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Ending Homelessness in Kingston and Across Canada: What's the Plan?
The document outlines the state of homelessness in Kingston and Canada, highlighting significant statistics such as a 25% increase in shelter usage and a growing affordable housing waitlist with an average wait time of 6 to 8 years. It discusses a decline in housing security and increasing costs, along with policy recommendations for addressing homelessness and ensuring adequate housing for all. The document emphasizes the need for a comprehensive national plan and local accountability in Kingston to effectively combat homelessness.
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Ending Homelessness in Kingston and Across Canada: What's the Plan?
- 1. Ending homelessness in Kingston and acrossCanada: What’s the plan? Michael Shapcott The Wellesley Institute Queen’s University, October 2013
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- 4. State of Homelessnessin Canada 2013: Canadian Homelessness Research Network / Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness
- 5. Shelter usage: 818people in 2012 up 25% over 2011 Avg. stay: 28 nights up from 22 days in 2010 What about Kingston? - 10,389 renter households paying 30% or more for housing (47.8%) Private rented housing: ! ! 7,277 owner households paying 30%or more for housing (15.6%) 296 vacant units in 2013 Affordable housing wait list: general wait time - 6m to 8 years ! Avg. market rent: $1,054 up 37% since 2013 inflation rate: 19% ! - Renter h/h income 2003 - $44,600 2011 - $32,100 28% decrease -
- 6. How did we getso many precariously housed?
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- 9. “The health ofToronto must necessarily mean the health of its citizens. It must mean, too, the continued progress and development of Toronto along desirable lines. ...but I fear, in all candour one must confess that this city, in common with every large city, has acquired inevitable ‘slum districts’... You will probably say: “But Toronto has few such areas and they are not of great extent!” I say, and I think you will agree with me, that Toronto wants none of them, and that the Toronto of the future which we like to contemplate will have none of them.” ! Dr. H.A. Bruce Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario 1934
- 10. s ood um og sl nt to d i o n e es or rm m T fo o ns h ra t
- 11. Bad housing makesyou sick! Homelessness: Increased morbidity Increased premature mortality Contextual: Individual / neighbourhood deprivation networks / friends / crime Socio-economic: Affordability / energy Transportation / income / jobs Mental health: Alarming rates... especially Clinical depression and anxiety Control / meaning Collective efficacy Biological / physical: Chemicals, gases, pollutants Design (accidents) / crowding
- 12. Good housing goodfor health! Physical and mental health: Better health outcomes / decreased health care utilization Environment / physical infrastructure: New housing, repairs, heating, noise, indoor + outdoor environmental issues, allergens, water + sanitation Community safety: Reduced recidivism among people leaving incarceration Affordability interventions: Income-based housing subsidies
- 13. Making the connections Toronto 1911: Foundingof Wellesley Hospital
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- 16. Systems thinking: How interconnections incomplex, dynamic world impact our lives and our health
- 17. “After 20 yearsof continuous decline, both inequality and poverty rates have increased rapidly in the past 10 years, now reaching levels above the OECD average.” OECD (2008), Growing Unequal? : Income Distribution and Poverty in OECD Countries
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- 20. ivate d pr ty an uali ke ts Ineq mar sing ou each h or r out sing crea in 95% of Cana dians live i home n s in p rivate owne rship renta / l mar kets
- 22. Selected policy recommendationsfor OECD countries from Divided We Stand • Reforming tax and benefit policies is the most direct instrument for increasing redistributive effects. Large and persistent losses in low-income groups following recessions underline the importance of government transfers and well-conceived income-support policies. • The growing share of income going to top earners means that this group now has a greater capacity to pay taxes. In this context governments may reexamine the redistributive role of taxation to ensure that wealthier individuals contribute their fair share of the tax burden.
- 23. OECD social expenditures Canada 32nd outof 34 Toronto 1911: Founding of Wellesley Hospital
- 24. ‘Social spending inCanada relies more on public services (education, housing, health, etc.) than on cash transfers, such as unemployment and family benefits.’ OECD, 2011
- 25. How recent spending+ tax policies favour highest income households Survey of Household Spending 2011
- 26. Federal housing investmentsas a percentage of GDP) 1.20% 1.10% 1.00% 0.90% 0.80% 0.70% 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 0.50% 1989 0.60% Government Revenues and Expenditures 2009
- 27. When the fedscut a dollar in housing investments… matching funds from provinces, territories, municipalities, community and business are lost
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- 29. $3,250 $3,000 $2,750 $2,500 $2,250 $2,000 $1,750 17 20 16 20 15 20 14 20 13 20 12 20 11 20 10 20 09 20 08 20 20 07 $1,500 Federal housing investments (inmillions) Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation 2012
- 30. 626,300 homes in2007 492,500 homes in 2017 Loss of 133,800 homes 22% of entire stock 650000 600000 550000 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 450000 2007 500000 Federally subsidized homes Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation 2012
- 31. Four observations: ! ! 1.Housing insecuritydeep / persistent 2.Costly to people, communities, economy, government 3.Federal housing / homelessness investments eroding 4.No comprehensive national plan
- 32. 1993 -‐ feds cancel new social / affordable housing funding 1995 -‐ Ontario cancels new social / affordable housing funding 1996 -‐ feds start to download most exis<ng housing to P /T 1998 -‐ Ontario starts to download housing to municipali<es
- 33. Municipal housing investments (indollars) $1,900,000,000 $1,400,000,000 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 $400,000,000 2000 $900,000,000 Government Revenues and Expenditures 2009
- 35. Toronto 1911: Founding of WellesleyHospital John Peters Humphrey: ‘Father of modern international human rights system’
- 36. International Covenant onEconomic, Social and Cultural Rights ! Article 11 1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps Toronto 1911: to ensure the realization of this right... Founding of Wellesley Hospital
- 37. City of Kitchener(2010) Ontario Municipal Board Discriminatory municipal bylaw on spatial separation ! “Statutory tribunals empowered to decide questions of law are presumed to have the power to look beyond their enabling statutes in order to apply the whole law to a matter properly in front of them.... The presumptive power to look beyond the tribunal's enabling statute is triggered simply where a tribunal (with the authority to decide questions of law) is confronted with "issues... that arise in the course of a case properly before” it....” Victoria (City) v. Adams (2009) BC Court of Appeal Municipal bylaw criminalizing activities associated with homelessness Toronto aid in “The use of international instruments to 1911: the interpretation of the meaning and Founding of scope of rights under Wellesley Hospital the Charter, and in particular the rights protected under s. 7 and the principles of fundamental justice, is wellestablished in Canadian jurisprudence.”
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- 39. ! National Survey onHousing: ! • 71% want national housing plan • 66% want increased fed funding • 73% want increased focus on homelessness
- 40. ! 1.4.3 - Planningauthorities shall provide for an appropriate range and mix of housing types and densities to meet projected requirements of current and future residents… permitting and facilitating all forms of housing required to meet the social, health and well-being requirements of current and future residents, including special needs… ! Affordable means in the case of rental housing, the least expensive of: ! 1. a unit for which rent does not exceed 30% of gross annual income for low and moderate income households; or ! 2. a unit for which rent is at or below the average market rent…
- 41. ! Municipalities are requiredto: ! • develop and implement 10-year plans to end homelessness and ensuring adequate housing for all • consult widely • ensure measurable, improved outcomes • report annually on progress
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- 43. ! Discuss… does Kingston’splan: ! • set targets to meet housing needs of everyone? • ensure measurable, improved outcomes? • identify the tools / funding required to meet the named outcomes? • report annually on progress?
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