A Homeless Prevention Systemfor

London Ontario

A Three Year Implementation Plan

A coordinated and integrated individual and family centered housingstability approach that is outcome focussed and designed to address, reduce

and prevent homelessness in London.

Neighbourhood, Children and Fire ServicesMay 2013 - Draft

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Table of Contents

Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

London Community Housing Strategy and theCommunity Plan on Homelessness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Community Homeless Prevention Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Development of the Homeless PreventionSystem and Implementation Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Homeless Prevention Systemand Implementation Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The Vision to Address, Reduce and PreventHomelessness in London . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Principles of the Homeless Prevention System in LondonOutcomesIndicators of SuccessHomeless Prevention System - Areas of Focus

The Themes and Directions by Areas of Focusfor 2013 to 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Homeless Prevention System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8How the Homeless Prevention System Inter-Connects

Neighbourhood Housing Support Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Housing Stability Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Rental AssistanceEmergency Energy AssistanceMoving Assistance

Reduced Pressure on Emergency Shelter Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Transforming London’s Homeless Servicesto a Homeless Prevention System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Homelessness begins in a home, in a neighbourhood, inour communities. The lasting or permanent solution topreventing and ending homelessness is housing withsupport. The City of London is introducing its HomelessPrevention System aimed at the reduction and preventionof homelessness for individuals andfamilies through strong systemsand services and based on ourvision that the solution tohomelessness is housing withsupport.

The primary goal for the HomelessPrevention System, agencies,programs and funding is to assistindividuals and familiesexperiencing homelessness or atrisk of homelessness to achievehousing stability. This transform-ation to a housing stabilityapproach builds on the researchand evaluation by many countries,communities and non government organizations. Thisevidence demonstrates that by quickly stabilizingindividuals and families in a housing crisis leads toimproved long term health outcomes and housingsecurity. By examining the efforts of other communitieswe know that this shift in practice reduces the pressureson emergency shelters, decreases or eliminates lengthyshelter stays and offers comprehensive supports focussedon the individual or family. Making housing stability thecentre of the homeless prevention system, other sectorssuch as justice and health, and service providers andfunders, can together focus on integrating theresponsibility of preventing homelessness.

It has been the historical and often current practice, thatindividuals and families experiencing homelessness wereexpected to address the issues that led to theirhomelessness such as addiction, trauma, and mentalillness before they were housed. A “Housing First”approach shifts the priority to move individuals andfamilies quickly into housing with support, and then beginto work on the issues that contributed to theirhomelessness from the stability and safety of their ownhome. A “Housing First” approach assists individuals andfamilies by seeking out and supporting the right housing,

at the right time, in the right place, with the right level ofsupport to develop lasting housing stability. Housing withsupport approaches are rooted in the concept that ahomeless individual or families first and primary need is toobtain stable housing, and that other issues that may

affect the household can andshould be addressed once housingis obtained.

Like many other communitiesLondon operates largely within afragmented system in its responseto homelessness. How someonereceives service depends on wherethe individual or family enters theservice system, what programs areaccessed, and the eligibility criteriaof different programs. This canlead to an uneven and inefficientresponse because individuals andfamilies don’t necessarily getdirected to the appropriate

programs or services. Interventions within a homelessprevention system can be based on assessing risk andprioritizing responses. Individuals and families with a lowrisk of homelessness can receive less intensiveinterventions while those at higher risk receive muchhigher focus. This is the premise behind the revisedimplementation strategy of London CAReS. In 2010efforts shifted to providing housing and housing with

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Background

Homelessnessbegins in ahome, in aneighbourhood,in ourcommunities.

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The London Community Housing Strategy and theCommunity Plan on Homelessness were approved byMunicipal Council in 2010 and are both based in a HousingFirst Approach. The plans are rooted in the philosophy thatthe solution to homelessness is housing with support. TheHomeless Prevention System combines the directions ofthe Community Plan on Homelessness and the principlesof the Provincial Community Homelessness PreventionInitiative into a three year implementation plan.

The London Community Housing Strategy outlines fivelinked and interdependent themes:

• Strong system design• Integrated responses to homelessness• Responsive governments• Measurable and targeted deliverables• Strong and responsive administration

The London Community Plan on Homelessness is anaction oriented plan with six themes:

• Integration between housing and homeless programsand services

• The opportunities and future role of shelters• Alignment of services and interventions to focus on

housing and solutions to homelessness• Supportive housing and housing with supports• Improving discharge planning and prevention services• Understanding who is served and their needs

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London Community Housing Strategy and theCommunity Plan on Homelessness

support to individuals experiencing persistent and chronichomelessness in London. Results indicate that when thereis a coordinated response there is a decrease in policeinvolvement and other emergency responses includingemergency shelters, ambulance and hospital emergencydepartments with improved overall health and housingoutcomes.

