Hastings County Housing Programs and Services

COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES Housing Services Phone: 613.966.1311 Postal Bag 6300, 228 Church Street Fax: 613.968.4598 Belleville, Ontario K8N 5E2 Toll Free: 1.800.267.0575

BACKGROUNDER – STAKEHOLDER PRESENTATIONS

March 2019

Hastings County Housing Programs and Services

Hastings County offers a number of programs and services to assist residents with obtaining and maintaining housing and preventing homelessness. These programs are funded through a variety of government programs at the Municipal, Provincial and Federal levels.

Hastings County Community (Social) Housing Portfolio: City of Belleville

Hastings County owns and operates 872 units of Rent-Geared-To-Income (RGI) housing in the City of Belleville. In addition, Hastings County administers funding to five Non-Profit and one Cooperative Housing Provider for 234 units. The ongoing operation and maintenance of these units are funded with funding from the Federal Government, Hastings County and rent revenue.

Rent Subsidy Programs

Hastings County offers several rent subsidy programs which provide assistance to residents living in private sector housing. These programs include RGI subsidy as well as flat-rate programs which provide $210, $354 or $360 per month based on individual program criteria. These programs are funded with funding from the Provincial government. The $210 and $354 flat-rate programs which are part of the Investment in Affordable Housing for Ontario Program (IAH) end on March 31st, 2024.

The Special Priority Portable Housing Benefit (PHB-SPP) was implemented by the Province in 2018. The PHB-SPP is a financial benefit payable to eligible applicants to help pay rent. Applicants continue to receive the benefit even if they move, as long as the address is within Ontario. Households currently on the waiting list for subsidized housing who are eligible for Rent-Geared- to-Income housing and have been approved for the Survivors of Domestic Abuse or Human Trafficking Special Priority Housing Category are eligible for this benefit. The Province administers the program but Hastings County is permitted to pay first and last months’ rent on behalf of eligible participants and is reimbursed by the Province for these expenditures.

Home Ownership Assistance Programs

Hastings County offers a home ownership down-payment assistance program which provides up to 10% down payment assistance to eligible home buyers. This program runs from April 1st, 2019 to March 31st, 2020 and is funded through the IAH and Hastings County’s Revolving Loan Fund. Funds are limited and assistance is allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES Housing Services Phone: 613.966.1311 Postal Bag 6300, 228 Church Street Fax: 613.968.4598 Belleville, Ontario K8N 5E2 Toll Free: 1.800.267.0575

BACKGROUNDER – STAKEHOLDER PRESENTATIONS

New to Hastings County in 2019 is the Ontario Renovates Program. Hastings County’s program will offer up to $5,000 to eligible home owners to add accessibility features to their home. This program runs from April 1st, 2019 to March 31st, 2020 and is funded through the IAH. Funds are limited however and assistance is allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

New Affordable Housing Development

As Service Manager for Housing Programs and Services, Hastings County is responsible for encouraging the creation and development of new affordable housing in Hastings County, including the Cities of Belleville and Quinte West. This includes new non-profit housing and new affordable rental housing. In the past ten (10) years, Hastings County has administered funding for the creation of 133 new affordable housing units built in the City of Belleville. Currently, there is no funding available in Hastings County through the Provincial IAH for the creation of new units in 2019/20. Through the National Housing Strategy, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation administers the Co-Investment Fund which provides opportunities for housing developers to receive pre-development and capital funding to build new units.

The new units created in the City of Belleville also include forty (40) units of affordable supportive housing being constructed under the Home for Good Program. Home for Good is a homelessness- focused program which will provide housing assistance and support services to people within the four Provincial priority homelessness areas: 1. Chronic Homelessness; 2. Youth Homelessness; 3. Indigenous Homelessness and; 4. Homelessness following transition from provincially funded institutions and service systems (prisons and hospitals).

(SEE BACKGROUNDER – INNOVATION AND TRENDS)

Homelessness Partnering Strategy

The Federal Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness by providing direct support and funding to 61 designated communities across Canada. The City of Belleville is one of the Designated Communities and Hastings County has acted as the Community Entity administrating and allocating funds under the direction of the Community Advisory Board (CAB) since 2013. The Federal government has redesigned the Federal homelessness program with the implementation of “Reaching Home” which will replace HPS beginning April 1, 2019.

