Community Hub and Supportive/Affordable Housing Feasibility Study

Presentation to Council October 5 2020 Presentation Overview

1. Local Housing Data - Huron County Housing - Huron OPP

2. Agencies Interviewed re: Housing

3. Summary of Wait Lists from Housing Providers

4. Financing Options

5. Interest in a Goderich Community Hub

6. Recommendations Local Housing Data

2024 High Housing Forecast Developed for the Ten Year Long Term Affordable Housing and Homelessness Plan 2014-2024

Total Affordable Dwellings RGI PSH Total New Construction, Acquisition, Rent Supplement ACW 17 8 25 Bluewater 18 9 27 27 10 37 Goderich 38 14 52 Howick 10 5 15 Huron East 22 12 34 Morris-Turnberry 10 5 15 North Huron 13 6 19 South Huron 24 12 36 Huron County 179 81 260

Huron County Housing Wait Lists for Exeter and Goderich, March and August 2020 March 2020 August 2020 Exeter 130 137 Goderich 253 267 Mental Health Calls for Service HURON COUNTY OPP 2014-2020 Number of Calls Average number of calls per day

2014 344 .94

2015 311 .85

2016 299 .82

2017 355 .97

2018 633 1.73 calls per day

2019 620 1.69 calls per day

Jan-June 2020 391 (year end estimate is 782) 2.14 calls per day Phone Interviews with Housing Providers Mental Health and Addictions -CHMA Middlesex -CHMA Huron Perth -AMGH Community Psychiatry Ward - South Huron Hospital -Walker’s House (Exeter) -Choices for Change - Huron OPP Transitional Housing -Huron Turning Point -Women’s Shelter and Second Stage Housing -Out of the Cold Youth -Betamarsh -Children’s Aid Society -Safe Homes for Youth Developmental Support -Community Living South Huron -Community Living Central Huron NFP/Co-op Housing - Exandarea Meadows - Huron Sands - Maple Tree Housing experts - Dr. Nonie Brennan, Global Institute of Homelessness - Huron County Housing Summary from phone interviews with housing providers

• The housing crisis is more challenging than any single agency or municipality can address independently • Vulnerable populations are precariously housed or homeless (people with mental health and addictions issues, intellectually disabled, low-income, young adults without family support) • The justice system is an over-used response to precariously housed or unhoused individuals • The housing that is available is financially inaccessible to low-income individuals and families. There is a need for more RGI housing. • Co-ordinated access would assist with agency support in Huron • Young adults (older than 21) are underserviced: a community mentor program could be considered • People in both Goderich and Exeter are concerned about housing, which is resulting both in a willingness to find a solution and concern about safety • A Housing First response is required: immediate access to permanent housing with no housing readiness requirement Need for Supportive Housing Required by Agency: Summary of Waiting Lists

Agency # of Units Goderich # of Units Exeter # of Units Huron

CMHA Middlesex 11 independent apartments 4 independent apartments 14 rent supplement requests for 1 shared home Goderich and Exeter CMHA Huron Perth 3 Clinton or Goderich; 1 Exeter or Goderich; 9 Goderich

Community Living: Residential 3 32 (Exeter and area) 77 Living Community Living: 10 20 (Exeter and area) 87 Independent Living Children’s Aid Society 2 (and 4 additional youth for 2 (and 4 additional youth for 8 youth between 16 and 21 who Goderich or Exeter) Goderich or Exeter) need housing Choices for Change 4 0

Huron Turning Point 20 residential treatment facility

NFP Huron Sands: no list, referred by Exandarea Housing Co-op = 50 Housing; Maple Tree= 5 Huron County Housing August 267 137 2020 2018 Homelessness 100 enumeration 2020 Sheltered at motel 60 Financing options a) Grants - CMHC Seed Funding - FCM Capital Project New Construction Sustainable Affordable Housing b) Repayable contribution/interest free loans - CMHC - Community Forward Fund c) Municipal in-kind contributions By-law 7-2018: Affordable Housing By-law d) Land equity e) Investment: new Social Investment Fund Interest in an Exeter Community Hub

Interest - There are 13 local organizations interested in using a community hub in Exeter - Frequency of use ranges from full time (three organizations) to twice a year - Enthusiastic response regarding the potential for inter-agency collaboration Facilities requested - Room for meeting with clients (13) - Office space (4) - Board room (5) - Security alarm (1) - Drop-in time (4) - Shared receptionist (5) - Internet (11), photocopier (8), lunch room (8) Co-locate with housing - Strong interest in being located with housing development development Covid considerations - Need to proceed cautiously - Look to Public Health recommendations - Some hubs elsewhere in are still closed, some have reopened, a new hub in Collingwood just opened in 2020 Recommendations

1. Support Huron County Housing in both updating the affordable housing targets in the 2014-2024 Ten Year Housing and Homelessness Plan and creating a by-name housing list, a real time list of people experiencing homelessness, to create a data informed approach to addressing the need for affordable housing.

2. Encourage and promote the development of new supportive/affordable not-for-profit housing, including: - Working with a not-for-profit developer, and - Supporting the creation of a Community Development Corporation to act as a new,local non-for-profit developer

3. Plan to integrate a community hub development with the supportive housing development

4. Encourage and promote the development of supportive/affordable housing by private developers

5. Launch a Social Investment Tool

6. Develop an educational campaign/community conversation about a community wide response to the housing crisis