London’s Homeless Prevention System focuses ondelivering actionable and measurable solutions inpurposeful and strategic ways with community-level

results, consistent service delivery and informationmanagement. There are four primary areas of focus:Securing Housing; Housing with Support; HousingStability; and Emergency Shelter Diversion.Transformation to the system will be achieved through acombination of strategy, capacity and competency in aphased in approach. We expect that the phased intransition plan will result in positive outcomes as arelatively fragmented system moves to a preventionapproach.

Effective January 1, 2013, the Ministry of Municipal Affairsand Housing introduced the Community HomelessnessPrevention Initiative. Consolidating housing andhomelessness related programs is a key part of Ontario’sLong Term Affordable Housing Strategy and is aimed attransforming the housing system through a Housing andPeople First Approach.

The Province consolidated the following housing andhomelessness related programs:

• Consolidated Homelessness Prevention Program• Emergency Energy Fund• Emergency Hostel Services• Domiciliary Hostel Program• Provincial Rent Bank

In addition, the Community Start Up and MaintenanceBenefit available to households receiving Ontario Worksand Ontario Disability Support Program was eliminatedDecember 31, 2012 and a portion of the funds was addedto the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative toassist low income Londoners.

Under the Community Homelessness PreventionInitiative, the City of London has increased flexibility touse the consolidated funding in any of the followingservice categories:

• Emergency Shelter Solutions (e.g. emergency shelter)• Housing and Related Supports (e.g. permanent

housing, rental allowance)• Services and Supports (e.g. street and housing

outreach, housing search)• Homelessness Prevention (e.g. rent support/eviction

prevention)

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Community Homeless Prevention Initiative

A “Housing First”approach assistsindividuals andfamilies by seekingout and supportingthe right housing,at the right time, inthe right place, withthe right level ofsupport to developlasting housingstability

Throughout 2010, over 215 participants were involved inkey informant interviews, consultation sessions, acommunity roundtable, a focus group with youth and areview session on emerging directions.These consultationswere instrumental in the development of the LondonCommunity Housing Strategy and the Community Plan onHomelessness both of which have been endorsed by theLondon Homeless Coalition and Council. Theimplementation of a Homeless Prevention System buildson the efforts and focus these plans have provided overthe past several years.

Between November 2012 and January 2013, fivecommunity forums were held to develop the areas offocus for the Homeless Prevention System. Forumswelcomed agencies, individuals with lived experience andcommunity members.

In addition to the community forums tasks included:

• A Community Advisory Group met monthly tocomment on emerging directions

• Regular meetings were convened with EmergencyShelter Operators starting in September 2012 and arecontinuing in 2013

• Reviewing Housing First trends and practices inCanada/United States

• Identifying gaps and challenges in moving to ahousing stability approach

• Meeting with a number of groups, coalitions, andfunders to discuss and test emerging directions

• Developing the areas of focus and the three yearimplementation plan

• Submitting the Community Homelessness PreventionInitiative Implementation Plan February 15, 2013 tothe Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

• Providing monthly reports and updates to the LondonHomeless Coalition and regular updates provided toother groups such as the OW/ODSP Advocacy Group

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The Development of the Homeless Prevention Systemand Implementation Plan

Homelessness startsin a neighbourhoodand requires aneighbourhoodresponse to achievelasting and positiveoutcomes

The issue of homelessness in London is chronic and, overtime, has resisted our best intentions to reduce andprevent homelessness. The Homeless Prevention Systemfor London focuses our efforts on achieving housingstability and motivates our diverse community to worktogether to optimize the whole system instead of workingwithin only one part of it.

Outlined below is the framework of how our actions willbe guided. Vision, Principles and Outcomes along withfour primary areas of focus anchor our efforts and theactions define the programs that serve as the buildingblocks of the system in a model active in continuousperformance monitoring, priority setting andimprovements.

