Community
and Protective Services Committee
Comité des services communautaires
et de protection
Planning Committee / Comité de l’urbanisme
and Council / et au Conseil
21 April 2011 / le 21 avril 2011
Submitted by/Soumis par : Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager/Directeur municipal adjoint, City
Operations/Opérations municipales
Contact Person/Personne ressource :
Janice Burelle,
Administrator, Housing Services /
Administratice, Services de logement (613)
580-2424 x44239, Janice.Burelle@ottawa.ca
Colleen
Hendrick, Manager Community Development & Funding Branch
/ Développement et financement
communautaires (613) 580-2424 x24366, Colleen.Hendrick@ottawa.ca
City Wide / à l’échelle de la
Ville |
Ref N°: ACS2011-COS-CSS-0005 |
SUBJECT:
|
HOUSING AND POVERTY REDUCTION INVESTMENT PLAN |
|
|
OBJET
:
|
PLAN
D’INVESTISSEMENT POUR LE SECTEUR DU LOGEMENT ET DE LA RÉDUCTION DE LA
PAUVRETÉ |
That the Community and Protective Services
Committee recommend that Council approve the following:
1.
The Housing and Poverty Reduction operating
investments (investment envelopes 1 through 6) as outlined in the table
attached as Document 1 and summarized in the chart attached as Document 2.
2.
Direct that the Administrator of Housing Services,
a)
issue requests for proposals and enter into
contribution agreements with not-for-profit corporations and/or cooperatives in
accordance with the City’s Grants and Contributions Policy that provide for the terms, conditions, use and
accountability in order to implement the proposed investments as described in
Document 1 investment envelopes 1 through 6, and
b)
enter into agreements with not-for-profit,
cooperatives and/or private sector landlords to administer rent supplements in
accordance with the Social Housing Reform Act, 2000’s basic eligibility
criteria, but utilizing the shelter allowance as permitted by the Ontario Work
Act, 1997 and the Ontario Disability Support Program Act, 1997, to implement
the proposed rent supplements described in Document 1, investment envelope 4.
3. Direct that the Director, Real
Estate Partnership & Development Office have
delegated authority to purchase or lease real property as outlined in Document
1, investment envelope 5, up to $3,000,000 in accordance with the principles
outlined in the City’s Real Property Acquisition Policy.
PLANNING COMMITTEE REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That Planning Committee recommend
that Council approve the following:
1.
The Housing capital investments (investment envelope
7) outlined in the table attached as Document 1 and summarized in the Chart
attached as Document 2
2.
Direct the Administrator of Housing Services to issue
requests for proposals and enter into contribution agreements with
not-for-profit corporations and/or cooperatives in accordance with the City’s
Grants and Contributions Policy that provide for the terms, conditions, use and
accountability in order to implement the
proposed investments as described in Document 1 investment envelope 7.
Que
le Comité des services communautaires et de protection recommande au Conseil
d’approuver :
1.
Les dépenses de fonctionnement du secteur du logement
et de la réduction de la pauvreté (enveloppes d’investissement 1
à 6) comme elles figurent dans le tableau du document 1 et comme
elles sont résumées dans le diagramme du document 2.
2.
Que l’administrateur des Services de logement soit
autorisé :
c)
à lancer des demandes de propositions et à conclure
avec des organismes sans but lucratif et/ou des coopératives des accords de
contribution conformément à la Politique sur les contributions et les subventions
de la Ville et selon ce qui est défini comme les modalités, la destination et
la responsabilité redditionnelle de l’exécution des dépenses proposées
(enveloppes 1 à 6) comme elles sont décrites dans le document 1;
d)
à conclure des accords avec des organismes sans but
lucratif, des coopératives et/ou des propriétaires du secteur privé pour
l’administration de suppléments de loyer conformément à la Loi de 2000 sur la
réforme du logement social avec les critères fondamentaux d’admissibilité
applicables, mais en prévoyant l’utilisation d’allocations de logement selon la
Loi de 1997 sur le programme Ontario au travail et la Loi de 1997 sur le
Programme ontarien de soutien aux personnes handicapées dans le cadre de
l’exécution des dépenses (enveloppe d’investissement 4) qui sont décrites
dans le document 1.
3.
Que le directeur du Bureau des partenariats et du
développement en immobilier jouisse par délégation de l’autorité voulue pour
acheter ou prendre à bail des biens immobiliers selon ce que décrit le
document 1 (enveloppe d’investissement 5) jusqu’à concurrence de
trois millions de dollars et suivant les principes énoncés dans la politique
d’acquisition de la Ville.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT DU COMITÉ DE L’URBANISME
Que
le Comité de l’urbanisme recommande au Conseil d’approuver :
1.
Les dépenses en immobilisation (enveloppe
d’investissement 7) comme elles figurent dans le tableau du
document 1 et comme elles sont résumées dans le diagramme du
document 2.
2.
Que l’administrateur des Services de logement lance
des demandes de propositions et conclue avec des organismes sans but lucratif
et/ou des coopératives des accords de contribution conformément à la Politique
sur les contributions et les subventions de la Ville et selon ce qui est défini
comme les modalités, la destination et la responsabilité redditionnelle de
l’exécution des dépenses proposées (enveloppe d’investissement 7) que
décrit le document 1.
This report presents an investment plan for the new $14M Housing and Poverty Reduction envelope approved by Council as part of the 2011 budget process. The proposed investments reflect the priority needs identified by staff and the community through consultations associated with the Poverty Reduction Strategy, Homelessness strategy development, the work of the Housing Systems Working Group and input from sector specific housing groups.
A snapshot of people experiencing homelessness and / or living in low income highlights the needs of this vulnerable population. Combined with information unique to Ottawa’s housing and employment market, the report identifies the priorities for investment as being: supports for people who are precariously housed, people living on the street and in shelters; repairing aging social housing stock; and building and/or acquiring new affordable housing units.
Six criteria guided the development of the proposed investments. The proposed investments fall into the following categories: financial supports to assist with accessing or maintaining housing including rent supplements and housing allowances; employment programs for youth living in social housing; supports for people to obtain housing and/ or to stabilize in current living arrangements; social housing repairs; and capital for new affordable or supportive housing.
The proposed investments reflect the current environment and community needs. Staff will monitor the impact of the investments and report annually to Council on the investment results.
The purpose of this report is to present an investment plan for the new $14 million Housing and Poverty Reduction envelope approved by Council as part of the 2011 budget process. This report is of relevance to both the Planning and Community & Protective Services Committees since the $14M is split between the two Committees. As per the Terms of Reference for the Planning Committee one of its mandates with respect to housing is to:
“Make recommendations to Council on how to
adequately and affordably house Ottawa residents, and provide options for
increasing the supply of affordable housing” (Section 14).
The Terms of Reference for the Community & Protective Services Committee states:
“Oversee and make recommendations to Council
on all housing issues that fall within the mandate of this Committee (i.e.
social housing, supportive housing and homelessness).
Monitor the activities and implementation of
policies, programs and projects for the Social Housing and Shelter Management
Branch.
Make recommendations to Council on how to
meet the needs of residents eligible for supportive housing, and housing
support services to live independently in the community.
Oversee the delivery of emergency shelter
and transitional housing services.” (Sections 29 – 32)
In accordance with the Committees’ Terms of Reference, the $10M in operating was reflected in the Community & Protective Services Committee’s budget, while the $4M in capital was reflected in the Planning Committee’s budget.
In addition, on February 10, 2010 Council approved the Poverty Reduction Strategy (Phase I) and directed staff to report back to Committee and Council with respect to any Poverty Reduction Strategy recommendations that have budget impacts in 2011, by December 2010. Of relevance to this report are the following recommendations:
#1 Develop an expanded community Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) application program.
#2 Streamline the needs assessment to Essential Health and Social Supports and Home Support Services for people in need.
#7 Increase employment supports and opportunities for vulnerable persons in Ottawa.
#9 Advocate for increased investments in homelessness prevention initiatives, social and affordable housing and housing with supports.
Snapshot of Ottawa’s Housing Needs and Low Income
Population
A variety of contributing factors such as low income, financial crisis, health crises (physical, mental, addictions), new immigrants, family break up, lack of life skills are examples of life situations that affect many of us, placing us in need of supports to access and maintain housing.
The following data provides a brief overview related to the need for investments in affordable housing and supports for the vulnerable people described above. More detailed information as well as an overview of some existing services are outlined in Document 3. Document 4 contains a summary of three characteristics unique to Ottawa that impact our residents’ ability to be self-sufficient, namely: a high cost of living; low supply of affordable housing and a highly competitive job market.
·
In
2007, 18.4% of Ottawa (Census Metropolitan Area) residents lived in poverty[1].
·
Currently,
almost 7% of residents (representing over 62,000 men, women and
children) are in
receipt of social assistance (OW/ODSP) with caseload increases forecasted into
2014.
·
There
are currently 6,700 individuals in receipt of Employment Insurance; while there
are many others who earn wages that leave them below the
Statistics Canada Low-Income-Cut- Off.
·
The
number of seniors is expected to double over the next 20 years with 7% being
below Statistics Canada Low-Income-Cut-Off.
