Project for homeless will pay Victoria landlords rent, damage guarantee
Program guarantees landlords against damage, unpaid rent
Bill Cleverley, Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Victoria landlords will be offered rent and damage guarantees under a pilot program to try to house the chronically homeless.
Called Streets to Homes, the pilot is being funded this year through a $172,000 grant from the United Way and modelled after a similar program in Toronto.
"This program has its goal over the next two years to provide housing for 120 people. In the next three months, our goal is to get 30 people from the streets to their homes and continue to work with our partners," said Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin, co-chairman of the Coalition to End Homelessness.
Five key community organizations will co-ordinate program activities: the Open Door, Pacifica Housing, Cool Aid, the Salvation Army and Victoria Native Friendship Centre.
Fortin hopes that co-ordinating efforts to place people in homes will mean more resources are available to clients once they're off the streets.
"Whether they come through Pacifica, Cool Aid, Open Door or the Native Friendship Centre -- any of our community partners -- the assessment is there and we provide those supports," Fortin said
Streets to Homes will ensure that landlords will have someone to call at any time if they have problems with clients. And any damage made to property will be looked after, said coalition co-chairman Tony Joe.
Jill Clements, the coalition CEO, said negotiations with property owners to find rental units will begin immediately. The coalition also hopes to improve the level of follow-up with clients.
"Right now, we house people and we don't have enough resources to be able to sustain people in those units. So that's another big shift," Clements said.
Emergency contacts, rent supplements and/or guarantees of covering the cost of damage or a missed rent payment are some of the carrots that will be offered to landlords.
"We're hoping we can access at least 120 [units] in the first instance and maintain them over time, so we can address their issues of vacancy loss and our issues of vacancy need," Clements said.
Alan Campbell, director of mental health and addictions for the Vancouver Island Health Authority, said Streets to Homes makes sense.
"Housing first [and] supports with that -- and we should see a terrific change in our community," Campbell said.
Ann Moskow, chairwoman of the United Way of Victoria, said the grant meets priorities spelled out by United Way donors.
"Our donors have told us that two of their top priorities are mental health and addictions and homelessness. Of course, homelessness and mental health and addictions certainly go together, but it's not an easy issue to address," Moskow said.
bcleverley@tc.canwest.com
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