community: fort frances aboriginal region: ontarioofifc.org/sites/default/files/content-files/fort...

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


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priority in:




2014 -

2015

2015 -

2016

2016 -

2017

2017 -

2018

2018 -

2019

Culturally relevant responses to help Aboriginal clients


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


Basic or urgent needs services


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priority in:




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


To improve data collection and use

0% 0% Tracking non-Housing First clients


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



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


Aboriginal, general population

Facilities Priority N/A

Rationale



Target Group(s)within the homeless and at imminent risk of homelessness populations


Coordination of Resources and Leveraging Priority

Rationale



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



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.

community: fort frances aboriginal region: ontarioofifc.org/sites/default/files/content-files/fort...

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