·
The
minimum wage is currently $10.25/hr.; assuming a standard 40 hour work week the
annual salary would be $21,320 gross.
·
Over
40% of renters pay more than 30% of their income on rent, while 10% of renters
pay more than 50% of their income on rent[2]; and
these numbers are expected to grow.
Given the socio-economic conditions outlined above, there is an increased demand on our shelters by clients with more complex needs and a need for more affordable housing options with supports.
After 3 years of continued increases in number of times shelter beds were used and in the average length of emergency shelter stay, the 2010 data indicates we may be seeing a levelling off. The numbers are stabilizing despite an increase in the City’s population. The City’s and community’s investments and its leading practices are having an impact in the community and are also resulting in a decrease in shelter usage for some groups from 2009 to 2010. Programs and services such as the OAKS, the Supports in Social Housing initiative, the Housing Response Team, the Housing Impact Team, etc. are having a positive effect. Despite some progress in 2010, the demands from previous years continue to have a significant influence on shelter usage. For example:
·
There
are on average 1,225 individuals who stay in a shelter each night;
·
Shelters
for men, women, youth and families remain in an overflow situation;
·
The
average length of a shelter stay was 62 days in 2010; an increase of 5.1% over
2009;
· The increase for families from 2009 to 2010 was 14%, with an average length of stay of 72 days; and
· Over 100 families stay in shelter overflow in motels most nights.
However, the data also shows where the City and the community together are turning the tide. For example:
· Total number of individuals using shelters decreased by 28 – from 7,184 in 2009 to 7,156 in 2010;
· A 2.3% decrease in the number of single men;
· A 1.5% decrease in men’s stay;
· 31 days was the average stay for youth, an 8.8% decrease (in shelters under and over 18 years of age);
· 2,136 households moved from emergency shelters to permanent housing; plus 421 households moved from the street to emergency shelters, and 162 households moved from the street to permanent housing.
The data indicates that while there were less unique individuals using the emergency shelters, the length of stay increased. This trend speaks to the increasingly complex needs and the continued shortage of affordable housing units and housing with supports.
In 2010 there were over 10,500 households on the Centralized Waiting List (CWL); while 1,752 households were housed from the CWL. A recent report on the vulnerably housed based on CMHC data, indicates there are over 10,000 households who are vulnerably housed in Ottawa.
The Housing Needs in Ottawa report (July 2007) concluded that social housing providers in Ottawa needed an annual increase in capital subsidy of over $14M. From 2009 – 2011, the Federal / Provincial Stimulus Program provided over $54 million in one-time funds towards repair of social housing stock and renewable energy projects.
Poor housing conditions and homelessness leads to increased illness and early death, resulting in increased use of health care system services and loss of human capital. Poor housing conditions and high cost housing also leads to stress which impacts individuals’ and families’ physical and mental health. Children living in unaffordable housing situations resulting in frequent moves have been found to under-perform in school with long-term consequences for their capacity to participate in the labour market. Many research studies have demonstrated the cost benefit of providing supported housing living environments compared to providing emergency shelter, which often is associated with higher usage of hospital emergency services and involvement with the justice system.
DISCUSSION
Priorities
Based
on the information provided in the above Background section summarizing the
community’s needs, the following priorities for investment of the Housing and
Poverty Reduction Envelope have been identified:
·
Assisting people to move off the street and out of shelters and obtain
and maintain housing;
·
Supporting people living in shelters, who have highly complex needs, to
stabilize;
·
Providing supports to chronically homeless women;
·
Providing supports to homeless families living in shelters and overflow
motels to obtain and maintain housing;
·
Repairing aging social housing units;
·
Building / acquiring new affordable housing, including accessible units
for families;
·
Supporting people to remain in their homes, preventing homelessness;
·
Supporting people to access financial supports to assist with housing
affordability; and
·
Employment supports to break the cycle of generational poverty of people
living in social housing.
Criteria Informing Development of the Proposed Investments
The following criteria guided the development of the proposed investments.
· Investments respond to the priority needs and gaps identified by the community and staff, and are associated with each of the components in the Housing and Support Services System. (Refer to Document 3 for a graphic of the Housing and Support Services System).
· Investments will build on community relationships and partnerships; and represent a multi-sector approach.
· Investments will have immediate community impact.
· Investments will be flexible in order to respond to changing needs over the years.
· Investments will leverage collective resources from all levels of government and the community.
· Investments will be maximized in two ways:
o Any unspent annualized operating dollars will be transferred into capital for shelters and/or repairs to social housing; and
o They will build on the current, but time-limited, Federal and Provincial investments.
