Report reveals urgent need for rent-geared-to-income housing

There is an urgent need for Norfolk and Haldimand to address the growing demand for rent-geared-to-income and affordable housing, says a new report.

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Findings in a report commissioned by health and social services Haldimand and Norfolk and completed by Helpseeker Technologies provides a comprehensive analysis of the local social housing system and proposes recommendations to meet future needs.

“Our analysis reveals a housing landscape under increasing pressure,” says the report. “The current supply of 594 RGI units falls short of the demand, with 534 households on the waitlist.”

The wait time for RGI housing varies from two to 10 years.

Projections indicate that by 2031, more than 18,000 people in Norfolk and Haldimand will require housing support, a substantial increase from the current 14,217.

A significant challenge, says the report, is the approaching expiration of operating agreements for hundreds of RGI units over the next seven years.

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“The report found that 200 units would need to be added to the stock annually to begin to close the gap between what’s needed and what is available in RGI housing stock,” said a report presented to the health and social services advisory committee earlier this month by Jessica Horton, program manager of housing services. “This number is not feasible but does underscore the need for the service manager to have a robust strategic plan for new RGI and affordable housing development.”

The cost for new units to meet people’s needs is estimated at $30 million, Alina Turner of Helpseeker Technologies told the committee.

“We need to tap provincial and federal funding,” she said. “It’s an all-government response that’s required.”

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Among the report’s recommendations to meet housing needs are:

• Expansion and diversification of housing options, with innovative partnerships, streamlined allocation processes and increased funding for existing housing support programs.

• Leveraging data and technology with advanced analytics, and digital resident engagement tools.

• Increase staffing with a focus on data analysis, administration, eligibility assessment and resident support.

The Helpseeker report found the housing services staff to population ratio in Norfolk to be lower than that of other service managers of similar size communities.

“The review noted that a common theme is that programs are not always limited by financial resources but by the staff capacity to administer these programs,” said Horton.

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To reach the same complement of staffing as Kawartha Lakes, which has a similar structure and an urban/rural mix, the housing services team in Norfolk County would require almost eight new full-time positions.

“The report highlights the need to shift to data driven planning and analysis,” said Horton. “Without having a data analyst on staff, it is difficult to provide comprehensive analysis when needed. The report recommends hiring a data analyst as a crucial first step.”

A local 10-year housing and homelessness plan for Norfolk and Haldimand outlines some of the progress made in recent years. That includes implementation of a “by-name list,” an up-to-date list of all individuals and families experiencing homelessness; the completion of Dogwood Suites, a supportive housing complex in downtown Simcoe; and significant capital investment into repair of community housing.

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