As recommended by the CAB, Hastings County has allocated funding for the following initiatives under the new Reaching Home for 2019/20: 2

COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES Housing Services Phone: 613.966.1311 Postal Bag 6300, 228 Church Street Fax: 613.968.4598 Belleville, Ontario K8N 5E2 Toll Free: 1.800.267.0575

BACKGROUNDER – STAKEHOLDER PRESENTATIONS

1. Intensive Case Manager (ICM) position at the Hastings Housing Resource Centre. The ICM works with homeless individuals and those at-risk of homelessness to find permanent housing through an intensive model. 2. The Belleville Community Trust will use the funds to assist households with rent and utility arrears to help individuals and families stabilize their housing and prevent homelessness. 3. The Housing Preservation Counsellor (HPC) position at the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA-HPE). The HPC supports people with mental health issues living in CMHA’s transitional housing to move into sustainable, permanent housing.

Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative

The Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) is a Provincially-funded program aimed at preventing and ending homelessness. Hastings County has been allocated funding under CHPI to implement numerous programs in support of this aim. Supports and services are broken-down into four service categories:

1. Emergency Shelter Solutions a. Hastings After-Hours Service b. Quinte West Transitional units (emergency housing for families) c. Three Oaks Transitional Home Rent Supplement Program 2. Housing with Related Supports a. Emergency Minor Home Repair Program (provides up to $5,000 to eligible home owners for emergency repairs) b. Hastings Energy Assistance Top-Up Allowance ( runs from January to March and provides up to $250/month for additional utility costs) c. Hoarding and Infestation Remediation d. Deposit Programs: Costs associated with deposits for rental and utility accounts set- up 3. Homelessness Prevention a. Housing and Homelessness Fund (HHF): Rental and Utility arrears to prevent eviction and homelessness 4. Supports and Services a. Food Security Measures i. General Food Security issuances (cards for local grocery stores to buy food) ii. Community Develop Council food programs

COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES Housing Services Phone: 613.966.1311 Postal Bag 6300, 228 Church Street Fax: 613.968.4598 Belleville, Ontario K8N 5E2 Toll Free: 1.800.267.0575

BACKGROUNDER – STAKEHOLDER PRESENTATIONS

iii. Belleville Community Trust iv. Quinte West Community Trust v. Centre Hastings Community Trust: People helping People Program vi. North Hastings Community Trust vii. Salvation Army viii. Legion Branch 110 Breakfast Program ix. Various “Fruit to Go” programs b. Rural Transportation i. Bancroft Community Transit ii. Centre Hastings Transit c. Housing Stability i. Hastings Housing Resource Centre ii. Community Advocacy and Legal Centre: Eviction Prevention Program iii. Counselling, Housing and Maintenance Program (CHAMP)

Hastings County Housing Services Community Relations Programs

The Community and Human Services Department, through the Housing Services Program, offers support and social programming through the Community Relations Portfolio.

Hastings County Good Neighbour/Home Visitor Program: Hastings County’s Good Neighbour/Home Visitor Program is cost-shared between Hastings County and the Provincial Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Tenants that are experiencing difficulties with their Tenancy are provided assistance with support from a Home Visitor. The program supports individuals at risk of becoming homeless, provides daily living assistance, does safety check-ins, and connects people with community supports.

Backyard Bonanza Summer Day-Camp Program: Operating in the summer months, Hastings County Housing Services office administers a free summer day-camp program in partnership with the Cities of Belleville and Quinte West. The program is available to children living in social housing family properties. Children between the ages of 4 and 12 years of age can enjoy up to 8 weeks of summer camp with a variety of activities like visiting local splash pads or attending a play at Pinnacle Play House.

COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES Housing Services Phone: 613.966.1311 Postal Bag 6300, 228 Church Street Fax: 613.968.4598 Belleville, Ontario K8N 5E2 Toll Free: 1.800.267.0575

BACKGROUNDER- INNOVATION AND TRENDS

New Affordable Housing Development and HOME FOR GOOD

The new units created in the City of Belleville include forty (40) units of affordable supportive housing being constructed under the Home for Good Program. Home for Good is a homelessness- focused program which will provide housing assistance and support services to people within the four Provincial priority homelessness areas: 1. Chronic Homelessness; 2. Youth Homelessness; 3. Indigenous Homelessness and; 4. Homelessness following transition from provincially funded institutions and service systems (prisons and hospitals).

Hastings County successfully competed (through an Expression of Interest process) with 47 Service Managers across the Province of Ontario to receive funding under the Home for Good Program. Hastings County was one of twenty-two successful Service Managers.

The Home for Good Program operating component was implemented in October of 2017. Through the Operating Component six partner agencies were able to hire support staff and provide a housing allowance of $360 per month in support of clients who were homeless or at-risk of homelessness.

In addition, Hastings County received funding to construct a forty-unit supportive housing building in the City of Belleville. The cost of construction is cost-shared between the Province and Hastings County (35 units) with additional funding coming from the Social Infrastructure Fund (5 units) which is a cost-shared between the Federal Government, the Province and Hastings County. The new Home for Good building is expected to be ready for occupancy in the Fall of 2019.