Headway was made in increasing housing stability and ending homelessness for residents of Chatham-Kent in 2018.
On Monday, June 24, 2019, Chatham-Kent Municipal Council received the 2018 Annual Housing and Homelessness Report.
The report provides an annual update on progress the Municipality has made on its 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan that’s goal is to help every person have an affordable, safe and adequate place they can call home.
As living expenses have continued to rise, vacancy rates decreased and income fluctuated, many in our community face housing instability and homelessness. Despite these challenges, programs were expanded to make housing more affordable, decrease evictions, and major strides in service delivery occurred.
Investments were made to improve and repair existing housing stock, and, Chatham-Kent invested in new affordable housing building projects to create additional housing units.
“One of the most important things we did in 2018 was to implement ‘Coordinated Access System’ for housing stability programs,” stated Chantal Perry, Program Manager, Employment and Social Services, Municipality of Chatham-Kent, in a media release.
“This means that homeless serving agencies are prioritizing the people that need help the most, making sure they get the supports they need based on reliable real-time data. By having access to customer information from various sources, including a valid By-Name List, we can be more responsive to the needs of our community.”
As the designated Service Manager, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is responsible for developing and implementing a 10-Year Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention Strategy.
The current strategy was approved by Chatham-Kent Council in 2014.
A community consultation process is currently underway to review and update the current Housing and Homelessness Plan.
“We look forward to continued progress in 2019, as we host community consultations, and plan the next five years of our 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan,” stated Shelley Wilkins, Co-Chair, Chatham-Kent Housing & Homelessness Committee and Director of Housing Services for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
“It takes a community working together to ensure the availability of affordable housing for everyone who needs it. Working together – community housing providers, supportive service providers, and private landlords – can create huge impact.”
The 2018 Annual Housing and Homelessness Annual Report, and a community consultation survey for the Housing and Homeless Plan Update can be viewed on-line at www.chatham-kent.ca.
