Housing is a basic need for one’s health and well-being.
Chatham-Kent has embraced the provincial vision that ‘every person has an affordable, suitable, and adequate home to provide the foundation to secure employment, raise a family and build strong communities”, as its own.
For many, the need for help with housing is only financial help, but for others, supportive services are needed to enable our vulnerable populations to attain and to maintain their tenancies.
On Monday, October 1, 2018, Chatham-Kent Municipal Council will receive the 2017 Annual Housing and Homelessness Progress Report.
This report covers what progress we made in Year 4 of the 10 year Community Plan to meet the needs of the community.
The Community Housing and Homelessness Committee includes 20+ community agencies and provincial ministries, as well as several municipal division representatives.
With the help of our community partners, we strive to make a dent in meeting the needs of the community for both affordable housing and supportive services.
Our strategies fall into three main categories: 1. Housing Supply – maintaining and increasing the supply of affordable housing; 2. Housing Stability – promote it by expanding access to emergency, transitional and financial supports; and 3. Advocacy, Partnerships and Service Coordination. Our 2017 Annual Report speaks to what we have achieved in these three strategic areas.
Some of the highlights from our report include:
1. Housing Supply: we had two new builds completed – one in Ridgetown and one in Chatham.
2. Housing Stability: we made great strides in implementing a coordinated entry and access systems (CEAS) for homelessness programming. A number of new supportive housing programs were launched.
3. Advocacy, Partnerships and Service Coordination: we implemented a validated common assessment and triage tool across five key service partners. Municipal council adopted a number of recommendations that serve to help in the area of affordable housing: base budget of $500,000 in 2017 – increased to $800,000 in 2018 to be used for new builds; $200,000 for a Portable Housing Benefit program; funding of $300,000 in 2017 and 2018 for CK Renovates home repair program.
“We are proud of the accomplishments we made in 2017,” stated Shelley Wilkins, Co-Chair of the Chatham-Kent Housing and Homelessness Committee and Director of Housing Services for the Municipality.
“The programs that we deliver, including the programs delivered in partnership with our community agencies, do make a significant impact on the citizens in need served throughout Chatham-Kent. This report highlights the areas focused on in 2017, with high level program updates and a few very down-to-earth true personal stories that reflect how our programs impact and improve the lives of the people we serve.”
As a designated Service Manager, the Municipality is responsible for developing and implementing a 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Prevention Plan. Our Plan was approved and adopted by Municipal Council in January 2014. Much of the work that we do is jointly funded by both, or either the federal and provincial governments, as well as the Municipality. We want to acknowledge the importance of those financial contributions for the successful outcomes we are able to achieve.
The 2017 Annual Housing and Homelessness Annual Report can be viewed on-line at www.chatham-kent.ca
