UPDATE: Waterloo Region Housing First Research Study STEP Home Annual Collaborative Meeting April 14, 2016

Roadmap for Presentation Research Background & Context Interview Update Project Timelines Preliminary Findings Baseline Interviews Focus Group Themes Summary Next Steps

Research Study Background and Context Purpose : We are interested in comparing the effectiveness of the addition of rent assistance to existing STEP Home services in Waterloo Region When interviews began : July 22, 2015 Engagement Strategies : Peer researcher drop in hours; outreach worker support in contacting participants for interviews Thanks to everyone for all of their ongoing help and support!

Research Update Baseline Interviews - Completed:  27 participants receiving HAWS  33 other participants receiving STEP Home support (intensive support or street outreach-connected) without any form of rent assistance Follow Up Interviews - Progress to date:  9 interviews with participants receiving HAWS

Research Timelines  Baseline Interviews: Completed February 4, 2016  Follow-up Interviews: To be completed by August 4, 2016  Opportunity for STEP Home input on reporting of results: Touch points/updates at STEP Home Collaborative meetings (Housing Stability System Working Group, DSWAG, PAG) Dedicated consultation session: Thursday October 6, 2016, 10-12pm Room 508  Report of the Findings: First draft of the report will be circulated for input November 2016 Final report ready to circulate by December Study results will be used to inform housing & support services in Waterloo region (e.g. advocate for more funding towards rent assistance)

Preliminary Findings Background Characteristics HAWS (N = 27) Non-HAWS (N = 33) Gender Women 11 (41%)9 (27%) Men 16 (59%)24 (73%) Born in Canada 25 (93%)31 (94%) Total Amount of Time Homeless (Average) 62 Months37 Months Longest Single Period of Homelessness (Average) 37 Months23 Months Length of Time Connected to STEP Home (Average) 27 Months18 Months Psychiatric Diagnosis (Self-Reported) 16 (59%)21 (64%) Substance Dependence (Self-Reported) 17 (63%)22 (67%)

Preliminary Findings Social Support (family, friends, direct support workers) Community Ability (daily tasks, health, social interactions etc.) Food Security (access to food in the community) Quality of Life (family, financial, safety, leisure etc.)

Preliminary Findings Average Number of Days in Different Types of Housing (6 Months Before Housing/Interview) HAWS (N = 27) Non-HAWS (N = 33) Own Apartment2767 Shelter, Couch Surfing, Jail, Hospital4854 On the Street6714 Rooming/Boarding/Group Home1334 Hotel/Motel30 Unknown2312

Preliminary Findings Percentage of Days in Different Types of Housing (Average Number of Days ÷ 180 Days) HAWS (N = 27) Non-HAWS (N = 33) Own Apartment15%37% Shelter, Couch Surfing, Jail, Hospital26%30% On the Street37%8% Rooming/Boarding/Group Home7%19% Hotel/Motel2%0% Unknown13%7%

STEP Home Direct Support Worker Focus Group Developing relationships with the people being supported Building trust takes time “I think that’s the biggest thing, it is, it is time, cause you’re developing a relationship with a person, you know what I mean, and it’s, it’s all relationships, you can’t, and you’re walking with them, right, you can’t force them into something that’s not their choice”

STEP Home Direct Support Worker Focus Group Working as a team vs. working alone “I would say one of the challenges I’ve experienced is I don’t really operate on a team, really, I’m one to one support and I think that poses challenges for, because you’re the only person so that’s a lot of responsibility” “I know if it’s my last day or if I’m going away for a week, there’s always somebody that knows every individual that I’m supporting, there’s somebody on our team, whether it’s outreach or Streets to Housing or even kitchen staff, um, that know that individual and I know that person will be fine when I’m gone”

STEP Home Direct Support Worker Focus Group Need for a damage fund “And there’s no incentive, like, we don’t have anything that can pay damages or anything”