The proposed seven (7) Investment Envelopes include:
1) Community Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) Application Support Program ($185K) - resulting in 150 households approved annually for ODSP
2) Energy Fund - Essential Health &
Social Supports ($205K) - Provides assistance with shelter / utility costs to
approximately 200 households, allowing them to remain in their homes
3) Employment Supports – Breaking the Cycle of Poverty ($500K) - serving 150 youth living in social housing with supports to employment, leadership development and post-secondary school mentorship
4) Rent Supplement and Housing Allowances ($5M) – providing either rent supplements or housing allowances to between 850 – 1,000 households
5) Shelters / Supports to Housing ($2M) – 700 – 720 households with complex needs receiving supports to obtain and / or maintain their housing
6) Social Housing Repairs / Renewal ($2M) – priorities may include critical repairs to address health & safety needs, modifications to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities, and / or address energy efficiencies
7) New Affordable Housing (Capital) ($4M) – facilitate the development or acquisition of new rental or supportive housing, leveraging other funding opportunities wherever possible
Details of the proposed investments can be found in Document 1, attached to this report. Document 2 contains a summary of the proposed operating and capital commitments over the next four years.
Monitoring of Investments and Impacts
The Housing and Poverty Reduction Investment proposal outlined above is for ongoing operating investments; and for a four year capital plan. The proposal reflects the current environment and community needs in the city of Ottawa. However, it is anticipated that over time the needs of the community will change as a result of any number of factors such as: investments from senior levels of government, demographic shifts, economic adjustments, impact of the above investments, etc. For this reason, City staff will monitor the impact of the investments and report annually to Council on the results of its investments.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
The proposed investments are intended to serve rural and urban residents of Ottawa.
The proposed investments reflect recommendations contained in the Council approved Poverty Reduction Strategy report which was based on broad public consultation. The Poverty Reduction Steering Committee and the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee have been informed of the proposed investment allocations. The Housing Systems Working Group as well as sector-specific housing groups have been consulted on the proposed investments. Additionally, the results of the community consultation conducted in June 2010 regarding community needs to address homelessness have informed the proposed investments.
N.A.
There are no legal/risk management impediments associated with this report.
Supports Sustainable Healthy and Active City priority
N.A.
There are no added costs associated with this report. During the 2011 budget Council approved $10M of operating funds and $4M of capital funds to establish a $14M Housing and Poverty Reduction budget envelope. The operating budget will be allocated to the appropriate branch/program as per the investment plan included within the report. The remaining operating funds in 2011 will be transferred to capital to increase the capital authority in the Housing Reinvestment Strategy project. The operating & capital budgets will be adjusted in subsequent years to align with the investment plan.
SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 - Proposed Investment Envelopes
Document 2 - Summary of Clients Served, Operating & Capital Commitments 2011 – 2014
Document 3 - Housing and Support Services System
Document 4 - Ottawa Context –
Unique Characteristics
Document 5 - Income versus Rental Accommodation Costs in Ottawa
DISPOSITION
Staff will action any direction received as part of consideration of this report.
Document 1
Proposed Investment Envelopes
Investment
$ |
Target
Audience &
/ or Outcomes |
Brief
Description |
Rationale
/ Benefit |
Investment
Envelope 1 – Community ODSP Application Support Program |
|||
$185K annually |
·
150 households to be approved
annually for Ontario Disability Support Program benefits |
·
Community program to support people with complex mental &
physical health issues to access provincial ODSP benefits resulting in an
increase household annual income and thereby preventing homelessness Approach Enter
into a contribution agreement with Centre 454 to transition from a pilot to a
sustainable expanded program. |
·
Increased monthly income for
rent and other necessities - $460 for singles and an average of $600 for
families; for 150 households (approx. $900K in benefits annually) ·
Annual municipal savings
estimated up to $300K for next few
years as ODSP is a 100% Provincial benefit (until upload of OW is complete) |
Investment Envelope 2 – Energy
Fund - Essential Health & Social Supports |
|||
$205K |
·
200 low income households
served annually |
·
Provides emergency assistance
with shelter / utility costs allowing people to remain in their homes Approach Deliver thought the City’s four
