Ford government refuses to develop homelessness and housing crisis strategy​

TORONTO – A motion by NDP MPP Chris Glover (Spadina–Fort York) calling on the Ford government to establish and fund a homelessness and housing crisis strategy was voted down by Ford’s Conservative MPPs on Monday.

Glover's motion asked the government to immediately acquire emergency shelter space that will ultimately be converted into permanent supportive housing, and over the next decade, build at least 69,000 affordable housing units, and at least 30,000 supportive housing units accompanied by wraparound supports including overdose prevention, employment programs, and mental health and addictions services.

The call to build affordable and supportive housing amplifies recommendations from the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association, Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

"Housing is a basic human right, and is critical for a person's health, safety and well-being," Glover said. "In a report earlier this month, Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office estimated that over 16,000 Ontarians are experiencing homelessness on any given night. Yet the Ford government didn’t offer any new housing announcements in their latest budget. They offer no alternatives to the recommendations from housing and health experts, and instead, claim credit for federal dollars. In fact, Ontario’s Public Accounts shows that Ontario's funding for housing programs declined by $189 million in the last fiscal year.”

Toronto's shelters were stretched past their capacity well before the pandemic, and physical distancing restrictions during the pandemic have reduced their capacity even more. While the City of Toronto recently secured nearly 1,250 new supportive housing units, 1,100 of them still require operating funding. The province is responsible for the funding needed to operate these affordable apartments and to provide the on-site wrap-around services required by residents. If the province doesn’t commit this money by next month, the City won’t be able to open these new units.

The shortage of affordable and supportive housing is a province-wide crisis that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Liberals, the waitlist for affordable housing ballooned. About 7,000 people use Toronto’s shelter system each night, and cities such as Hamilton and Windsor have an affordable housing waitlist of over 6,000 people while Ottawa and the Region of Peel have a list of over 12,000 people.

Ford cut rent control and governed over an eviction blitz targeting tenants who faced rent arrears due to a loss of income during the pandemic.

"Housing experts and advocates say with the right investments and initiatives, Ontario could end chronic homelessness in Toronto in three years," Glover said. "Sadly, the Ford Conservatives have made it clear once again that they don't see ending the homelessness crisis and affordable housing shortage as their responsibility or priority.”

Quotes

Michael Anhorn, CEO, Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto Branch:

“These calls for more supportive housing fall directly in line with our push for 30,000 new supportive housing units to be built over the next 10 years. We understand the importance of acknowledging Ontario’s dire need for supportive housing across the province and commend MPP Chris Glover’s bill.”

Kira Heineck, Executive Director, Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness:

“As our recent submissions to Ontario’s Supportive Housing Review and the 2021 pre-budget process make clear, supportive housing is a key solution to homelessness. When people are housed their physical and mental health is better, there is less justice involvement and less use of expensive homeless services and emergency services, and general well-being is enhanced.

A body of research has shown that supportive housing – including a wide variety of dedicated and scattered housing arrangements – results in savings in health care and other public systems. The TAEH believes that provincial funding to address homelessness must prioritize immediately creating more permanent supportive housing options, through new build and/or rent supplements, and with adequate funding to deliver the necessary support services, over opening more emergency shelters. Shelters manage homelessness. Housing ends it.

The experience of COVID-19 in the last year also underscores the essential importance of each individual having a home to isolate in, a door to close behind them for their own health, and for the health of the public around them. The TAEH looks forward to working with MPP Glover and others as this proposed legislation moves through our provincial government processes.”

Patricia Mueller, CEO, Homes First Society:

“Unfortunately, the lack of government investment in affordable and most importantly supportive housing has created a continuously growing emergency shelter system that has become de facto housing with no clear pathway to appropriate permanent homes. COVID-19 is not our only crisis. We are struggling to manage an intersecting housing, opiate, and health crisis.

Over 48% of Toronto’s homeless are classified as chronically homeless and 57% identify as having one or more type of health condition (mental health, addiction, diabetes, heart condition, physical disability). Additionally, 20% are aged 54 plus. The senior homeless population has more than doubled in the last five years. We must utilize the same urgency of the covid-19 emergency response to stabilize the other ongoing and intersecting crises. It is now clear more then ever that investment from all levels of government in permanent deeply affordable and supportive housing rather then temporary shelter programs is essential to the future of our communities in so many ways.

People need homes before they can begin to work on other life issues. Without appropriate housing and supports, the negative impacts on our communities, criminal justice system, EMS services, and health care system are profound. The costs of deeply affordable and supportive housing (approx. 24K per person annually) which are substantially less then the costs of emergency shelter (approx. 40k per person annually) are also then offset by savings in these areas. The answer is clear, now is the time for action.”

Sonja Nerad, Interim Executive Director, Toronto Shelter Network:

“Over the past decade, the emergency homelessness system has expanded tremendously, with more and more resources directed into the creation of emergency shelter spaces. At the same time we have seen almost no investment in deeply affordable and supportive housing creation. This means that for many shelter clients there is no next step, no pathway out of homelessness. Unless we begin to direct a substantial portion of the hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for the increase of emergency shelter beds towards building dedicated supportive housing and new deeply affordable housing we will not make a dent in ending homelessness.

Our experience with COVID-19 has shown that the strategy for managing COVID-19 and the strategy for reducing homelessness are the same. During the first few months of COVID-19, more than 1,500 people moved from congregate shelter settings into safe permanent housing. COVID-19, while incredibly challenging, provided the impetus to start shifting shelters towards housing – a pandemic response that is truly enduring. The average cost of operating a supportive housing unit is $24,000 annually.

On the other hand, the cost of operating a single shelter bed is variable, as much as $40,000 annually, pre-pandemic. We have a unique and perhaps once in a lifetime opportunity to leverage our experience with COVID-19 and make the shift from sheltering people to helping people secure and retain housing. This makes economic sense. This puts people first.”