STEP Home Direct Support Worker Focus Group Creating landlord forum might be beneficial “I think another barrier is just like the access to information, what we’re trying to do, trying to have a conversation in like five seconds with a landlord where, you know, if we could pool landlords together and pinpoint the ones that are a little more compassionate who also understand the business relationship, yeah, that we’re not trying to dump people off, it’s a business opportunity for them, and we’re here to support that, but it’s hard to get in the door with the landlord if they’ve had really bad experiences and there’s no alternative to getting your money back ”

STEP Home Direct Support Worker Focus Group Barriers to Housing Choice Housing cost/affordability “…we’ve lost so much from those affordable places that people could stay, and all the condos that they’re building, right, so they’re building more and more condos, and less and less more affordable places and now there’s Google and all this extravagant stuff coming everybody is gonna be bumping up the rent on all those places” “One bedrooms are expensive now, like, look them up, they’re like $850-$900 bucks”

STEP Home Direct Support Worker Focus Group Conditions for HAWS “I think with HAWS, too, like we found people two bedroom apartments that are like $780, and we can’t house them there because they have to have a one bedroom”

STEP Home Direct Support Worker Focus Group Discrimination “…And then also judgmental landlords, like I find an individual, and the landlord said right in front of his face that he was, he was a drunk”

STEP Home Direct Support Worker Focus Group HAWS Program Extra money aids in choice Landlords Direct deposit “The extra money because OW and ODSP don’t give you enough for rent, so that extra money helps you get a better place, but I’ve also had, where some landlords are a lot focused on getting the rent, so being able to say that this rent is going to be directly paid to you, they’re more willing to hear it”

STEP Home Direct Support Worker Focus Group Landlords Housing Assistance with Support “It’s super, it, it feels good after, like, going to, and these types of landlords that are talking like that, from my experience, they’re making the eviction process moving forward but, there’s still, there’s still room for conversation, and understanding, and, so it’s, and it’s not, it’s not as messy as it could be, and I think part of that is based on the availability, like, you know, the program and us being able to be in a supportive role”

Summary Based on the preliminary results: HAWS participants experienced more lifetime homelessness and showed less stable housing 6 months prior to housing HAWS and non-HAWS groups do not differ at baseline We expect to see changes at follow-up on outcome measures People housed with HAWS seem to be doing well in their housing

Participant perspectives “Well, um, like I said, I have my own space now, and I can take better care of my health, and, and I have a little bit of extra money in my pocket that I can go out and go grocery shopping or go buy myself a piece of clothing or my craft supplies” “And, um, I get to see my family, you know, I get to look at my family, I get to look at my sons, you know, and talk to them…and they see the change in me, and uh, it’s good, it’s good, it’s great”

What’s Next… 1. Regular updates at STEP Home Collaborative meetings (Housing Stability System Working Group, DSWAG, PAG) 2.Monthly meetings with Research Team (KDCHC, Housing Specialist, Region) 3.Peer researchers to continue to interview participants for follow-up interviews 4.Preliminary summary of findings to be presented in October 6, 2016

Any questions? For questions about this research, contact: Phone:

Roadmap for Presentation Research Background & Context Interview Update Project Timelines Preliminary Findings Baseline Interviews Focus Group Themes Summary Next Steps

Research Study Background and Context Purpose : We are interested in comparing the effectiveness of the addition of rent assistance to existing STEP Home services in Waterloo Region When interviews began : July 22, 2015 Engagement Strategies : Peer researcher drop in hours; outreach worker support in contacting participants for interviews Thanks to everyone for all of their ongoing help and support!

Research Update Baseline Interviews - Completed:  27 participants receiving HAWS  33 other participants receiving STEP Home support (intensive support or street outreach-connected) without any form of rent assistance Follow Up Interviews - Progress to date:  9 interviews with participants receiving HAWS

STEP Home Direct Support Worker Focus Group Developing relationships with the people being supported Building trust takes time “I think that’s the biggest thing, it is, it is time, cause you’re developing a relationship with a person, you know what I mean, and it’s, it’s all relationships, you can’t, and you’re walking with them, right, you can’t force them into something that’s not their choice”