Regional staff ask councillors to approve plan to end chronic homelessness

After more than a year of work, Region of Waterloo staff are getting ready to present councillors with a plan to end chronic homelessness in the region by 2030.

Staff began development of the Plan to End Chronic Homelessness (PECH) in early 2023.

The 90-page report, titled Navigating Complexity Together: A Roadmap to Functional Zero by 2030, will be presented at a council committee meeting for approval on Tuesday. More than 40 community organizations were involved in it’s creation.

Homelessness in Waterloo Region

The number of people experiencing chronic homeless in Waterloo Region is unprecedented and has more than doubled since 2020, increasing at an average rate of 28 per cent per year, according to the report.

Homelessness in Waterloo Region is set to triple by 2028 if this trend continues.

As of February 2024, there were 558 people on the region’s Prioritized Access to Housing Supports (PATHS) list, a by-name list of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. On average, those on the list had been without permanent and safe housing for 3 years and 8 months.

Indigenous people are overrepresented among those experiencing chronic homelessness in Waterloo Region – making up 12 per cent of the PATHS list, but only 1.7 per cent of the total local population.

Youth homelessness appears to be on the rise with youth shelters frequently at capacity with people as young as 12-years-old, the report said.

Focus areas and actions

The plan outlines seven strategic focus areas that are said to emphasize preventative strategies in addressing homelessness. The focus areas include things like creating policy and system accountability, building system bridges and changing the narrative on housing and homelessness.

The report mentions the importance of key actions like the implementation of an “all community approach” to create an integrated sustainable ecosystem across the Housing Stability System and community as a whole. It also recommends looking for surplus and underutilized land to create more housing.

Investment plan

The region will spend more than $245 million on affordable housing and homelessness in 2024, with $56 million, or 23 per cent, directed towards homelessness and supportive housing programs.

The report points to existing investment. Between 2019 and 2024, the region increased municipal tax levy and reserve spending on housing and homelessness from $42 million to approximately $99 million.

But it says more needs to be done to end chronic homelessness in Waterloo Region.

“The Plan to End Chronic Homelessness sets out to shift the collective focus towards permanent housing outcomes and upstream interventions so the significant investments being made into the system have a greater return on investment and, most importantly, create permanent housing outcomes for the most vulnerable residents of Waterloo Region,” the report reads.

It estimates $110 million in capital spending will be needed for emergency shelter, transitional housing and supportive housing, plus operating budget increases of around $5 million to $8 million for the next six years.

The Working Centre

The Working Centre works closely with those who are experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region.

Joe Mancini, the organization’s director, told CTV News the report is a good step in the right direction but admitted the plan should have a bigger focus on specialized shelters and housing.

“So many individuals are dealing with mental health issues, addiction issues, deep frustration of being left out of the system,” he explained. “The lack of meaningful work to participate in society means that there's so much work around reconnecting people. And the only way to do that is through different kinds of alternative shelters.”

Mancini believes there needs to be new supports, as those who are experiencing homelessness are not going to fit into “regular housing.”

“And that’s true across the province – not just in the region,” Mancini added.

Next steps

The report said this is just the beginning of a “renewed collective focus to create homes for all”.

Later this year, staff are looking to develop a funding, capital financing and advocacy strategy that will be included in the preliminary 2025 budget. It is said to include the tax levy funding, financial support from community partners and any other subsidies secured from senior levels of government.

Regional staff will be asking councillors to approve the plan next week. CTV News reached out the region for comment but a spokesperson said staff would not be speaking ahead of the meeting.