Many factors such as unexamined values, models and evenself interest affect our process of change. Our context orenvironments have been based on some of the following:

• Focusing on temporary shelters has appeared to bethe right thing to do

• Investing in more shelters has helped us cope withhomelessness versus reducing or preventing it

• Despite shared goals, little integration betweenagencies, funders and stakeholders challengesalignment of efforts

• Stakeholders aim to augment their piece of thesystem without appreciating the possible negativeramifications on the bigger system

• Short-range action can weaken strategic efforts tosolve the problem

• Change is difficult to bring about when faced withsuch a multi-faceted and long-standing issue

• Generic based approaches limit response to the needsof gender, different populations, cultures and uniqueinterests

The system response applied in London:

• Motivates our diverse community to work together tooptimize the whole system instead of striving tooptimize only one part of it

• Clarifies leverage points to focus limited resourcesfor sustainable improvement

• Defines the key programs that serve as the basicbuilding blocks of the systems

• Ensures programs have clear, consistent andtransparent eligibility to serve the right populationwith the right service(s)

• Uses common tools to assess the needs of theparticipants and enables sharing of information acrossservices to allow comparison across programs, makeappropriate referrals and track the unique progress

• Engages stakeholders in continuous performancemonitoring, priority setting and improvements

• Anticipates unintended consequences of proposedsolutions

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The Homeless Prevention Systemand Implementation Plan

The City of LondonHomelessPrevention Systemis a coordinated andintegratedindividual andfamily centeredhousing stabilityapproach that isoutcome focussedand designed toaddress, reduce andpreventhomelessness inLondon

Principles of the Homeless Prevention Systemin London

The following principles inform the actions to beundertaken:• Housing first• Individual and family centered• Partnership based• London driven• Neighbourhood based• Inclusive• Fiscally responsible• Outcome focused• Homelessness is a solvable problem

OutcomesTwo primary outcomes guide the efforts and form thebasis for the indicators of success:• Individuals and families experiencing homelessness

obtain and retain housing• Individuals and families at risk of homelessness

remain housed

Indicators of SuccessThe following indicators of success for individuals andfamilies, the system and services will help us to determineour success.

Individuals and families will:• Reside in stable housing• Experience improvements in their health, nutrition,

levels of stress, sleep, quality of life, personal safetyand/or mental health/addiction recovery

• Have fewer hospital emergency department visits,psychiatric and emergency shelter admissions, policeinvolvement and/or less time spent in custody and inemergency shelters

• Develop sustainable positive relationships within thecommunity

The System will:• Increase and develop efficient, attainable, scattered

and diverse housing stock• Integrate early, readily available housing with social

and health care supports• See a reduction in the number of individuals and

families becoming homeless• Improve the economic costs of resolving

homelessness • Reduce pressures on emergency shelter use• Decrease use of homeless related services within the

City of London

Services will:• Experience an increase in the capacity of staff to

respond to participant needs through training andprofessional development

• Experience improved coordination of chronic orepisodically homeless individuals/families each year

• Experience improved efficiencies with coordinatedand optimized resources

Homeless Prevention System – Areas of FocusThe actions within the System are organized into fourareas of focus: Securing Housing; Housing with Support;Housing Stability; and Shelter Diversion. To support ashared approach to ending homelessness a fifth area offocus: Strategy, Competency and Capacity will strengthencommunity ties and achieve the actions of theImplementation Plan.

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The Vision to Address, Reduce and PreventHomelessness in London

The City of London Homeless Prevention System is a coordinated and integrated individual and familycentered housing stability approach that is outcome focussed and designed to address, reduce andprevent homelessness in London

Area of Focus Actions Time Frame

Year 1, 2 and/or 3

Securing Housing Introduce Neighbourhood Housing Support

Centres as hubs of service Year 1 to 2

Initiate a “Jail to Home” and Court Diversion program through Year 1 - planning

a collaborative response with courts, EMDC, police and services and pilot

Initiate a “Hospital to Home” program through a collaborative Year 1 - planning

response with local hospitals and London funded agencies

Establish a last month’s rent program by enhancing the rent bank Year 1 - underway

Establish a moving service Year 1 - underway

Establish a “new” furniture bank Year 1 - planning

Strengthen outreach efforts to focus on Housing First with Year 2

street involved individuals

Housing With Support Introduce an integrated homeless information Year 1 - emergency

and case management system shelters

Strengthen the housing with support programs through collaboration Year 1 - pilot

