Edmonton Community Plan on Housing and Support Services 2005-2009
Recommendation:That the Edmonton Community Plan on Housing and Support Services 2005-2009 be endorsed.
Report Summary
This report summarizes the context, development process and major recommendations of the Edmonton Community Plan on Housing and Support Services 2005-2009 and includes an Administration commitment to report back to City Council with a proposal for City involvement in Plan implementation.
Report
· Plan Development Process:
The new Plan was developed through a broad-based and targeted consultation process involving inputs from more than 500 persons and a range of published data sources. It was released by the EJPCOH on January 14, 2005. The EJPCOH has requested written endorsement of the Plan by all three orders of government, including the City.
· Plan Context:
- Since 1999, the federal government has made major announcements to address homeless and housing needs in communities affected by those needs. The National Homelessness Initiative (NHI) included funding under the Supporting Community Partnerships Initiative (SCPI) and Urban Aboriginal Homelessness (UAH) initiative. In 2002, the National Affordable Housing Initiative was implemented in Alberta as the Canada-Alberta Affordable Housing Partnerships Initiative (AHPI). One requirement to access these funds is a community plan to identify methods to meet priority needs.
- In 2000, the Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing (EJPCOH) and the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund (EHTF) were restructured to become the community “dual entity” to meet these funding requirements for Edmonton.
- The EJPCOH subsequently prepared the Edmonton Community Plan on Homelessness 2000-2003. That Plan and its updates have guided EHTF funding allocations to 2004.
- In December 2004, the EJPCOH completed the Edmonton Community Plan on Housing and Support Services 2005-2009 to provide strategic direction and guide funding decisions to meet Edmonton’s highest priority housing and support service needs to 2009.
· Plan Recommendations:
- All recommendations are based on the EJPCOH view that eliminating homelessness in Edmonton requires a functioning “Housing and Support Services Continuum” with a sufficient supply of units and sufficient operational/support services at each of the Continuum’s five stages.
- Plan recommendations are organized under three categories:
- Housing Units (4,700 units under five stages):
o 275 “Emergency” units;
o 675 “Transitional” units;
o 1,300 “Long-Term Supportive” units;
o 1,750 “Social” units; and
o 700 “Affordable” units.
- Intervention and Prevention Services:
o Intervention services to enable access to, and move-up within, the various housing unit stages; and
o Prevention services to reduce homeless risk factors.
- Strategic Services (30 initiatives under):
o Research;
o Advocacy and awareness;
o Regulation and policy;
o Capacity building, co-ordination and partnerships; and
o Planning and performance monitoring.
· Funding Requirements:
The cost to fully implement the Plan over the five year period is estimated at $442.3 million (Attachment 2). Of this amount, $249.9 million would be required in capital funding, $180 million for facility based operating and support services, and intervention and prevention, $5.9 million for strategic services and $6.5 million for administration.
· Source of Funding:
- Anticipated sources of capital funding include SCPI and UAH funding extensions, AHPI funds, developer financing and potential additional funds stemming from the 2004 Throne Speech announcement to provide an additional $1.5 billion in federal funds for affordable housing.
- Facility-based operating/support service funding has traditionally been the responsibility of the Provincial Government and Capital Health. Other sources include various orders and programs of government as well as contributions from charitable organizations, corporations and individuals.
- The City has historically provided capital budget allocations to meet priority homeless and housing needs:
o Approximately $1.3 million annually to the EHTF;
o Capital funding under the City Affordable Housing Program (AHP) to leverage funding commitments under the AHPI; and
o Capital funding to partner with proponents of low income and special needs projects under the Low-Income Housing Capital Assistance Program (LIHCAP).
· Emphasis on “Long-Term Supportive” and Aboriginal Needs:
- The Plan targets a significant portion (45%) of its required capital and operating/support funding to “Long-Term Supportive” units. At present there are ‘bottlenecks’ in the housing continuum with the significant shortfall of long-term supportive housing units. Consequently, Emergency and Transitional units are being used inappropriately as longer-term solutions.
- Aboriginal persons are expected to benefit significantly from Plan implementation, given their high representation in the population of persons with housing and homeless needs. In addition, several strategic service recommendations are targeted specifically to Aboriginal persons.
