Declaration of Homelessness as a National Disaster -

Status Report on Hostel Services for Singles

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee recommends:

(i)that the Provincial and Federal Governments be requested to declare homelessness a national disaster requiring emergency humanitarian relief and be urged to immediately develop and implement a National Homelessness Relief and Prevention Strategy using disaster relief funds, both to provide the homeless with immediate health protection and housing and to prevent further homelessness; and

 (ii)the adoption of the following report (September 22, 1998) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services, subject to:

 (a)amending Recommendation No. (2) to provide that the progress report requested be submitted directly to Council for consideration at its meeting on October 28, 1998; and

 (b)amending Recommendation No. (3) to read as follows:

 "(3)the Chair of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee be requested to convene an early meeting with Mr. Jack Carroll, MPP, Chair of the Provincial Task Force on the Homeless, and seek assistance in responding to this urgent situation; and further that Councillor Jack Layton, Chair of the Council Strategy Committee for People Without Homes be invited to attend such meeting; and":

 Purpose:

 This report describes the current trends and demands placed on hostel services for single men, women and youth. It also makes a forecast about the growing needs we face this coming winter; the initiatives underway to deal with these needs; and the service gap that still needs to be addressed.

 Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

 Hostel services are caseload driven. Funds have been included in the preliminary 1999 budget request for the service initiatives described.

 Recommendations:

 It is recommended that:

(1)the Commissioner of Corporate Services be requested to designate the necessary staff to work with Hostel Services on acquiring appropriate space to accommodate an additional 320 to 460 homeless singles;

(2)a progress report be submitted to the next meeting of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee on November 5, 1998, with contingency plans for the coming winter;

 (3)the Chair of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee be requested to convene an early meeting with Mr. Jack Carroll, MPP, Chair of the Provincial Task Force on the Homeless, and seek assistance in responding to this urgent situation; and

 (4)the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary actions to give effect thereto.

 Council Reference/Background/History:

 Each year, at about this time, the Department reports on the status of hostel services available to the homeless for the coming winter.

 We anticipate that a much broader report on the scope of the problem and the major solutions needed will be submitted by the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force in about three months.

 Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

 Today's report is not a good news report. The number of single men, women and youth needing shelter continues to grow, and the system is not keeping pace. Our forecast at this time is that another 320 to 460 beds will likely be needed this winter above the known levels of service available.

 The known levels of service described in Appendix "B" show a total capacity of 2,541 beds this winter. This is actually 137 beds fewer than were available last winter. This loss of beds is part of the problem.

 More importantly, we estimate that needs will increase from between 11 percent to 17 percent over last winter's levels. This continuing growth in demand is beginning to overwhelm the hostel system. Clearly, something more or different needs to be done.

 The trend in shelter use by singles shown in Appendix "A" clearly demonstrates the problem. Over the past six years, service demands have increased by 63 percent. Single women and youth services grew by almost 80 percent. These figures are based on September occupancies. While winter levels are higher, the growth trend is the same.

 We do not know for sure what the trend will be in the future. There are many factors and pressures that come into play and forecasting is difficult. We rely heavily on recent trends in demand.

 While there is a perception that the trend is always upward, this is not accurate. Our records show that the use of singles hostels actually fell during the five-year period from 1988 to 1992. During that time, the single men's shelters reported a 30 percent reduction in demand. Unfortunately, those gains have since been wiped out by new demands.

The reduction in demand prior to 1992 was attributable to three major factors, as follows:

(1)construction workers, who rented single rooms in the city, left when the building boom ended. As a result, homeless singles found it easier to rent such rooms;

 (2)quite a large number of social and supportive housing projects targeted on single adults came on stream during this period; and

 (3)age demographics showed fewer men ages 20-30 years, when the incidence of homelessness is greater.

 The lesson we learned during the period from 1988 to 1992 is, despite the influence of many other factors, that housing is still the key to reducing homelessness. This is especially true if that housing is designed to meet the needs of singles who require supports.

 Current Initiatives:

 Appendix "D" describes the various initiatives currently underway. These changes are intended to improve services and to respond to growing pressures. Some changes are designed to ensure that existing shelters receive supports which allow their services to be sustainable. Other changes help the shelters address the specific needs of high risk groups of clients. Only a few add beds to the system.

