County of Hastings
Housing and Homelessness Plan
Development
Ontario East Municipal Conference
September 12, 2012

Supporting People and Communities

The ‘Plan’
• A work plan was developed based on a
completion date of June 2013, working
backwards
• The first exercise was to identify all
stakeholders and divide them into sectors, for
example: mental health, consumer/advocate,
victims of abuse, housing providers

The ‘Plan’
• It was decided that our first community
consultation would be held on June 27th
• We decided that this first consultation should
be in the centre of the municipality
• Six questions were developed for a break out
session

Break–Out Session Questions
1. As a sector, list your common assets (i.e shelters, land) both current and
future.
1. What programs or services does your organization access or refer to, in
order to help serve the at risk population in relation to homelessness
issues.
2. Further, identify partnerships (informal or formal) that your sector has
developed to address the needs of at-risk populations in relation to their
housing issues.
3. Identify 3 gaps in service that you are currently experiencing in your
sector.
4. In relation to question number 4; how has your sector addressed the
above gaps?
5. From your sectors perspective provide at least one suggestion on how to
engage the private sector so that they offer financial or in-kind support to
address housing and homelessness issues in the community.

Mapping Exercise
Before After

Prezi Demonstration
To open link: right click and click on “open hyperlink” to view ‘prezi’
Community Consultation Highlights, June 27, 2012

Service Manager
Perspective
• Managing expectations a key component
• Explained that there is no new funding
associated with the Housing and
Homelessness Plan
• Completing the Plan with existing staff (not
hiring a consultant)
• Staff are known to the community and have
already-established networks with
stakeholders

Service Manager
Perspective
• We did not get the level of detail in the results
we were looking for at the consultation
• Not all sectors that we invited were
represented
• It is now necessary to determine missing
sectors and missing information and decide
how to engage them (LHIN, for example)
• Still need to meet with other sectors (Housing
providers, elected officials)

Participants Perspective
• Survey Monkey was used to evaluate the
Community Consultation
• Results indicate:
85% of participants indicated that the right
questions were asked
Participants felt that they did not have enough
time to answer at break out session
Some participants felt that the questions could
have been distributed prior to the session

Next Steps
• Data Collection using a variety of methods
such as: survey monkey, stakeholder
meetings, and one to one interviews to
determine needs and identifying priorities
like expiring operating agreements with non
profit/co-operative housing providers
• Obtaining specific demographic information
for: City of Belleville, City of Quinte West and
Hastings County
• Stakeholders can add comments on-line

Next Steps
• Taking stock of the ‘Stock’ in partnership with
All Together Affordable Housing to create an
inventory of available housing and
homelessness programs and services
• Incorporating Community Homelessness
Prevention Initiative in the ‘Plan’ to obtain
identified outcomes
• Determine how to make the best use of
existing resources
• Create list of priorities in preparation for future
funding opportunities

Next Steps
• Development of strategies/activities to meet
identified objectives and targets
• Outcomes measurement (partnership with
United Way)
• Present draft Plan to Hastings/Quinte Joint
Social Services Committee for
recommendation to County Council for June
2013
• Fact Sheet

Lessons Learned
• Housing and homelessness issues are
extremely widespread
• Many different opinions about future
directions to take
• So far, service providers have not focused only
on their sector, which has been great
• Many more people to talk to

Lessons Learned
• Reaction to our process has been positive.
The community wants to discuss these issues
• Concerns about managing expectations
• Service Manager ultimately “owns” the Plan
• Have to ensure that the Plan is consistent with
Hastings County’s overall Strategic Plan and
future vision

Lessons Learned
• Make use of existing resources such as
housing and homelessness strategies from
other areas
• Take full advantage of OMMSA’s Housing and
Homelessness Resource Centre
• Use MMAH as a resource. Information
provided and responses to questions has been
excellent

“The planning process can help build
relationships and consensus” (unknown)
Contact:
• Scott Robertson: robertsons@hastingscounty.com
• Michelle Ogden: ogdenm@hastingscounty.com
• Carmela Ruberto: rubertoc@hastingscounty.com
• hastingscounty.com to view our progress