Social Service Centres following recommendations set out in the report to
Community Services Committee “ESSENTIAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL SUPPORTS (RESPONSE
TO MOTION CSC NO. 07(98)) on May 25, 1998. |
·
Cost avoidance through
prevention of eviction and
homelessness |
Investment Envelope 3 – Employment Supports –
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty |
|||
$375K – 2011 $500K – 2012 onwards |
·
Average of 150 youth living
in low income families annually Components of the project: 1. Youth Futures (50 participants) 2. Youth At Risk Project (100
participants) |
·
Employment program designed
to help youth living in social housing access employment experience and
post-secondary education opportunities through the Youth Futures Program and
the Youth-at-Risk Project Approach Enter
in agreement(s) with Social Housing Provider(s) for the delivery of
employment programs. Build
on existing partnerships, with post-secondary institutions, Pathways to
Education, United Way, youth serving community
agencies. |
·
Project is based on research
evidence that access to education, training and employment opportunities can
break the cycle of inter-generational poverty and social exclusion. |
Investment
Envelope 4 – Rent Supplement and Housing Allowances |
|||
$2M (July to Dec Yr 1) $4M (Annualized Yr 2) $5M – Yr 3 & onwards |
Ottawa
Rent Supplements - Year 1 & onwards:
·
110 families currently in
motel overflow & shelters ·
40 people on the street ·
300 vulnerably housed
families, singles and persons with disabilities Housing Allowances – ·
Year
1: 100 Households who are vulnerably
housed and would benefit from housing allowance ·
Year
2: An additional 100 Households Year 3 onward –add $1M to
total budget to support between 200 - 350 to
ensure funding to those currently receiving Provincial Short Term Rent until
2013 (households may access either Rent Supplement s or Housing Allowances) |
Two
approaches: ·
Rent supplements with
policies established by the City of Ottawa (through an agreement with private
landlords / social housing providers / cooperatives) that will house
households from the Centralized Waiting List (average subsidy of $550/mo
depending on family size) ·
Housing Allowances to tenants
or agreements with landlords (average subsidy of $250/mo) Approach Build
on existing contribution agreement s with not-for profit corporations, co-ops
and private sector landlords to provide Rent Geared to Income assistance as
prescribed in the SHRA for basic eligibility, but with shelter costs as
permitted in the Ontario Works Act and the Ontario Disability Program Act. Housing Allowances: ·
Since this is a new program, a separate
report will be prepared for Council’s consideration and approval on the
implementation plan and policy framework ·
Currently consulting with
stakeholders and the report will follow. |
·
Eliminate existing use of
motels for overflow by homeless families by providing them with rent
supplement units, while providing support as required through a Families
First housing support team ·
House single people living on
the street who have supports but are waiting for housing ·
Provide other families and individuals with
rent supplements and thereby removing them from the Centralized Waiting List. ·
Introduce a housing allowance
program to assist households that are precariously housed ·
Ensure funding to those
currently receiving Provincial Short Term Rent Support program, until 2013 |
Investment
Envelope 5 – Shelters/ Supports to Housing |
|||
A.
Cornerstone Supportive Housing for
Women |
·
Partial funding for 42 unit
supportive housing facility for chronically homeless women |
·
City provides $255K of
operating in this new supportive housing facility, in addition to 20 ongoing
Domiciliary Hostel subsidies Approach Enter
into a contribution agreement with Cornerstone to implement program. |
·
Project received capital
funding from all three levels of government and Cornerstone’s fundraising;
and requires operating budget |
B. Transitional emergency shelter for homeless adults with
complex needs $750K/yr for supports ($375K for Yr 1) Plus lease or capital costs – estimated @ $3M in
yr 1 |
·
House 30 to 50 single
homeless adults who have complex needs - cognitive impairments, concurrent
disorders, and potentially unpredictable behaviours |
·
Transitional emergency
shelter for 30 to 50 single homeless adults with complex needs ·
Provide intensive support to
respond to unpredictable behaviours and to stabilize individuals ·
Move to appropriate long-term
housing where possible ·
Take referrals from shelters,
police, street outreach, hospitals, etc. Approach Build
on existing contribution agreements with not for profit corporations within
the sector who serve the target population. Where agreement is not reached,
the Housing Services Branch will proceed with an RFP. Will
acquire a facility either through lease or purchase; may require renovations. |
·
Restore safety for clients
and staff of the emergency shelter system ·
Allow other shelters to
better use their resources to focus on clients who are wanting to engage /
responding to treatment ·
Reduce pressure on the city’s
emergency services (police, ambulances, emergency rooms), stabilize these
cognitively impaired clients from ongoing crises |
C.