 Several of the initiatives described in Appendix "D" offer alternatives or diversions from the hostel system. The four most important diversions are as follows:

(1)expansion of Habitat Services (Item No. 3) will add 100 boarding home beds in 1998 with 200 more planned for the future. While these are not shelters, these boarding homes reach many of the same adults who otherwise use shelters;

 (2)Adelaide Resource Centre for Women (Item No. 5) is preventative in that it helps vulnerable adult women living alone from becoming homeless;

 (3)Ordnance Residence (Item No. 7) will give many youth a clear pathway off the streets and out of the shelter system; and

 (4)Project Going Home (Item No. 19) can assist some people, who are stranded in Toronto and who are stuck in hostels, return to their home community.

 Expansion of Hostel Services:

 The hostel system is facing a very difficult task in further expanding its bed capacity for single adults. The natural opportunities for expansion have been exhausted by responding to pressures since 1992. These were as follows:

(1)a large number of churches and synagogues have joined together under the Out of the Cold network to help out with winter demands. The combined resources of volunteers, space and zoning rights have been put into action. Further expansion of the Out of the Cold is not anticipated;

 (2)quite a number of the existing hostels have increased their capacities by space conversions, redesign and building additions. Further increases are not expected as this option has also been exhausted; and

 (3)surplus City properties that could be converted to shelter use have been surveyed several times. In total, five such properties have become available of which four are still being used. We are not aware of any other City properties that could be used in this way.

 The above opportunities have allowed Hostel Services to keep up to demands over the past six years. However, these have now been exhausted and another approach is needed.

 Conclusions:

 Another 320 to 460 beds will likely be needed to ensure there is enough hostel space for single men, women and youth. This situation is potentially very serious. We cannot expect another exceptionally mild winter as the last one. Staff require the direction and authority to take the immediate steps needed to increase the capacity of the hostel system.

 Contact Name:

 Joanne Campbell

General Manager of Shelter, Housing and Support Division

Tel: 392-7885/Fax: 392-0548

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 Appendix "A"

 Trend In Shelter Use By Singles

  Comparison of September Occupancies Over the Past Seven Years:

 19922072338331,273

19931972431,0381,478

19942982469461,490

19953282589771,563

19963462531,0381,637

19973433861,1451,874

1998 *3734151,2922,080

 Increase use during this period:

 By Percentage80%78%55%63%

By People166182459807

 Note: * 1998 figure based on occupancy on September 14, 1998.

Appendix "B"

 Hostel Services for Men Next Winter

  Hostel Services For Youth Next Winter

Hostel Services for Women Next Winter

Appendix "C"

 Projections for Singles for the Coming Winter

(1)Occupancy Comparisons Over the Past Four Years:

(2)Analysis:

 (i)February levels are on average about 15.5 percent higher than September.

(ii)Demand increased 17 percent from February 1997 to February 1998.

(iii)Demand increased 11 percent from September 1997 to September 1998.

(iv)Demand increased between 20 percent to 32 percent from the above September levels to the February levels which followed.

 (3)Conclusion:

If the above trends hold, then we can expect that demands this coming winter (February 1999) will be from a low of 2,750 to a high of 2,900 people per night averaged.

 If we allow for an occupancy spike of 4 percent for peak days, then the system would need a capacity of between 2,860 beds and 3,000 beds to meet the needs next winter.

 At the time this report was prepared, there is a confirmed capacity of 2,540 beds for the coming winter. Therefore, Hostel Services needs another 320 to 460 beds to meet forecasted demands.

Appendix "D"

 Toronto Hostel Services Initiatives to Improve and Expand Services to Singles

 (A copy of the Appendix C chart referred to in the foregoing report was forwarded to all Members of Council with the Agenda of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee for its meeting on October 8, 1998, and a copy thereof is on file in the office of the City Clerk.)

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 The following persons, representing the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, appeared before the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee in connection with the foregoing matter, and delivered a Proposal for Emergency Relief Strategy for the City of Toronto:

-Ms. Cathy Crowe, RN, Queen West CHC;

-Mr. David Walsh, President, Realco Property Ltd.;

-Professor David Hulchanski;

-Mr. Peter Rosenthal; and

-Mr. Steve Lane.

 The following Members of Council were present at the meeting of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee during the aforementioned deputation:

-Councillor Mario Giansante, Kingsway - Humber;

-Councillor Jack Layton, Don River;

-Councillor Pam McConnell, Don River; and

-Councillor Case Ootes, Deputy Mayor.