DATE: June 6, 2018 REPORT NO. HHS Social Assistance & Homelessness Services 1.0 TYPE OF REPORT CONSENT ITEM [ X ] ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION [ ]

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1 DATE: June 6, 2018 REPORT NO. HHS TO: FROM: PREPARED BY: Chair and Members Social Services Committee Jo Atanas, General Manager Health & Human Services Becky Lala, Manager Social Assistance & Homelessness Services 1.0 TYPE OF REPORT CONSENT ITEM [ X ] ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION [ ] 2.0 TOPIC Results of the Brantford/Brant Joint Point in Time (PiT) & Registry Week Counts [Financial Impact - $0] (HHS ) 3.0 RECOMMENDATION THAT report HHS about the results of the Brantford/Brant Joint Point in Time Count (PiT) & Registry Week Counts BE RECEIVED. 4.0 PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to update Social Services Committee on the results of the Brantford/Brant Joint Point in Time (PiT) & Registry Week Count of homeless people in the City of Brantford and County of Brant which took place on March 19, Health & Human Services 220 Colborne Street, P.O. Box 845 Brantford, ON N3T 5R7 Phone Fax:

2 Report No. HHS Date: June 6, 2018 Page BACKGROUND Report PHSSS , Point in Time (PiT) Count of Homeless People, informed Committee of the first PiT event for Brantford/Brant in 2016 and report PHSSS , Point in Time (PiT) Count Results, provided the findings from that event. In March and April of 2018, individuals experiencing homelessness were counted in 62 communities across the country. The coordinated effort helps to create a picture of homelessness in communities across Canada. The Brantford/Brant County PiT Count received $40, in funding from Service Canada s Homelessness Partnering Strategy. The project was completed in partnership with Brantford Native Housing, which administered the grant. The announcement and details for this biannual event for Brantford/Brant was communicated through a Media Release to Council on March 1, Brantford Native Housing and Brantford Aboriginal Homelessness Alliance (BAHA), in association with The City of Brantford and the Community Advisory Board conducted Brantford and Brant County s second Point-in-Time (PiT) Homelessness Count. This year s event also included a Registry Week component that will lead to the creation of a community by-name list of those experiencing homelessness. A PiT Count is a census of both sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness at the time of the count. This survey is anonymous. Registry Week can be done over one night (as it was in Brantford/Brant) or over the course of one week. It is a coordinated outreach and triage assessment process to develop actionable data on every person experiencing homelessness (this tool is not anonymous). The data was collected through a second survey, is actionable by the community, and is not reported to the Federal government, allowing the PiT count data to remain anonymous. While the PiT Count was completed in 2016, 2018 is the first year in which both a PiT Count and Registry Week were completed. Combined, these counts will indicate the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness in our community and indicate individual and family acuity of need for housing across the community. The Joint PiT & Registry Week Count will improve our understanding of the needs and circumstances of the people who are affected by homelessness in our community. This year s survey will also help to identify hidden homelessness, such as people staying temporarily with friends that were not previously included in the last PiT Count.

3 Report No. HHS Date: June 6, 2018 Page CORPORATE POLICY CONTEXT High Quality Of Life & Caring For All Citizens - Brantford will be recognized as a safe and healthy community one that promotes and enables the well-being of its citizens, and supports access of all citizens to a full range of health and community services. Examine the feasibility of proceeding with initiatives to enhance accessible community health and wellness. Excellence in Governance & Municipal Management - Brantford will be recognized as a fiscally responsible and wellmanaged city that provides efficient and effective government services. 7.0 INPUT FROM OTHER SOURCES The results of the Joint PiT & Registry Count and the reports from the Indigenous Engagement Coordinator and PiT Count Coordinator were consulted for the development of this report. On October 9, 2013 the Brantford-Brant Ten Year Housing Stability Plan (BBHSP) for the period from 2014 to 2024 was approved by Council. This plan includes recommendations and goals concerning homelessness programming and funding. The Joint PiT & Registry Week Count will support the following recommendations of the BBHSP: 5.1 Continue efforts to increase awareness of homelessness and housing options across the housing continuum; and 5.6 Advocate for a National Housing Strategy, and advocate to provincial and federal levels of government to adequately fund new affordable housing development, asset rehabilitation and long term resident support programs (i.e. rent supplement programs). Additional resources include: Everyone Counts-Homelessness Partnering Strategy Coordinated PiT Count Ontario s Homeless Enumeration Approach 20K Homes-Registry Week Toolkit Brantford/Brant s Results-PiT Count Report

4 Report No. HHS Date: June 6, 2018 Page ANALYSIS 8.1 The Event 86 Volunteers 9 Shelters & Transitional Houses 22 Community Partners 40 Mapped Routes PiT Count Process & Methodology Volunteers 86 Volunteers participated in this year s event (compared to 55 in 2016) as: Survey Team Leads (those with a social work, human services, or homelessness background) Survey Teams (teams of 3 included a Team Lead), Specialized Teams (included those with a mental health and homelessness background who surveyed spaces that are not meant for habitation), Response Teams (included the City of Brantford s Housing Resource Centre Representatives as well as mental health and addictions workers from our community who were dispatched to respond to individuals/families requiring non-emergency homelessness assistance), or Event Teams (setting up the magnet event). This year s event attracted many City of Brantford staff volunteers from across Health & Human Services, Corporate Services and Planning. The majority of Survey Teams were led by Health & Human Services staff with a background in homelessness and supporting vulnerable populations who also participated on Specialized, Response and Survey teams. We were also very fortunate to have community members, community partner staff and Laurier students taking part in this event. A volunteer appreciation event was planned for and attended by volunteers, participating community agencies/partners and their families at Boston Pizza following the event. Preliminary findings from the PiT survey were provided to this group of attendees.

5 Report No. HHS Date: June 6, 2018 Page 5 Training Eight (8) in class training sessions were facilitated to all volunteers with the exception of Event Teams. Volunteers also completed an online elearning component to be able to administer the VI-SPDAT. In class training session included: An overview of PiT & Registry Week s purpose and logistics Definitions, statistics and causes of homelessness Indigenous Culture & Culture Awareness Videos, discussion and activities that heightened awareness and understanding of homelessness in Canada and in our community. Enumeration Event The Count took place as scheduled on March 19, 2018 and was very successful in reaching our homelessness population. Community partners participated in supporting the event by completing surveys at 9 shelters as well as at the St. Andrew s Soup for the Soul program. This year, Survey Teams worked with hotel/motel owners to survey hotel/motel guests staying at Brantford and Paris hotels. Community volunteers from both the City and County participated by walking and driving to remote areas across the County in areas known to be frequented by homeless individuals to administer surveys. Survey teams targeted 40 areas in the City and County. Police were consulted and supported the Count with a higher presence in areas to be enumerated and escorted one team through remote and rough areas in Paris parks, forests, etc. Surveys Completion of the surveys were voluntary and while the PiT survey contained no personal identifying information, a common triage assessment known as the VI- SPDAT (Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision Assessment Tool) was completed separately that identified an individual or family s names and experiences. Furthermore, respondents could decline to answer any specific questions and/or decline to take part in the VI-SPDAT assessment. Honoraria Individuals who identified as homeless and completed the PiT survey received $5.00 cash and were provided with a care package that included personal hygiene items, food, clothing and service information. Community agency donations were very generous which allowed for over 150 care packages to be distributed and 41 door prizes/raffle items to be given out to magnet event attendees and as a thank you to volunteers. Two ride transit B-Cards were provided to survey respondents to transport them to the magnet event, shelters, healthcare providers, etc. Anyone approached to complete the surveys was offered a gift of a tobacco tie as a thank you for time spent with the volunteer.

6 Report No. HHS Date: June 6, 2018 Page 6 Magnet Event An Indigenous focused Magnet Event was held to attract people experiencing homelessness with arranged transportation services to transport people to and from the event from the City, County and Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. The event was held again this year on the lower floor of Market Square mall. A community meal was provided in the Haudenosaunee tradition, with a traditional opening and closing as well as music and dancing. Over 22 community agencies/service providers set up information tables/services stations at the event providing haircuts, vision and hearing screening, chiropractic care, smudging and more. The event was well attended and services were utilized with the haircut stations being especially popular with attendees. Reporting Version three of Homeless Individuals & Families Information System (HIFIS) federal software program was used to compile data that generated automatic reports uploaded to Service Canada and to Ministry of Housing. Plans are underway to adopt HIFIS 4 as a common database to be used by the City of Brantford as well as by Emergency Shelters and Housing with Related Support providers. A centralized database will lead to the creation and management of a community by-name list used to serve Brantford/Brant individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Results from the PiT Count are available to the public and will be used to improve our response to homelessness. Completing successive counts every two years will allow us to measure progress towards our ultimate goal of ending homelessness in Brantford and Brant County Results 134 PiT Surveys Completed 74 VI-SPDAT Surveys Completed 52 Others Observed Homeless 186 People at Minimum Homeless Joint PiT and Registry Week Count results are available through the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) software program. Communities are able to extract aggregate data from this system in order to analyze, examine trends, make comparisons from prior PiT Counts, etc. The PiT Count Report (Appendix A ) and PiT Count Results Infograph (Appendix B ) provide early results from the Joint 2018 Brantford/Brant PiT & Registry Week Count. HIFIS technical support continues to work with us to ensure accuracy of data input, coding and report extraction and more robust data will be available within the next several months This will allow staff to identify such factors as the level of chronic homelessness.

7 Report No. HHS Date: June 6, 2018 Page 7 Highlighted results from this year's count include: 54% were temporarily living in system supported housing (i.e. shelters and transitional housing) 69% were in receipt of OW or ODSP 35% Indigenous 9% Immigrants/Refugees Overall, the 2018 PiT count results tell a similar story that 2016 did about Brantford/Brant s homeless population. The majority are adult males between the ages of 25-64, overrepresented by those of Indigenous ancestry, receiving social assistance, living in temporary housing or shelters who have likely experienced multiple factors that have led to housing loss. These results from the individuals and families depicted above will again be used to influence changes and spark community partnerships to deliver meaningful internal and external homelessness programs and services. Comparison of Results from 2016 This section will focus on comparative factors that influenced changes from the 2016 and 2018 PiT Counts. Findings are discussed below. Response Rates Sheltered Survey Results This year, sheltered respondents were surveyed at a total of 9 shelters and transitional housing providers. Some of these providers began their count in the morning of March 19 th which impacted an increased capacity to reach this population. One of the shelter providers distributed the honoraria and care packages to their clients/residents early that day. As a result, word got out about the honoraria and this increased the number of individuals at the magnet event later that evening who requested to be part of the count (surveys completed at the magnet event were included as part of the unsheltered survey count). Shelter occupancy was lower on the PiT count day in 2018 compared with 2016, which contributed to the -19% variance of sheltered surveys completed this year. The 2016 results also included a count of hospital and hotel/motel stays which were counted separately and not included as part of the shelter surveys in the 2018 PiT Count results (11% hotel/motel stays and 3% hospital). Unsheltered Survey Results It is important to note the change in weather from the count done in April in 2016 to the count done in March 2018 as it was much colder and therefore arguably harder to encounter people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.

8 Report No. HHS Date: June 6, 2018 Page 8 There was however an increase in unsheltered surveys completed this year by +19% which can be explained by an increase in the number of survey teams and the opportunity to cover 22 additional routes both on foot and by vehicle, which greatly improved the ability to survey people in unsheltered locations. This year, teams were able to survey individuals and families staying temporarily in hotels. This population was included in a sheltered count in 2016, but not surveyed. Factor Change # of Surveys Completed % % of Sheltered Surveys Completed 76% 57% -19% % of Unsheltered Surveys Completed 24% 43% 19% # of Survey Teams % # of Mapped Routes % Population/Demographic Changes Analyzing proportions of the population makes it difficult to interpret what is causing the difference in population groups, since a decrease in the proportion from one population will cause an increase in another, all things being equal. This year s count showed little variation (+/- 3%) between age and Indigenous groups surveyed in 2016, however a marked difference of +6% of respondents this year identified as refugee/immigrants (9% compared to 3% in 2016). Enumeration was not conducted on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve, however an Indigenous focussed magnet event with transportation provided assisted us in being able to reach into the Indigenous homeless population. An increased focus on Youth this year improved our ability to reach out to that population at Youth focussed agencies including Why Not Youth Centre. An additional 6 Youth were surveyed this year as a result. Brantford/Brant s population grew a total of 3.8% from 2011 to Estimating an annual increase of 0.76% year over year since 2016 may bring Brantford/Brant s population from 134,203 in 2016 to a possible 136,250 in Updated census information will provide details of whether the refugee/immigrant population has contributed to this population growth.

9 Report No. HHS Date: June 6, 2018 Page 9 Factor Change 0.76% Brantford/Brant Population 134, ,250 (estimated) (estimated annually from growth rate) Unemployment Rate 6.9% 6.7% -0.2% % of Homeless Individuals who are Youth 10% 11% 2% % of Homeless Individuals identifying as Indigenous 38% 35% -3% % of Homeless Individuals who are Seniors 8% 8% 0% % of Homeless Individuals who are Refugees/Immigrants 3% 9% 6% Economic Context Housing Availability and Cost Changes in the economic context in Brantford/Brant will affect the numbers, including reduction of occupancy rates and increase in rental costs, making it increasingly more difficult to find affordable housing. Additionally, Brantford saw a minimal change to unemployment rates between 2016 and Factor Change Unemployment Rate 6.9% 6.7% -0.2% Occupancy Rate-1 bedroom 1.6% 1.2% -0.4% Occupancy Rate-2 bedroom 2.2% 1.3% -0.9% Average Cost of Rent-1 $833 $867 4% bedroom Average Cost of Rent- 2bedroom $908 $955 5% What This Means While more in-depth analysis of Brantford/Brant s Joint PiT Registry Week data is needed, preliminary results indicate a need for: Early intervention/prevention family support programs to address family conflict and those fleeing domestic violence which account for 36% (and the main reasons) for those experiencing homelessness in our community. Indigenous and cultural focussed programs and services to support our Indigenous community which is overrepresented, accounting for one third of our homeless population and to support the growing number of immigrants and refugees within Brantford/Brant. Establishing safe and affordable housing for our Brantford/Brant residents as 30% of PiT survey respondents indicated lack of safe and affordable housing conditions as reasons for housing loss. Increased connection with community members (homeless or housed) to

10 Report No. HHS Date: June 6, 2018 Page 10 increase people s awareness and access to all available income sources (i.e. GST Refund, Child Tax and Seniors benefits), free income tax clinics/services, skill building and learning opportunities. Although Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Supports Program are the main sources of income, there are several other income sources/benefits that may not be accessed by our homeless population (13% of survey respondents indicated that they received no income). Homelessness Initiatives Beginning this summer, the City of Brantford will work with Wesley Urban Ministries through the provincially funded Home for Good initiative to deliver enhanced/expanded supportive housing programs (22% of PiT survey respondents indicated they experience addiction/mental health issues) intended to rapidly rehouse and provide supports to our most vulnerable individuals and families in order to reduce chronic and episodic homelessness. Chronic homelessness is defined as those who have been homeless for more than 6 months within the last year and episodic homelessness describes those who have experienced three or more episodes of homelessness within the last year. The results from the 2016 PiT Count, combined with ongoing City of Brantford homelessness performance indicators have influenced internal program and service decisions including (but not limited to): allocation of staffing resources to Housing Resource Centre programs a focus on housing first philosophy and program model, and creation of the Home Support Worker program for Youth Ongoing PiT counts will identify changes in chronic homelessness within the context of how many people have been housed from the chronic population since the last count and can be used to evaluate the impact of local initiatives. 9.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS The recommendation does not impact the City s budget. The PiT Count is funded by the Federal Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) and supported by the Community Homelessness Partnering Initiative (CHPI) to cover the cost of Health & Human Services staff resources for this event CONCLUSION The Point in Time Count was sponsored by the Federal government and was supported by the Provincial government. The Joint PiT Count & Registry Week presents an opportunity to apply the knowledge and information garnered to develop targeted and effective programming that addresses the identified needs of homeless individuals and families. Findings will be used to:

11 Report No. HHS Date: June 6, 2018 Page 11 Understand our local context o Identify subpopulations, map the problem and identify key issues Track progress o Measure against baseline set in 2016 and identify trends Support local planning o Establish, measure and evaluate community priorities o Prompt program evaluations and service mapping Engage the public o Report out and hold community forums/focus groups Enhance understanding of homelessness at a national level o Aggregate data from national, regional and local levels As outlined in this report, Health & Human Services will continue to work with community partners to enhance programming in response to trends, create an active by-name list of our homeless population and report on progress. Together, City Staff and Brantford Brant Emergency Shelter and Housing with Related Supports' (domiciliary hostels) Providers have adopted a community vision to end homelessness and have set common goals and objectives to serve our homeless community. Work will continue with community partners to pursue the development of a comprehensive homelessness action plan. Becky Lala, Manager Social Assistance & Homelessness Services Jo Cupoli-Atanas, General Manager Health & Human Services Attachments: Appendix A Point in Time Count Report Appendix B 2018 Point in Time Count Results-Infograph Appendix C - Joint PiT & Registry Week Count Media Release Appendix D - Joint PiT & Registry Week Count Poster Appendix E Brantford/Brant Shelter Provider System Vision Copy: N/A In adopting this report, is a by-law or agreement required? If so, it should be referenced in the recommendation section. By-law required [ ] yes [ X ] no Agreement(s) or other documents to be signed by Mayor and/or City Clerk [ ] yes [ X ] no Is the necessary by-law or agreement being sent concurrently to Council? [ ] yes [ X ] no

12 Key Demographics N % Surveyed Gender Male Female Others Unclear / Blank Response Veteran / RCMP Yes No Don't know Indigenous Indicator Yes No Don't know Immigrant / Refugee Yes No Age Category Child Youth Adult Senior Non-Surveyed Dependent Child Male Female % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % April 20, :03:03 Page 1 of 22

13 .C Where Sleeping Tonight N % 134 Own Apartment / House Someone else's Place % Motel / Hotel % Hospital, Jail, Prison, Remand Centre Emergency Shelter, Domestic Violence Shelter % Transitional Shelter / Housing % Public Space (e.g., Sidewalks, Squares, Parks, Forests, Bus Shelter) % Vehicle (Car, Van, RV, Truck) % Makeshift Shelter, Tent or Shack Abandoned / Vacant Building Other Location Unfit for Human Habitation % Respondent Doesn't Know [Likely Homeless] % April 20, :03:03 Page 2 of 22

14 01 Family Members N % 134 Yes % No % Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response % April 20, :03:03 Page 3 of 22

15 02 Age N % 134 Answered % Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response April 20, :03:03 Page 4 of 22

16 03 Homeless at Age... N % 134 Answered % Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response % April 20, :03:03 Page 5 of 22

17 04 Cumulative Homelessness N % 134 Answered % Don't Know % Unclear / Blank Response % April 20, :03:04 Page 6 of 22

18 05 Episodes N % 134 Answered % Don't Know % Unclear / Blank Response % April 20, :03:04 Page 7 of 22

19 06 Emergency Shelter Stays N % 134 Yes % No % Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response April 20, :03:04 Page 8 of 22

20 07 How long been in Community N % 134 Length of Time % Always been Here Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response % April 20, :03:04 Page 9 of 22

21 08 Immigrant / Refugee N % 134 Yes, Immigrant % Yes, Refugee Yes, Refugee Claimant % No % Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response April 20, :03:04 Page 10 of 22

22 08b How Long? N % 134 Answered % Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response % April 20, :03:04 Page 11 of 22

23 08c Citizenship N % 1 Canadian Citizen Permanent Resident % Refugee Claimant Temporary Foreign Worker International Student Other (specify) Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response April 20, :03:04 Page 12 of 22

24 09 Indigenous Indicator N % 134 First Nations (with or without Status) % Inuit Métis % Have Indigenous Ancestry % Not Indigenous % Don't Know % % Unclear / Blank Response April 20, :03:04 Page 13 of 22

25 10 Veteran Indicator N % 134 Yes, Military % Yes, RCMP No % Don't Know % Unclear / Blank Response April 20, :03:04 Page 14 of 22