Supports for Housing First Housing supports to families &
singles moving into rent supplement arrangements $500K in Yr 1 $1M in Yr 2 and beyond |
·
Supports for approximately
200 chronically homeless families, (representing about 600 individuals) and
30+ single people with multiple, complex needs who are moving from the City
operated shelters / motels to housing – to support successful tenancies and
reduce shelter and usage of motels for
overflow |
·
Housing First
Model’–multi-disciplinary team approach, addressing issues and barriers that
hinder stabilization and prevent potential return to shelter ·
Combines with Rent Supplement
and Housing Allowances programs described above
Build
on existing contribution agreements with not for profit corporations within
the sector who serve the target population. Where agreement is not reached,
the Housing Services Branch will proceed with an RFP. |
·
Reduce “revolving door”
shelter and motel overflow use and generational homelessness ·
Research shows that a Housing
First Model, with adequate support, is very successful in housing people and
assists people to stabilize and engage in the community ·
Respond to families and their
children who have been continually uprooted by homelessness and other crises |
Investment Envelope 6 –
Social Housing Repairs / Renewal |
|||
$2M Plus unallocated annualized
operating funds |
·
Critical housing stock
repairs related to health & safety issues, accessibility modifications,
energy efficiencies, and buildings’ structural integrity; considering
Provider’s existing capital reserves and age and condition of stock |
·
Year 1. Projects will be
selected based on significance of impact for tenants and on readiness ·
Year 2 and ongoing will use
the knowledge gained through the process of updating of social housing
providers’ Building Condition Assessments to allocate funds to providers with
the most pressing need Approach Using
the following criteria: ·
Health and Safety ·
Structural ·
Aging in place ·
Accessibility ·
Energy efficiency initiatives
to reduce tenant costs Social Housing providers to complete a
template including project description, urgency of repair (against criteria),
cost analysis, financial reserves, within established timelines which will be
evaluated, ranked and weighted by staff. |
·
The Social Housing Stock
which houses over 22,000 households is a $2.6 billion asset which needs to be
preserved and maintained as safe and affordable housing. |
Investment Envelope 7 – New
Affordable Housing Projects (Capital) |
|||
$4M
annually 2011 – 2014
Year 1 – up to $4M to OCHC Years 2 – 4: $4M each year |
·
Carson
Road – 26 Unit Stacked Townhouse – with
accessible units for families (OCHC) ·
Develop new housing projects
based on readiness and response to tenant specific needs, and addressing the
lack of a ‘specific housing type’ (e.g. larger units for larger families,
accessible units) |
·
Facilitate the development or
acquisition of new rental or supportive housing to respond to needs in order
to house households on the Centralized Waiting List. Approach Development
adjacent to existing OCHC property.
Includes multi-bedroom barrier-free in some units Construction
Start Sept 2011, Occupancy Q3 2012 Years
2 - 4 - will select projects through an RFP process and will leverage other
funding opportunities |
·
Increases the supply and
facilitates the development of more options to reach persons with specific
needs on the Central Waiting List such as purpose built supportive housing,
wheel chair accessible and larger units ·
Intensify and revitalize
Social Housing ·
Assists with the
rehabilitation and preservation of existing social housing ·
Addresses shortage of
affordable housing for families; and for those families with children with
disabilities. |
Document 2
Summary of Clients Served, Operating & Capital Commitments 2011 – 2014
(Investment Envelopes #1 – 6 – CPSC; and
Investment Envelope #7 – Planning Committee)
Investment
Envelope |
Clients Served Annually |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|||||
Operating
$ |
Capital
$ |
Operating
$ |
Capital
$ |
Operating
$ |
Capital
$ |
Operating
$ |
Capital
$ |
|||
1.
Community ODSP Application Support Program |
150 |
$185K |
|
$185K |
|
$185K |
|
$185K |
|
|
2.
Energy Fund - Essential Health & Social
Supports |
200 |
$205K |
|
$205K |
|
$205K |
|
$205K |
|
|
3.
Employment Supports |
150 |
$375K |
|
$500K |
|
$500K |
|
$500K |
|
|
4.
Rent Supplement & Housing Allowance |
850
– 1,000 |
$2M |
|
$4M |
|
$5M |
|
$5M |
|
|
5.
Shelters / Supports to Housing |
700-
720 |
$1.13M |
$3M1 |
$2M |
|
$2M |
|
$2M |
|
|
6.
Social Housing Repairs / Renewal |
|
|
$2M + $1.1M1 |
|
$2M + $1.1M2 |
|
$2M + $0.1M2 |
|
$2M + $0.1M2 |
|
7.
New Affordable Housing Projects |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sub-total |
|
$3.895M |
$10.105M |
$6.89M |
$7.11M |
$7.89M |
$6.11M |
$7.89M |
$6.11M |
|
Annual
Total Operating
& Capital |
|
$14M |
$14M |
$14M |
$14M |
|||||
|
|
|||||||||
Notes:
1. In year one, allocations to capital
for shelter or social housing repairs will be based on the following
priorities:
a.
Capital
for transitional emergency shelter for homeless adults with complex needs (see
Investment Envelope in # 5.b in Document 1); and / or
b. Social housing
repairs (see Investment Envelope # 6 in Document 1).
2.
In years 2 and onward, any unallocated operating dollars will be
invested in social housing repairs / renewal.
3.
