Harper Government invests in Housing First homelessness initiatives in Saskatoon

March 16, 2015– Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Employment and Social Development Canada

The Harper Government is providing funding of over $465,000 to two local organizations for projects that will prevent and combat homelessness in Saskatoon. Kelly Block, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Saskatoon–Rosetown–Biggar, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State for Social Development.

Through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS), The Lighthouse Supported Living Inc. is receiving over $150,000 to hire and train a full-time Housing Locator to help clients find secure housing. It is also receiving over $55,000 to complete renovations at its supported living facility.

Also through the HPS, the Saskatoon Indian Métis Friendship Centre is receiving over $223,000 to hire a coordinator and two support workers to help clients find safe and affordable housing, and over $35,000 for renovations to expand its services.

In 2014, Ms. Block announced that the Government is providing more than $5.6 million over five years to the Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership, under the HPS, as it implements Housing First, a proven, evidence based approach to end homelessness. The funding announced today is being provided through the Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership.

Housing First is the cornerstone of the Government’s renewed HPS. It aims to stabilize the lives of homeless individuals for the long term by first moving them into permanent housing and then providing additional support for underlying issues, such as addiction and mental health. The end goal is ensuring these individuals become self sufficient, fully participating members of society.

Through the HPS, the Government of Canada works with other levels of government, communities and organizations to develop and invest in local solutions to combat homelessness. The Government recently announced the renewal of the HPS with an investment of nearly $600 million in funding over five years, until March 2019.

Quick Facts

• The Housing First approach came into effect on April 1, 2014, and is being introduced gradually across the country over the next two years with specified funding targets, taking into account varying capacity and resources among communities.
• On April 8, 2014, the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) released the final report of the At Home/Chez Soi project. It was the largest study of its kind and provided strong evidence that Housing First is an effective way to reduce homelessness.
• Over the course of the MHCC study, an average of 73 percent of participants in the Housing First group remained in stable housing, compared to 32 percent for the group receiving usual care.
• The study also showed that Housing First is a sound financial investment that can lead to significant cost savings. For those participants that were the highest users of emergency and social services, every $10 invested led to an average savings to government of $21.72.
• Since the launch of the HPS in April 2007, nearly 35,000 Canadians who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless have benefitted from education and training opportunities; over 34,000 have received help to find work; and almost 6,000 new shelter beds have been created.

Quotes
“We are pleased to partner with the Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership and other local organizations to implement Housing First in Saskatoon. Our goal for individuals coming out of homelessness is for them to thrive and secure employment so they can contribute their many skills and talent to our communities.”

– The Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State for Social Development

“Our Government is proud to support the Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership and its partners, The Lighthouse Supported Living and the Saskatoon Indian Métis Friendship Centre, and all the work they do in Saskatoon. With a roof over their heads, all Canadians can prosper as we work together towards eliminating homelessness.”

– Kelly Block, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Saskatoon–Rosetown–Biggar
Associated Links

• Homelessness Partnering Strategy
• Housing First

Contacts

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

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Backgrounder

Homelessness Partnering Strategy

The Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) is a unique community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness by providing direct support and funding to 61 designated communities in all provinces and territories, as well as to Aboriginal, rural and remote communities across Canada, to help them address homelessness.

Economic Action Plan 2013 renewed the HPS with nearly $600 million in total funding over five years, ending in March 2019, using a Housing First approach.

Until recently, the most common way to deal with homelessness has been a “crisis-based” model—not just in Canada, but in many developed countries. This model involves relying heavily on shelters and other emergency interventions. Typically, individuals must first participate in a series of treatments and demonstrate sobriety before they are offered housing. This approach has been costly and not effective for the long term.

Without stable housing, it is much more difficult to participate in treatment programs and manage mental and physical health issues. This leads to high costs for emergency housing, hospitalization, shelters, prisons and a host of other crisis services.

Housing First, on the other hand, involves ensuring individuals have immediate housing before providing the necessary supports to help them stabilize their lives. Experiences in other countries have demonstrated that this approach shows great promise.

In 2008, under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Government invested $110 million in the Mental Health Commission of Canada to undertake our own landmark study. The results demonstrated that:

• Housing First rapidly ends homelessness and leads to other positive outcomes for quality of life;
• it is a sound financial investment that can lead to significant cost savings. Every $10 invested led to an average savings to government of $21.72 for participants who used emergency and social services the most; and
• it works in the long term. An average of 73 percent of participants in the Housing First group were in stable housing over the course of the study, compared to 32 percent of the usual care group.

Overall, participants in the study were less likely to get in trouble with the law, and those who received both housing and supportive services showed more signs of recovery than those who did not.

Community Entity Model

HPS funding is delivered to eligible communities primarily through the Community Entity (CE) delivery model, except in the cases of Rural and Remote funding in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, where Service Canada is responsible for delivery. In Quebec, the HPS is delivered through a Canada–Quebec agreement that respects the jurisdictions and priorities of both governments in addressing homelessness.

Under the CE model, the federal government entrusts a community body, often a community’s municipal government, to select and manage HPS projects in their area. All requests for funding must go through the CE. In addition, all requests for funding are assessed and recommended to the CE through a community advisory board or a regional advisory board, composed of a wide range of community stakeholders.

Implementation of the renewed Homelessness Partnering Strategy

The implementation of the renewed HPS is delivered through the following three funding streams, which provide funding to communities across Canada to support them in addressing homelessness. The Housing First approach, part of the renewed HPS, will be phased in with specified funding targets, taking into account varying capacity and resources among communities.

1)     Designated Communities

A total of 61 communities across Canada (including those in Quebec) that have a significant problem with homelessness have been selected to receive ongoing support to address this issue. These communities—mostly urban centres—are given funding that must be matched with contributions from other sources. Funded projects must support priorities identified through a community planning process.

• Starting April 1, 2015, the largest designated communities will be required to invest at least 65 percent of HPS designated communities funding in Housing First activities.
• Starting April 1, 2016, other designated communities receiving at least $200,000 in HPS funding will be required to invest at least 40 percent of HPS designated communities funding in Housing First activities.
• Designated communities that receive under $200,000 in HPS funding or are located in the North will be encouraged to implement Housing First but will not be required to meet set targets.

2)     Aboriginal Homelessness

Through the Aboriginal Homelessness funding stream, the HPS partners with Aboriginal groups to ensure that services meet the unique needs of off-reserve homeless Aboriginal people in cities and rural areas.

• Starting April 1, 2016, communities that receive more than $200,000 in HPS funding will be required to invest at least 40 percent of HPS Aboriginal Homelessness funding in Housing First activities.
• Communities that receive less than $200,000 in funding under the HPS Aboriginal Homelessness funding stream will be encouraged to implement Housing First but will not be required to meet set targets.

Please note that the unique needs of all First Nations, Inuit, Métis and non-status Indians are considered, and that off-reserve Aboriginal people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness can also access services under the Designated Communities and Rural and Remote Homelessness funding streams.

3)     Rural and Remote Homelessness

The Rural and Remote Homelessness funding stream of the HPS funds projects in rural and remote areas of Canada outside the 61 designated communities.

• This stream has adopted a two‑tiered approach that is based on the rural population. Priority is given to projects in communities with populations of 25,000 and under (Tier 1).
• In order to maximize the access of HPS funding to as many communities as possible across the country, activities in larger, non-designated communities with populations above 25,000 (Tier 2) may also be funded depending on the availability of funds.

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