Strengthen crisis response once housed Year 2

Housing Stability Link the emergency utility program and rent bank program Year 2

to Neighbourhood Housing Support Centres

Introduce peer support and mentoring programs Year 2, 3

Introduce collaborative leisure and recreation programs Year 2

Shelter Diversion Focus on reducing pressures on emergency shelter use Year 1

Establish a coordinated intake for individuals and families Year 2

Explore shelter specialization in London Year 1, 2

Strategy, Capacity Establish an Implementation Group Year 1

and Competency Anchor a consistent Housing First response Year 1, 2, 3

(philosophy and intervention)

Enhance system capacity through training, case management, Year 1, 2, 3

program monitoring and clinical expertise

Undertake a community plan on youth, London Aboriginal Year 1

individuals/families, and street involved sex workers

Introduce standards of service and measures Year 2, 3

Work with other funders to align strategies, leverage opportunities, Year 1, 2, 3

performance monitoring and reporting

Strengthen the response to persistent and chronic homelessness Year 2

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The Themes and Directions by Areas of Focus for2013 to 2016

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Homelessness starts in a neighbourhood and requires aneighbourhood response to achieve lasting and positiveoutcomes. The Neighbourhood Housing Support Centre isthe focal point of London’s Homeless Prevention Systemfocusing on housing stability in designated communitiesin London. This model is dependent on strongcollaboration and cooperation between theNeighbourhood Housing Support Centre staff, communityservice providers, City of London and other stakeholders.

The Neighbourhood Housing Support Centre will functionas a physical and virtual hub for individuals and familiesexperiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, andother stakeholders, providing services and proactivelyconnecting participants to the services they need, when

they need them. Formalized integration strategiesbetween the Neighbourhood Housing Support Centre andservice systems will be used, such as planning and workinggroups, accountability agreements, common assessment,an integrated information system, case management andservice practices, communication protocols andcollaborative governance. Available housing inventory willbe maintained in partnership with private landlords andthe public sector.

The Neighbourhood Housing Support Centre will operatea centralized emergency shelter intake service to assistindividuals and families in obtaining immediate alternatehousing arrangements when applicable and to provide awarm transfer to a shelter when needed.

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Neighbourhood Housing Support Centre

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The Housing Stability Fund

Between January 1 to March 31, 2013 the Housing FirstTemporary Support Fund provided an immediatealternative to households receiving Ontario Works (OW)and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). TheHousing First Temporary Support Fund was a temporarybridge fund to assist recipients of OW/ODSP inestablishing a new residence, or to prevent eviction or thediscontinuation of utilities or heating in an existingresidence.

On April 1, 2013 the Housing Stability Fund wasintroduced. The Housing Stability Fund offers financialassistance to low income Londoners to obtain and retaintheir housing and for those at risk of homelessness toremain housed.

The Housing Stability Fund offers grants and loanprograms to low income Londoners to assist with RentalArrears, Last Month’s Rent, Emergency Energy Assistanceand Moving Expenses. Eligible applicants will:

• Meet the income criteria (LICO+15%1), are employed,receiving Ontario Works, Ontario Disability SupportProgram, Employment Insurance, CPP or other regularsources of income

• Live in London and are moving within the City ofLondon

• Have not used the Fund in the past 12 months andor repaid an existing loan

• Attend an assessment appointment

Rental Assistance

Applicants who are behind in their rent and facingeviction, or are moving to a new home in London, may beeligible for this interest free loan/grant program to helppay past due rent or last month’s rent if moving. Thecriteria includes:• Applicants must be pending eviction or establishing a

new principal residence

• Up to two month’s rent is available for rental arrears,based on CMHC Average Market Rent Schedule andunit size

• Up to one month’s rent is available for last month’srent based on CMHC Average Market Rent Scheduleand unit size

• Applicants may be required to set up a direct ongoingpayment to their landlord

Emergency Energy Assistance

If the utility service is pending disconnection or has beendisconnected applicants may be eligible for this grantprogram. The Criteria includes:

• Applicants must be the person named on the bill andhave made a minimum $50 payment in the previousfour months

• Assistance up to a maximum of $500 per utility or$600 for electrically heated homes

• Applicants may be required to set up a direct ongoingpayment to the utility company

Moving Assistance

Applicants may be eligible for a grant to assist with hiringa moving company to assist with a move to a new homein London. The criteria includes:

• Applicants must be establishing a new principalresidence in London

• Applicants must provide an estimate for moving costsfrom an approved moving company

• Assistance up to a maximum of $350 for single orcouples, with a two stop maximum and $550 for afamily with dependent children with a three stopmaximum

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The Housing Stability Fund

1 The Low Income Cut Off or LICO is an income level or threshold below which a family will likely devote a larger share of itsincome on the necessities of food, shelter and clothing than the average family.