For years 2, 3 and 4 allocations to capital
for new supportive or affordable housing will be based on the following
priorities:
·
Projects
selected through an RFP process;
·
Project
readiness; and
·
The
ability to meet priority need as outlined previously in the Discussion section.
Document 3
Housing and Support Services System
The City has developed a graphic to identify the various components of the housing services and supports system.
Snapshot of the
Housing and Supports System in Ottawa
Below is a brief overview of some of the services and programs that the City has in place to meet the housing and support needs of vulnerable people in our community and the unmet need, based on various components of the Housing and Support Services System.
1. People Living on the Street
People spending time on the street are served by coordinated and geographically-based outreach teams, as well as a network of essential drop-in centres for people who are homeless or at serious risk of homelessness. Since 2008, the Housing Response Team has assisted 85 individuals to move from the street into permanent housing, and continues to provide support as needed to ensure they maintain their accommodation. Currently there are another 75 homeless individuals supported with outreach services - 40 of whom are engaged and ready and waiting for housing, 12 to 15 of whom refuse assistance, while the balance are in various stages of engagement.
2. Emergency Shelters
The City owns and operates two family shelters and contracts with seven agencies for emergency shelter for women, youth and men. Recent local research on single homeless people corroborates other studies that shelter clients can be segmented into three groups - long-stay users (2%), episodic (10%) and temporary one-stay users (88%). Additionally, over 50% of beds are occupied by two groups, namely, the long-stay individuals at 27% and by episodic clients at 25%. With de-institutionalization, more complex, potentially volatile situations are developing in our shelters, placing staff and clients at risk as well as hampering some clients’ ability to successfully engage in treatment and stabilize.
3.
Supportive
Housing and other Support Services
The City funds a range of support services to people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness (Federal, Provincial and Municipal funding sources). These services support specific demographic groups (such as Aboriginals, new Canadians, families, youth, and people with addictions and/or severe and persistent mental illness who may also have extreme behavioural issues). Depending on their circumstances, clients receive help with:
· finding and maintaining housing,
· eviction prevention, and
· accessing financial, medical and education supports and services, and basic life skills.
De-institutionalization has resulted in an ever-growing number of people who need supports to prevent them relying on more expensive health care services (ambulances, emergency rooms, hospital stays) and from being involved in the justice system (police intervention, courts and prison).
4.
Rent
Supplements
The City is required by the Social Housing Reform Act to maintain a Service Level Standard of 16,500 Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) units, with the majority being in social housing. Included in this number are about 1,500 Rent Supplement RGI units in the private market and another 1,500 with non-profit and coop housing providers. The subsidy paid is based on the tenant paying 30% of their income towards rent. Under the Social Housing Reform Act (SHRA), a rent scale based on basic shelter is used for households in receipt of Ontario Works or ODSP which requires a more significant subsidy from the City.
5. Centralized Waiting List
The SHRA requires Service Managers to maintain a Centralized Waiting List (CWL) to coordinate access to rent-geared-to-income (RGI) social housing. Provincial housing providers are required to utilize the Centralized Waiting List for the selection of households for vacant Rent Geared to Income (RGI) units and abide by selection criteria including provincial and local priority placements. In 2010 there were over 10,000 households on the active social housing wait list. In 2010, 1,752 households were housed from the CWL.
Local policies were established by City Council in 2003 and further renewed and modified in 2008 to provide priority access to social housing for defined populations. Provincial policy established the principle that some applicants for social housing should be given precedence over others on the list because of their current living situations and demonstrated need for priority access to social housing. The provincial priority, known as the Special Provincial Priority (SPP), focuses on assisting families that are currently or have recently experienced domestic violence within the home. The local priorities for access to social housing are: urgent safety, urgent medical, homelessness, displaced RGI tenants, in-situ market tenants within social housing, and tenants transferring from supportive housing. These priorities address local concerns.
Examples of Average Waiting List times (2010
–CWL data)
|
Non-Senior
Households |
Senior
Households |
Chronological |
4.7 years |
2.9 years |
Homeless |
5.1 months |
5.1 months |
Urgent
Medical |
9.3 months |
3.1 months |
6. Social Housing
The 2007 Housing Needs in Ottawa report to Council (ACS2007-CPS-HOU-0009) identified capital underfunding for the maintenance of existing social housing to be over $14 million per year. Ottawa’s social housing stock is estimated to be worth $2.6 billion and provides homes for over 18,000 households. Like all physical assets, social housing properties require regular repair and maintenance, as replacement or upgrades to the building structure – doors and windows, roofs, parking structures and driveways, elevators and mechanical and electrical systems.