· Plan Implementation:
The Administration will report back to City Council with a proposal for City involvement in Plan implementation, based on the principles and strategy statements included in Building Together, The City of Edmonton Low-Income and Special Needs Housing Strategy 2001-2011; the Affordable Housing Initiative; and the results of the recent Housing Innovations study.
· In 2004, City Council allocated approximately $2.5 million within the Community Services Department capital and operating budget to address homeless and affordable housing needs. The new Plan calls for a continuation of City supports to achieve planned housing unit and support service targets over the next five years.
Justification of Recommendation
The Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing has requested the City’s written endorsement of the Plan, which has also been submitted to the Federal and Provincial Governments for their endorsement.
Background Information Attached
- News Release: Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing
- Backgrounder on Edmonton Community Plan on Housing and Support Services 2005-2006
Background Information Available on Request
- Edmonton Community Plan On Housing and Support Services 2005 – 2009.
(Page 2 of 3)
Attachment 1
News Release: Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing
_____
/ Baker Centre#901, 10025 – 106 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T6J 1G4
Phone: (780) 496-6035
Fax: (780) 496-2634
www.moresafehomes.net
For Immediate Release:
January 14, 2005
EJPCOH unveils new plan that identifies the gaps in
affordable housing and support service needs in Edmonton
EDMONTON – The Community Plan on Housing and Support Services, 2005-2009, released today by the Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing unveils a new plan to tackle support service needs, homelessness and low-income housing requirements in the City of Edmonton.
The Plan estimates a need for a cash infusion of $435 million over five years to fund projects and support services for the homeless and low-income people in the city. Citing the need for an additional 2,250 units/spaces of emergency, transitional and long-term supportive housing, the plan also identifies a needs for a further 1,750 units of social housing (subsidized).
“The plan’s message is clear,” said EJPCOH vice-chair, Vern Kuehn. “More housing and support services are necessary at all levels to reduce the gaps in housing for the homeless and low-income people, as well as preventing those people who are at risk from becoming homeless.”
The Community Plan was developed in consultation with stakeholders and focus groups, as well as data collected from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Statistics-Canada, the EJPCOH 2003 Homelessness Study and the various Homeless Counts conducted by EJPCOH. An extensive literature review was also undertaken incorporating innovative practices as background for the Plan.
“The Community Plan also places a significant emphasis on the needs of Aboriginals both in terms of strategic service recommendations and in identifying housing issues,” added Kuehn. “Aboriginals represent 43 per cent of the population with housing and homeless needs.
“In addition, the Plan is built on the premise that Edmonton needs an integrated system that enables and encourages people to move up through various housing options, and if possible into the private housing market,” Kuehn said.
The Plan calls for the majority of funding ($109 million) to increase the number of long-term supportive housing units (1,300 units) to ease the homelessness burden. “Long-term supportive housing has long been recognized as a primary need for the homeless,” added Kuehn. “We’ve identified that housing units by themselves however, are not enough. Housing units must be complemented with support services to improve lifestyles and learning opportunities for individuals and families who face potential hazards.
“We recognize that the federal government, the province and the City of Edmonton have been making strides in tackling homelessness and housing issues as evidenced by their support for such initiatives as the Canada-Alberta Affordable Housing Program and the National Homelessness Initiative. Initiatives which continually add more housing units and spaces to help reduce the gap in housing requirements,” said Kuehn.
“Progress is being made with firm commitments from the three levels of government to fund and participate in on-going programs that address the needs of the homeless and low-income people. This new Community Plan further identifies the gaps that need to be closed and puts a price tag on what it will cost to deliver additional accommodation within the community.”
The Edmonton Community Plan on Housing and Support Service 2005-2009 is available at www.moresafehomes.net
For further information, contact:
Vern Kuehn, Vice-Chair
Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing
(780) 962-0238
or
Jim Molnar, Communications Coordinator
Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing
(780) 944-5697 Cell (780) 405-0735
e-mail:
Attachment 1 - Page 2 of 2
Attachment 2
Backgrounder on Edmonton Community Plan on Housing and Support Services 2005-2009
The overall goal of the Edmonton Community Plan on Housing and Support Services, 2005-2009 is “to identify and prioritize gaps in housing and support services, and develop community objectives and strategies to address the priorities”. The plan will provide guidelines for addressing homelessness, low-income housing and related support service needs in Edmonton over the next five years.
