Community Action Plan for the Gander & Area Community Advisory Board (CAB)
Prepared by:
Goss Gilroy Inc.
Management Consultants
401 Empire Avenue
St. John’s, NL
A1E 1W6
Tel: 754-2065
Fax: 754-6303
www.ggi.ca
For further information please contact:
NL Housing & Homelessness Network
435 Blackmarsh Road
St. John’s, NL, A1E 1T7
Tel: (709)-753-2000
Cell: (709) 691-7570
www.nlhhn.org
April, 2013
The path to wellness is finding suitable accommodation. (Service provider)
“People should have a decent and affordable place to live…it is difficult to live a good life when you don’t have suitable housing. “ (Person who experienced homelessness)
Vulnerability can cross all groups – if you do not have supports behind you then it increases your exclusion. (Service provider)
List of Acronyms
AES / Advanced Education and Skills
AHI / Affordable Housing Initiative
CAB / Community Advisory Board
CEYS / Career Employment and Youth Services
CHHN / Central Housing and Homelessness Network
Choices / Choices for Youth
CMHC / Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
CMA / Census Metropolitan Area
CYN / Community Youth Network
FRC / Family Resource Centre
GNWV-RS / Gander-New-Wes-Valley Rural Secretariat
HPS / Homelessness Partnering Strategy
HSW / Housing Support Worker
LSW / Liaison Social Worker
MFRC / Military Family Resource Centre
MLS / Multiple Listing Service
NLHHN / Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and Homelessness Network
NL / Newfoundland and Labrador
NL Housing / Newfoundland and Labrador Housing
NLSA / Newfoundland and Labrador Statistics Agency
PHF / Provincial Homelessness Fund
SA / Salvation Army
THANL / Transition House Association of NL
WISE / Women in Successful Employment
Table of Contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
2.0 METHODOLOGY 1
2.1 Planning session 2
2.1.1 Defining the region 2
2.1.2 Preliminary identification of priority populations 2
2.1.3 Identification of key informants 3
2.1.4 Individual “mini” case studies with people who are at risk of, have experienced or are experiencing homelessness 4
2.2 Data Collection 5
2.2.1 Statistics Canada/Community Accounts 5
2.2.2 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) 5
2.2.3 Advanced Education and Skills (AES) 6
2.2.4 Newfoundland Labrador Housing 6
2.2.5 Evangel Pentecostal Church 6
2.2.6 The Salvation Army Gander 6
2.2.7 Transition House Association of Newfoundland & Labrador (THANL) 7
2.2.8 Women’s Centres 7
2.2.9 Choices for Youth (Choices) 8
2.2.10 Naomi Centre (Stella’s Circle) 8
2.2.11 RCMP – Gander Detachment 8
2.2.12 Other Data Sources 9
2.3 Limitation to the research 9
FINDINGS 9
3.0 PROFILE OF THE GANDER REGION 9
3.1 Population and demographics 10
3.2 Self-Reliance Ratio 10
3.2.1 Market Income and Sources 10
3.2.2 Government Transfer Income 11
3.3 Income Support 11
3.4 Highest Level of Education 12
3.5 Employment Insurance 13
4.0 ASSET MAPPING 13
4.1 Expansion of Assets in the Region 19
5.0 HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING INSTABILITY IN THE GANDER REGION 19
5.1 Lack of emergency shelter/transitional housing 20
5.2 Access to basic needs/poverty 21
5.3 Individuals with complex needs 23
5.4 Youth – in particular, young men with complex needs 25
5.5 Single parents 27
5.6 Seniors 28
5.7 Persons with disabilities 29
5.8 Lack of supports/awareness of supports 29
5.9 AES/Income Support 30
5.10 Social housing 31
5.11 Rental properties/substandard properties 32
5.12 Employment 32
5.13 Transportation 34
6.0 AFFORDABLE HOUSING 34
6.1 Core housing need 35
6.1.1 National context 36
6.1.2 Provincial context 36
6.1.3 Gander region 37
7.0 PERSPECTIVES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE GANDER REGION 38
7.1 Definition of “affordable” housing 38
7.2 What does “affordable” housing mean in the Gander region? 38
7.3 The need for affordable housing in the Gander region 39
7.3.1 Male youth 39
7.3.2 Female youth 39
7.3.3 Women 40
7.4 Affordable housing options in the Gander region 42
7.4.1 NL Housing 42
7.4.2 NL Housing Waitlists 43
7.4.3 AHI units in the Gander region (as defined by the Gander CAB) 43
7.5 What is needed for the Gander region? 44
8.0 COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO ADDRESS HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS IN THE GANDER REGION 45
9.0 MUNICIPAL ENGAGEMENT 47
10.0 PROFILE OF HOMELESSNESS 48
11.0 STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS 49
11.1 Supporting individuals with complex needs in particular young males <30. 50
11.2 Emergency/Transitional housing 51
11.3 Affordable housing 52
11.4 Data collection 55
11.5 Raise awareness of housing and homelessness 56
12.0 CONCLUSION 56
APPENDIX “A” – Gander CAB Pre-Planning Session Agenda 57