From 2009 – 2011 the Federal /
Provincial Stimulus Program provided over $54M in one-time funding towards
repair of social housing stock and renewable energy projects. This has gone a
long way to improve the quality of the stock. It has dealt with many of the
health and safety and structural issues that had been previously neglected as a
result of a lack of funds. The City will
work with social housing providers to update their Building Condition
Assessments; and will use the updated information as it becomes available to
inform the allocation of funds in future years.
7. Affordable Housing
Since the inception of Action Ottawa in 2003, the Affordable Housing Unit (AHU) has facilitated the development of 18 new affordable housing projects, including new, acquisition and rehabilitation, for a total of 724 rental units. Currently, AHU has 10 projects of 465+ rental units, which are either under construction or undergoing planning approvals with construction planned to commence in spring or summer of 2011. Approximately half of the remaining 465 units will be completed in 2011, with the remaining units scheduled for occupancy in late 2012.
It has been the City’s practice to award City capital funding for affordable housing, including Canada Ontario Affordable Housing Program (AHP) funds through an Action Ottawa RFP. The guidelines in the Action Ottawa RFP are updated each year to reflect City priorities as well as requirements from the senior levels of government when AHP or other funds are available. Action Ottawa can also be used to bundle City incentives, capital and land with federal and provincial funding to better leverage our resources.
Document 4
Ottawa Context –
Unique Characteristics
Three
factors are unique to Ottawa that impact our residents’ ability to be
self-sufficient, namely: a high cost of living; low supply of affordable
housing and a highly competitive job market.
The impact of these factors is that families and individuals who are
unemployed or underemployed, low-income and social assistance recipients are
especially vulnerable.
High Cost of Living
Typical
of highly educated communities, average salaries are higher than the national
norm, driving up the basic cost of living. This poses barriers and challenges
for those who are low income / low wage earners. Of 18 large Canadian cities, Ottawa
had the highest cost of living increase of 2.6% from 2009 to 2010, tied with
Toronto[3].
Cost/Availability of Affordable Housing
The
demand for affordable and social housing in Ottawa currently exceeds the
supply. Of the 350,000 plus households in Ottawa, approximately 60% own and 40%
rent their housing. The 2009 rental
vacancy rate in Ottawa is only 1.6% which is amongst the lowest rates in
Canada; while rents have increased by 3.7%[4], compared to a 2.6% rise in the
Consumer Price Index between 2009 and
2010 for Ottawa-Gatineau. Only 5% of all housing built between 2001 and
2010[5] has been rental accommodation.
The average cost of a one bedroom apartment is $877 per month[6]. (Refer to Document 5 for information on
income versus rental accommodation costs in Ottawa).
Highly skilled and competitive job market
Securing
and maintaining work in Ottawa is particularly difficult due to the demand for
bilingualism and a well educated workforce to fill high-skill jobs. In 2008,
Ottawa tied with Vancouver as the most highly educated city in Canada. The
competitive job market, combined with an unpredictable local unemployment rate
makes it difficult for people with lower levels of education to secure and
sustain employment. While Ottawa’s
unemployment rate was at a low of 4.9% in 2008, the rate has increased between 2010 and 2011 – 6.5%
to 6.7% respectively. By way of
comparison, Toronto and Windsor decreased
during this same timeframe from 8.9% to 7.7%, and from 11.3% to 9.5% respectively.[7]
Document 5
Income versus Rental Accommodation Costs in
Ottawa
Basic Allowance $ |
Shelter Allowance Maximum $ |
Max Ontario Child Benefit |
Total $ |
Average market rent 1 bedroom[8] |
Average market rent 2 bedroom[9] |
|
Ontario Works (OW) |
|
|
|
|
||
Single |
$224 |
$368 |
$0 |
$592 |
$877 |
|
Parent with two children 0-12 years |
$344 |
$627 |
$184 |
$1,155 |
$1,049 |
|
Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) |
|
|
|
|
||
Single |
$584 |
$469 |
$0 |
$1,053 |
$877 |
|
Parent with two children 0-12 years |
$745 |
$799 |
$184 |
$1,728 |
$1,049 |
|
|
||||||
Minimum Wage |
40 hr wk |
|
Per Month |
|||
$10.25 / hour |
$410 |
|
$1,775.30 gross |
$877 |
$1,049 |
[1] Statistics Canada Low Income Measures
[2] CMHC 2006 Census Housing Series: Issue 8
[3] Statistics Canada, Consumer Price Index, by City
[4] CMHC, Rental Market Report, Ottawa, Fall 2010
[5] CMHC
[6] Ibid
[7] Service Canada Labour Market Monitor, February 2010 – February 2011
[8] CMHC 2010 data average of all areas in Ottawa
[9] Ibid