Emergency shelters play a vital role in the continuum ofservices available to homeless individuals and families.Residing in an emergency shelter is intended to provideimmediate and overnight accommodation and basic needsfor individuals and families who have no permanentaddress. The Canadian definition of Homelessness (2012)defines emergency shelters as facilities designed to meetthe immediate needs of people who are homeless:“shelters typically have minimal eligibility criteria, oftenshared sleeping facilities and amenities, and often expectclients to leave in the morning. These facilities may ormay not offer food clothing or other services.”2 Despiteour common understanding of this, over time Londonshelters have assumed a primary role in responding tohomelessness and are often considered the homelessserving system.

In London our emergency shelters provide at a minimum,emergency room and board to individuals and/or familieswho are experiencing homelessness and are aimed atmeeting immediate, short term needs. Mission Services ofLondon, The Salvation Army, Centre of Hope and the UnityProject for the Relief of Homelessness receive fundingthrough the City of London to operate emergency shelterbeds. In addition, two violence against women emergencyshelters, Women’s Community House and Zhaawanong

Shelter, provide emergency shelter and support to abusedwomen and their children.

Throughout the community conversations, commentarywas provided on some of the gaps and challenges withinour sheltering services including:

• Lack of centralized intake• Individuals moving from service to service without a

consistent support approach • Limited diversion to support individuals to more

appropriate services upon discharge limited shelterspecialization

• No integrated information system• Limited rapid housing options• Limited support options once housed • Shelters serving as the “catch all” for homeless

services

In London the role of emergency shelters is being reframedto work within the Homeless Prevention System. At thecore of the redesign is ensuring that all service delivery hasa housing focus. The primary objective is to reducepressures on emergency shelter use through diversionfrom entering shelter and rapid housing from shelter.

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Reduced Pressure on Emergency Shelter Use

2 Canadian Homelessness Research Network (2012) Canadian definition of homelessness. Retrieved from www.homelesshub.ca.

Diversion from entering shelter is a strategy that assists inpreventing homelessness for individuals/families seekingshelter by helping them identify immediate alternativehousing arrangements and connecting them with servicesand/or financial assistance to help them return topermanent housing. Support for diversion can reduce thenumber of individuals/families becoming homeless andthe demand for emergency shelter beds. Diversion canimprove the ability of homeless serving supports to targetemergency shelter resources effectively and helpindividuals/families avoid traumatic and stressfulhomeless episodes. The main difference between diversionand other permanent housing interventions is at the pointat which intervention occurs. Diversion focussed servicesinclude:

• Short-term case management• Conflict mediation• Connection to mainstream ( services outside of the

homeless service sector)• Provision of financial, utility, and/or rental assistance• Housing selection

Under the Homeless Prevention System emergencyshelters will contribute to securing and maintaininghousing in a system of prevention, diversion, rapid housingand permanent housing. The focus will be on moving outof shelter versus moving in; reducing the number ofindividuals relying on emergency shelters andimplementing a centralized intake practice. Through theseefforts and the integration of the other elements of theSystem we anticipate that this will lead to the reduction inthe length of emergency shelter stays and the reduction ofthe year-over-year emergency shelter use.

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Achieving the transformation to the Homeless PreventionSystem requires a phased in approach to shift fromfocusing on homelessness to focusing on housing stability.The chart below identifies the stages of the phased inapproach.

Commencing in early 2013 an Implementation Team willbe formed. The Implementation Team will consist ofindividuals representing diverse interests. Their focus willbe to assist in putting into practice the ImplementationPlan. The Implementation Team will review and advise onthe draft materials and plans that have been developed byinternal and external working groups.

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Transforming London’s Homeless Services to aHomeless Prevention System

Continuous monitoring and evaluation, priority setting,and improvements will determine how London is shiftingtowards achieving the vision of reducing and preventinghomelessness through the housing stability approach. Afocus of the continuous evaluation is on understandingwhat has been accomplished and what efforts areunderway by monitoring the progress of theImplementation Plan. The primary focus will be onmonitoring the difference the implementation of theactions has on individuals and families and the systemsand supports that serve them.

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Conclusion