Ending Homelessness in Regina is A Plan, Not a Dream May 14, 2013

The punch line A boomtown phenomenon Reconsidering homelessness Housing is the easy part Plan to End Homelessness

Boomtown phenomenon YOU ARE HERE

Re-considering homelessness 85% transitionally homeless 8 to 11% episodically homeless 2 to 4% chronically homeless Take up 50 to 60% of shelter space Become homeless once & stay for years or in and out of homelessness repeatedly Cannot afford most affordable housing Have the most barriers to housing Fewest homeless services available Homelessness related to disability & poverty Highest users of public systems & most costly to system Highest needs (addiction, mental health, medical) Highest cost intervention Planning implication: priority, supports, affordability, form, NPO/govt build-own-operate Take up 50 to 60% of shelter space Become homeless once & stay for years or in and out of homelessness repeatedly Cannot afford most affordable housing Have the most barriers to housing Fewest homeless services available Homelessness related to disability & poverty Highest users of public systems & most costly to system Highest needs (addiction, mental health, medical) Highest cost intervention Planning implication: priority, supports, affordability, form, NPO/govt build-own-operate In and out of homelessness rapidly & usually with minimal help Lowest needs & therefore need least help Homelessness largely economic Most homeless services geared toward them Planning implication: general purpose affordable rental, market rental, rent supplements In and out of homelessness rapidly & usually with minimal help Lowest needs & therefore need least help Homelessness largely economic Most homeless services geared toward them Planning implication: general purpose affordable rental, market rental, rent supplements

Its cheaper to fix than ignore Pomeroy: $66,000 to $120,000/person/year inst. response (e.g. prison, psychiatric hospitals) vs. $13,000 to $18,000 for supportive housing Simon Fraser University: $55,000/person/year vs. housing and support costs of $37,000 Calgary: $134,000/person/year for chronically homeless vs. housing & support $10,000 to $20,000/person/year 2007: More than $320 million is spent every year in Calgary 2007: Cost of homelessness nationally = $4.6 Billion/year

10 Year Plans in a nutshell Mark a shift from managing homelessness to ending it Close the front door; open the back door, build the infrastructure and get better data. Over 350 U.S. jurisdictions have or are working on plans Plans to end homelessness taking hold in Canada: Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Victoria, Winnipeg, Saskatoon Alberta first & only province in Canada to have 10 Year Plan ©Copyright CAEH. All rights reserved 6

10 Year Plans work Calgary: 11.4% decrease from 2008 to winter 2012 ~1% decrease from 2008 to summer 2012 Edmonton: 30% decrease from 2008 to 2012 Fort McMurray: 42% decrease 2008 to 2010 Lethbridge: 51% decrease from 2008 to 2011 Medicine Hat: 40% reduction in shelter use 2008 to 2011 ©Copyright CAEH. All rights reserved 7

Alberta Over 6,600 Albertans experiencing homelessness have been provided housing and supports 10% reduction in emergency shelter use province wide since % province wide reduction in homelessness (PIT counts) since 2008 Over 1,600 people have graduated from Housing First programs Average 80 percent housing retention rate

Alberta Reduction in public system use by 6,600 Alberta Housing First clients: –61% fewer interactions with EMS –56% fewer emergency room visits –64% fewer days in hospital –59% fewer interactions with police –84% fewer days in jail –58% fewer court appearances

A couple thoughts on housing If youre in a hole stop digging Set priorities Lead, follow or get out of the way Market rental capacity is every bit as important as affordable housing – consider virtual affordable housing Building NPO sector capacity for affordable housing Operating risk Financial risk Housing management Real estate / development expertise Community integration Smaller buildings in more communities There will never be enough government money….

The punch line Homelessness is a boomtown phenomenon Re-thinking homelessness – priorities & barriers Housing is the easy part – consider supports & building a system of care Plan to End Homelessness

A Plan, Not a Dream

1 st National Conference on Ending Homelessness For more information or to register:

Thank You. For more information about CAEH, please visit or contact us at: CANADIAN ALLIANCE TO END HOMELESSNESS PO Box 15062, Aspen Woods PO Calgary, Alberta T3H 0N8 Tel: (403) Facebook: