Our Work Initiatives

Year in Review 2011
Turning Talk to Action: A Community Model for Change

Following the release of the Making Ends Meet in York Region discussion paper in May 2011, Board members worked together to identify commitments and contributions to advance the Making Ends Meet initiative. To help guide decisions and community efforts, the Board developed the Making Ends Meet Community Model for Change. Using this model, the Board is calling upon organizations, agencies, partners, funders and other stakeholders to look at what they currently do through the lens of the Making Ends Meet community results and indicator areas.

Using the community model for change, the Board developed the Making Ends Meet in York Region Baseline Measures: Turning the Curve report. The report identifies 26 indicators and baseline measures to track and measure progress in advancing the Making Ends Meet community results of affordable housing and economic self-sufficiency. The indicators and baseline measures help organizations, agencies, partners, funders and other stakeholders to see where they may be able to start contributing to turn the curve.

The Board also developed two action plans grounded in the Making Ends Meet community model for change. Board members engaged their individual organizations in 'turn the curve' discussions to identify 60 individual commitments to advance the community results. In addition to the 60 member organization actions, the Board has agreed to eight collective actions to guide the group's efforts. The collective actions represent the beginning of the Board's work together. The implementation process will require the Board to bring key stakeholders and partners into the conversation and ask others to look at their work through the lens of Making Ends Meet.

Moving forward, the Board is committed to taking a leadership role in creating awareness in the community about the importance of helping low and moderate income families and individuals make ends meet. Finding solutions to the challenges relies on engaging and mobilizing the entire York Region community. The Board will be looking to build partnerships and identify synergies to change the way we currently do business.

We invite you to explore the Year in Review 2011 to learn more about the work of the Human Services Planning Board of York Region. Please join us in our efforts to create a community-friendly region where all residents can thrive.

Making Ends Meet in York Region Baseline Measures: Turning the Curve report 
Year in Review 2011 Turning Talk to Action: A Community Model for Change  
Staff report Human Services Planning Board of York Region Year in Review 2011   
Media release 60 actions help support low and moderate income residents Make Ends Meet 

Submission to the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario
Discussion Paper 2: Approaches for Reform
Community Response from Session Hosted by the Human Services Planning Board – York Region (HSPB-YR)

On March 7, 2012, the Human Services Planning Board of York Region (HSPB-YR) hosted a York Region community consultation to discuss and receive the community's feedback on a number of the questions posed by the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario in Discussion Paper 2: Approaches to Reform. The HSPB-YR welcomed Leah Myers, Executive Lead, Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario to present and participate in the community consultation. In hosting the session, the HSPB-YR worked with the York Region Food Network - Do the Math Working Group and the Social Planning Council of York Region.

The consultation brought together people with lived experience with social assistance, municipal officials, human service agencies and community groups. The consultation involved small group discussions on the key themes of Adequacy of Rates, Service Integration and Delivery, and Complexity of Benefits. There was also a discussion of issues not addressed in the Discussion Paper that should be considered moving forward. Each group was facilitated by York Region, Community and Health Services Department staff or a member of either the York Region Food Network - Do the Math Working Group or the Social Planning Council of York Region. Facilitators used a summary of the discussion paper questions to guide the discussion while note takers recorded the community's feedback. Each group reported their feedback to the entire audience prior to the end of the consultation.

The feedback received at the consultation was distributed to the HSPB-YR members for their review and submitted to the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario.

To view Chairman Fisch's cover letter to the Commission please click on the following link: Chairman Fisch's cover letter.

The following table reflects the feedback received at the community consultation: Community Response.

Human Services Planning Board of York Region launches Making Ends Meet in York Region

On Tuesday, June 21, 2011, The Regional Municipality of York Human Services Planning Board hosted the community launch of Making Ends Meet in York Region: a discussion paper and work plan that calls for community action to help those who live with financial struggle.

The Human Services Planning Board of York Region (HSPB-YR) agreed that together, as a community, they can move beyond the problem to work on what is possible by focusing on two key areas for action:

• Affordable Housing: Housing affordability is a real issue for many families. A good mixture of safe and affordable housing options and programs is needed throughout York Region so that people are not spending 30 to 50 per cent or more of their income on shelter.
  
• Economic Self-Sufficiency: A strong combination of employment and human service supports will help workers find employment that matches their skill and education, pay the bills, put healthy food on the table and access affordable child care and elder care.

The event included a panel discussion with various HSPB-YR members on the Making Ends Meet in York Region initiative and an inspirational address titled – "The Genius of Community" from Ric Young, Founder and President of E-Y-E, The Social Projects Studio and architect of numerous social change initiatives. As part of his presentation, Ric Young focused on the work of public innovators as catalyst of change in the community that help to mobilize people from engagement to action on pressing issues. More information about public innovators may be found in – "Public Innovators Forces for Social Change and Civic Renewal".

Please read the following articles "Band-Aid remedies won't cure social ills" – June 29, 2011 and "Society is key to health" – June 22, 2011 in response to the Making Ends in Meet in York Region initiative.

Making Ends Meet in York Region 2011

Finding solutions to this challenge relies on engaging and mobilizing all relevant community resources and by creating partnerships in the community focused on this common goal.

Members of the Human Services Planning Board of York Region (HSPB-YR) have agreed to work beyond the boundaries of their respective organizations to identify innovative actions and collaborative approaches to help families and individuals who are struggling. The HSPB-YR will focus on making an impact on reducing economic vulnerability in York Region. The Board has made it a priority to look at how each of their organizations can support families and individuals in York Region living on low and moderate incomes to make ends meet.

The HSPB-YR has identified two broad community results; Affordable Housing and Economic Self-sufficiency where they believe, together, we can help low and moderate income families and individuals to make ends meet.

Tools to help you enter into 'turn the curve' discussions have been developed. Our Making Ends Meet in York Region booklet, for example, includes a "Turn the Curve' workbook to help organizations move from talk to action. From now till the fall, Board members will be developing action plans to meet the results. They will be asking:

• Which community result can our organization get behind?
• What plans and initiatives of our organization align with those of Making Ends Meet?
• What can our organization do better?
• What little bit can each of us do?

1. General Instruction Card
2. Making Ends Meet in York Region Organization Endorsement Card 
3. Human Services Planning Board of York Region Membership List 
4. Making Ends Meet in York Region Discussion Paper and Discussion Guidelines Workbook 
5. Making Ends Meet in York Region Presentation "Background and Context" with Speaking Notes 
6. Making Ends Meet in York Region Presentation "Talk to Action" with Speaking Notes 
7. Turn the Curve Discussion – Summary Report Worksheet 
8. Member Organization Reporting Template 
9. Making Ends Meet in York Region At a Glance 

Economic Analysis of Human Service Costs to 2031 - Recommendations for Enhancing Human Services Planning in the Regional Municipality of York

This study was commissioned by York Region as part of its ongoing growth management strategy and approved by Regional Council on September 23, 2010. The study, prepared by the Centre for Policy and Program Development at Carleton University, provides a set of recommendations and strategies for enhancing human services planning within York Region as a whole. The recommendations were informed by various processes including a forecast of future operating expenditures out to 2031 for human services provided by York Region and a sampling of external providers (e.g. hospitals, school boards, etc). The recommendations and strategies have broad applicability across the human services sector.

Economic Analysis of Human Service Costs to 2031 - Recommendations for Enhancing Human Services Planning in The Regional Municipality of York 

York Region Immigration Portal

Community Collaborative Planning Guide: Weaving Collaboration into a Tapestry of Change