APPENDIX “B” – Key Informant Guides 60
APPENDIX “C” – Individual “mini” case study guide 66
APPENDIX “D” – Web Links for CMHC Publications and Sites 68
APPENDIX “E” – Housing Support Worker: Job Description 70
APPENDIX “F” - Affordable Housing Initiative 73
APPENDIX “G” – Affordable Housing Units in the Gander Region 76
Goss Gilroy, Inc. / 371.0 INTRODUCTION
This report is provided in completion of a contract between Goss Gilroy Inc. (GGI) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and Homelessness Network (NLHHN) to develop a community action plan for the Gander and Area Community Advisory Board (“Gander CAB”), in collaboration with critical stakeholders and partners. This plan will be the foundation for forward movement on identified priority areas in relation to housing instability and homelessness in the region. Two other components of this contract – development of a communications strategy for the Gander CAB and a toolkit which would provide a template/guide for facilitating action planning for new and emerging CABs in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) – are provided in separate documents.
This report also provides information on the extent and nature of homelessness and housing instability in the Gander and Area region (“Gander region”), with a focus on the following priority populations, as identified by the CAB and its partners/supporters at a planning meeting held in advance of the research:
§ Individuals with complex needs, in particular male youth <30
§ Single parents
§ Seniors
These priorities were further explored during the information gathering phase of the research. As well, perspectives on other priorities for this region were sought.
Finally, this report provides several strategic directions for the Gander CAB to consider in its efforts to address the housing and homelessness issues facing their region.
The research for this report was undertaken in the Fall of 2012.
2.0 METHODOLOGY
This study used several methodologies including:
§ Planning session undertaken in advance of the regional research
§ Key informant interviews
§ Individual “mini” case studies
§ Data collection and analysis
Each methodology is explained in more detail below.
2.1 Planning session
On October 16, 2012, a planning session was held with available members of the Gander CAB including for example, representatives from the Department of Advanced Education and Skills (AES) and local community based employment, disability, youth and/or women’s organizations, as well as faith groups. Representatives of a number of the Gander CAB’s partners/supporters (e.g. the Regional Coordinating Committee on Violence, Central Health), as well as the Executive Director of the NLHHN also were in attendance. The session was facilitated by the project manager from GGI.
A number of methodological issues were discussed at this session (see the pre-planning session agenda found in Appendix “A”). These included preliminary identification of the priority populations in the region who are experiencing housing instability and homelessness, defining the scope of the region on which the research was to focus, identification of potential key informants, and sources for data collection.
2.1.1 Defining the region
The geographic area covered by the Gander CAB is the Gander-New-Wes-Valley Region of the Rural Secretariat (GNWV-RS Region), which spans from Terra Nova National Park in the East to Lewisporte in the West and includes a hundred plus coastal communities in between. During the pre-planning session, it was identified that it would be important to try and capture views of informants across the region, as possible.
2.1.2 Preliminary identification of priority populations
A key focus of this planning session was seeking perspectives on the nature and scope of housing instability and homelessness identified to date in the Gander region, based on what the planning session participants had seen/addressed in their work, their volunteer efforts and/or research. A discussion was held on the root causes of homelessness/housing instability, assets to address the identified issues/areas and related gaps, and the priority areas for action. This meeting also included a discussion on how to raise the profile of homelessness in the region and how to better engage municipalities in the region in addressing housing instability and homelessness.
At this preliminary stage of the research process, participants identified the following populations as priorities due to the lack of services to meet their needs and their increased risk of housing instability and homelessness:
§ Individuals with complex needs, in particular male youth <30.
§ Single parents
§ Seniors
2.1.3 Identification of key informants
Participants at the planning session were asked to identify community and government service providers and stakeholders who could best inform the extent and nature of homelessness and housing instability in the Gander region, with a focus on the priority populations identified in section 2.1.2. It was anticipated that these informants also would have the knowledge and backgrounds to identify housing and homelessness concerns, which were not priorized at the initial planning meeting.
It was suggested to participants that key informants be drawn, as relevant and practical, from a range of potential informant groups including:
§ Provincial government
§ Municipal governments
§ Community based service providers
§ Faith groups
§ Local youth groups
§ Local housing providers
In consultation with the planning day participants, both during and in the weeks following the planning session, 19 key informants were identified. Interviews were completed with 13 of those identified, including one or more representatives of the following:
§ Advanced Education and Skills (AES)
§ Gander CAB
§ Central Health
§ Faith groups
§ Community Youth Network (CYN)
§ Family Resource Centre (FRC)
§ RCMP
§ Women’s organizations
§ Central Housing and Homelessness Network (CHHN)
Of note, in addition to the 13 key informant interviews completed for the research, the interview guide was sent to three other key informants at their request to complete on their own or to be forwarded onto a more appropriate informant. No information was forthcoming from these three informants, two of whom identified that they were not aware there was a problem with housing instability and homelessness in the region.
The majority of those interviewed were current or past CAB members. Two other informants were involved with the CHHN. Most informants were working with community/government providers which were serving participants/clients who were experiencing housing instability and homelessness.
The key informant guides are found in Appendix “B”. Note: all key informant guides (including those used with individuals experiencing homelessness – see section 2.1.4) were vetted by the Gander CAB.
The Town of Gander
As the information gathering progressed, it became apparent that it would be helpful to consult with members of the Town Council in Gander. Information was sought from Council members via e-mail with one response received. One of the Council members participated in a telephone interview. The key informant guide used for these consultations also is found in Appendix “B”.
2.1.4 Individual “mini” case studies with people who are at risk of, have experienced or are experiencing homelessness
The second key informant group included those who are at risk of, have experienced, or are experiencing homelessness. Planning day participants, as well as members of the Gander CAB who could not attend the day, were asked to identify and connect the consultants to four representatives of this informant group who, as possible, also fit their priority populations.
The focus of the individual “mini” case studies was on gathering in-depth information on the lived experience of those experiencing/facing homelessness, the extent to which their needs were being met, any service gaps in meeting their needs, as well as their suggestions for how these gaps could best be filled.
Individuals who agreed to participate were not required to provide their names to the consultants and were interviewed via telephone. An honorarium was provided to each individual who participated.
Six informants were identified and interviewed including three women: two older married women, one of whom has grown children and a younger single mother. Two of the women have limited education while the other has completed some community based employment programming. None of the women are currently working due to health issues, age and/or disability, and all are receiving Income Support.
Three young single men (all in their 20s) were interviewed, including two who had identified as cycling in and out of the foster care system. Two of the men had limited education, a diagnosed mental illness, and were in receipt of Income Support. The third informant had some post-secondary education and had been working steadily in a trade for a few years.
The individual “mini” case study guide is found in Appendix “C”.
2.2 Data Collection
Participants in the pre-planning session, and the Gander CAB members unable to attend this session, were asked if they could identify and/or provide any data which could inform the extent of housing instability and homelessness in the region, in particular that which spoke to the experiences of the priority populations. Data was subsequently received from The Salvation Army (SA) Gander, the Gander Women’s Centre, the regional AES office, Cara Transition House and the Evangel Pentecostal Church.
Information also was sought from a range of other community and governmental sources.
2.2.1 Statistics Canada/Community Accounts
Relevant information was drawn from the most recent data available from Statistics Canada and the NL Statistics Agency’s (NLSA) Community Accounts to develop a profile of Gander including, but not limited to the following information:
§ Demographics
§ Income
§ Education
§ Employment/self-reliance
§ Housing type and prevalence
2.2.2 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
Information also was drawn from the most recent relevant CMHC publications and websites including:
§ Canadian Housing Observer - with a feature on Affordable Housing, 2009
§ Canadian Housing Observer - with a feature on Housing Finance, 2011