priority
Rationale
Why is this a priority for your community? If the priority was identified
in another related plan or planning process, please identify it.
The Fort Frances Community’s second priority is to ensure coordination of
resources and to leverage the coordination of services. Through building and
sustaining relationships with landlords and key stakeholders it will help to ensure
that there is a coordination of services. Furthermore, building and sustaining
relationships with community organizations and agencies in order to address the
needs of the homelessness and at-risk of homeless population through referrals,
advocacy and follow-ups will enhance the coordination of services. These efforts
will also help to sustain the key issues of addressing homelessness in our area.
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Data Collection and Use Priority
Rationale
Why is this a priority for your community? If the priority was identified
in another related plan or planning process, please identify it.
The third priority is to improve data collection and track the Aboriginal
homelessness population in order to get a true reflection of what the true
Aboriginal homelessness population looks like. Furthermore, to address the
unique needs that they face and provide culturally appropriate services to assist
with their needs.