With the major economic changes impacting Edmonton since 2000, the “Community Plan” for 2005-2009 has been developed to address those changes. This plan will continue to provide strategic direction to EJPCOH for the next five years.
The Community Plan’s main message is clear: significantly more housing and support services are required at all levels to address homelessness and affordable housing issues and to prevent homelessness among those at risk. It also recognizes efforts should be concentrated to increase the supply of housing and services that provide longer-term solutions.
The Plan outlines estimated funding requirements of $249.9 million in capital, $180 million for operations and support services, and $5.9 million in strategic services to implement its objectives and strategies as shown in the following table. Support services include basic services only; funding for additional programs that may be developed would be required.
Recommended Allocations (2005-2009)
Category / Required AllocationHousing and Support Services Recommendations / Total Units / Capital Funding (One-Time) / Operating/Support Services Funding
(2005-2009)
1. Emergency Housing / 275 / $7.0 M / $15.1 M
2. Transitional Housing / 675 / $54.9 M / $57.5 M
3. Long-Term Supportive Housing / 1,300 / $109.0 M / $82.0 M
4. Social Housing / 1,750 / $41.0 M / $24.2 M
5. Affordable Housing / 700 / $35.0 M / $0 M
6. Fully Adapted Units for Disabled / 183 / $2.9 M / $0 M
7/8. Prevention and Intervention / $0 M / $1.1
Sub-Total / 4,700 / $249.9 M / $180.0M
Strategic Services Recommendations
Part A: Research / N/A / $1.3 M
Part B: Advocacy and Awareness / N/A / $1.1 M
Part C: Regulation and Policy / N/A / $0.1 M
Part D: Capacity Building, Co-ordination and Partnerships / N/A / $3.1 M
Part E: Planning and Performance Monitoring / N/A / $0.3 M
Sub-Total / $0 M / $5.9 M
Administration Funding / $6.5 M
TOTAL / $442.3 M
ABORIGINAL EMPHASIS
The Plan places significant emphasis on the needs of Aboriginals given their representation (43%) in the population of those with housing and homeless needs. Equally significant, the Plan ensures that Aboriginal persons benefit from all strategies and activities because of their predominance in the target groups. Strategic services recommendations also are targeted specifically for the Aboriginal population; these include research, communication and strategies to enhance capacity-building. As a significant proportion of the population, Aboriginals also benefit from the support services provided.
HOW THE PLAN WAS DEVELOPED
To accomplish the goal of the Plan, the Community Plan Steering Committee, with consultants, employed three data collection methods:
1. A three-phased series of community consultations. The process included input from youth, families, singles, Aboriginals, immigrants, persons who are deinstitutionalized, persons with disabilities, mentally-ill persons many of whom have addictions, and victims of family violence. Groups also included when possible housing and support service providers, health and service professionals, government and industry representatives, individuals with expertise in programs being discussed, and landlords.
2. Gathering published, statistical data on future housing and support service needs in Edmonton (Statistics-Canada & Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation data).
3. A review of innovative practices applicable to Edmonton.
WHO IS EJPCOH?
EJPCOH is an interjurisdictional coalition of representatives from the three levels of government and non-government agencies responsible for developing this Community Plan on Housing. EJPCOH provides the strategic direction and the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund provides the funds to support the expansion of housing units that reflect the community-based priorities expressed by the “Community Plan”.
EJPCOH works to move the Edmonton community toward effective community based solutions to current housing-related challenges. These initiatives focus on building a better awareness of housing issues and developing an information base to support better social and community decision making. A key focus of the Community Plan is an attempt to look at housing and support services in a more comprehensive way and include those influencing factors and those interventions which potentially could prevent people from becoming homeless.
The Edmonton 2004 Homelessness Report provided information that will be used to direct the Community Plan and help make more effective community decisions.
Since March of 1999, the EJPCOH has conducted six homeless counts utilizing over 800 volunteers. The count provides a snapshot of the homeless population and provides a baseline against which to monitor changes amongst that population.