26 11 Gender - Self-Identified N % 134 Male / Man % Female / Woman % Trans Female / Trans Woman Trans Male / Trans Man Two-Spirit Genderqueer / Gender non-conforming % Other (specify) % Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response % April 20, :03:04 Page 15 of 22

27 12 Sexual Orientation N % 134 Straight / Heterosexual % Gay % Lesbian Bisexual % Two-Spirit Questioning Queer Other (specify) % Don't Know % % Unclear / Blank Response April 20, :03:04 Page 16 of 22

28 13 Reasons for Housing Loss N % Answered - Illness or Medical Condition - Addiction or Substance Use - Job Loss - Unable to Pay Rent or Mortgage - Experienced Abuse by: Spouse / Partner - Experienced Abuse by: Parent / Guardian - Conflict with: Spouse / Partner - Conflict with: Parent / Guardian - Incarcerated (Jail or Prison) - Hospitalization or Treatment Program - Unsafe Housing Conditions - Other Reason For Loss Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response % % % % % % % % % % % % % % April 20, :03:04 Page 17 of 22

29 14 Sources of Income N % Yes No - Employment - Informal / Self-Employment (e.g., Bottle Returns, Panhandling) - Employment Insurance - Welfare / Social Assistance - Disability Benefit - Seniors Benefits (e.g., CPP/OAS/GIS) - Child and Family Tax Benefits - Money from Family / Friends - GST Refund - Other Source Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response % % % % % % % % % % % % % April 20, :03:04 Page 18 of 22

30 Tally Sheet: Reason Not Surveyed N % 325 Already Responded % Declined % Screened Out % Observed % Not Screened April 20, :03:04 Page 19 of 22

31 Tally Sheet: Screened Out (Res.) N % 111 Yes % No Don't Know Unclear / Blank Response % April 20, :03:04 Page 20 of 22

32 Tally Sheet: Screened Out (Sleep Tonight) N % 111 Own Apartment / House % Someone else's Place Motel / Hotel Hospital, Jail, Prison, Remand Centre Emergency Shelter, Domestic Violence Shelter Transitional Shelter / Housing Public Space (e.g., Sidewalks, Squares, Parks, Forests, Bus Shelter) Vehicle (Car, Van, RV, Truck) Makeshift Shelter, Tent or Shack Abandoned / Vacant Building Other Location Unfit for Human Habitation Respondent Doesn't Know [Likely Homeless] % April 20, :03:04 Page 21 of 22

33 Tally Sheet: Observed N % Observed 52 Observed Homeless % Male % Female % Gender: Unknown % Child % Youth % Adult % Senior % April 20, :03:04 Page 22 of 22

34 186 People minimum were homelessness on March 19th 2018 Point in Time Count Results Brantford/Brant 86 Volunteers 40 Mapped Areas 9 Shelters & Transitional Houses 22 Community Partners 1% Genderqueer/ Gender nonconforming Key Demographics 134 Surveys Completed 1% Unclear/ Unknown 58% Male 1/3 of our Homeless Population 35% Indigenous 2% Veterans 54% were temporarily living in system supported housing 40% Female 9% Immigrants/ Refugees Age & Sources of Income Sources of Income 1% Unknown 11% Youth 8% Seniors 80% Adults Age *Each survey respondent was able to select multiple Sources of Income. Where our Homeless Population Sleep 11% Transitional Shelter 8% Don t Know 11% Hotel/ Motel 43% Emergency Shelter 5% Public Space or Vehicle 22% Someone Else s Place Reasons for Housing Loss Includes 3% Hospitalization 12% Addiction/ Substance Abuse 30% Family Conflict 10% Illness/ Medical Condition 14% Unsafe Housing Conditions 28% Other 7% Incarceration 16% Fleeing Domestic Violence 7% Job Loss 16% Housing Affordability *Each survey respondent was able to select multiple Reasons for Housing Loss.

35 Attachment C Brantford and Brant County to Participate in the Second Cross-Canada Coordinated Joint Point-in-Time & Registry Week Homelessness Count On March 19, 2018, Brantford and Brant County will take part in a coordinated effort to measure homelessness across Canada. In February 2018, Brantford Native Housing and the Brantford Aboriginal Homelessness Alliance (BAHA), in association with The City of Brantford and the Community Advisory Board will be soliciting volunteers from the community and will conduct Brantford and Brant County s second Point-in-Time (PiT) Homelessness Count. This year s event will also include a Registry Week component that will lead to the creation of a community by-name list of those experiencing homelessness. Over four hours, trained volunteers will count and survey individuals who are staying in shelters, shortterm housing and sleeping rough (without shelter). Our PiT Count will provide a snapshot of homelessness in Brantford and Brant County. It will indicate the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness in our community. This year s survey will also help to identify hidden homelessness, such as people staying temporarily with friends, that were not previously included in our last PiT Count. Our Joint PiT & Registry Week Count will improve our understanding of the needs and circumstances of the people who are affected by homelessness in our community. The survey will provide us with key data on gender, age, ethnicity, veteran status and more. Results from the PiT Count will be made publically available and we will use the results of the Joint PiT Count & Registry Week to improve our response to homelessness. In 2016, Brantford Native Housing organized Brantford/Brant County s first ever PiT Count. Completing successive counts every few years will allow us to measure progress towards our ultimate goal: ending homelessness in Brantford and Brant County. The Brantford/Brant County PiT Count has received support from Government of Canada s Homelessness Partnering Strategy (Employment and Social Development Canada). In March and April of 2018, individuals experiencing homelessness will be counted in 62 communities across the country. The coordinated effort will help us to create a picture of homelessness in communities across Canada. NON PROFIT URBAN NATIVE HOUSING 318 Colborne Street East Brantford, Ontario N3S 3M9

36 Quotes This year will be Brantford Native Housing s second nationally coordinated PiT Count in Brantford and Brant County. The first PiT Count in Brantford/Brant County took place in With 55 volunteers, 102 people were recorded to be experiencing homelessness that night. The top three reasons for homelessness indicated as eviction, domestic violence, and substance use. In Brantford, Indigenous people experience homelessness at a disproportionately high rate, with 37.89% of respondents self-identified as having Indigenous ancestry in the 2016 count. Organizing subsequent counts allows us to understand how the characteristics and needs of local people experiencing homelessness are changing, so that the information can be used to better allocate resources and programming initiatives. The 2018 PiT Count will also mean that we can compare the data to the 2016 count, to measure the effectiveness of housing programs. - Victoria Watson, PiT Count Coordinator Conducting a joint PiT Count and Registry Week event provides us with names and details of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Those that consent to completing the Registry Week portion of the survey will provide information that tells us a story about our community that we can then provide meaningful responses to. This will help us to prioritize need at a community level and create programs and services with the goal to one day eliminate homelessness. -Becky Lala, Manager of Social Assistance & Homelessness, City of Brantford Media Participation The media is invited to contact PiT Count Coordinator, Victoria Watson for more information. Ensuring the safety and anonymity of our participants is our utmost priority. Media will not be invited to accompany Joint PiT Count & Registry Week volunteers; however, the media is invited to attend a brief press conference on the day of the count. Further details will be made available shortly. Brantford Native Housing: Brantford Native Housing was founded in 1986 as a non-profit charitable organization, which works to provide housing for people of Native ancestry who are of low income. For more information: The Homelessness Partnering Strategy: Coordinated Point-in-Time Count The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness: Point-in-Time Count Toolkit The Canadian Definition of Homelessness 20K Homes-Registry Week Contact information Victoria Watson PiT Count Coordinator victoriaw@brantfordnativehousing.com (519) ext. 261

37 Attachment D

38 City of Brantford s Community Strategic Plan Strategic Action Group 2. High Quality of Life & Caring for all Citizens Brantford/Brant Shelter Provider System Vision To eliminate homelessness and foster an inclusive community where everyone has the opportunity for a safe, affordable and supportive place to live. Strategies Values Supportive Holistic Person centered Prevention Emergency Response Accommodation & Supports Goal 1.0 Reduce recurring homelessness Objectives 1.1 Identify and address problems 1.2 Mitigate risks Goal 2.0 Move from homelessness to being housed Objectives 2.1 Individualized and tailored services and programs 2.2 Choice based options Goal 3.0 Develop healthy community Objectives 3.1 Building relationships 3.2 Community motivated to create change 3.3 Maximize resources