York Region's 10-year housing and homelessness plan

July 21, 2022
York Region continued to make significant progress toward the goals and objectives set out in Housing Solutions Phase 2 in 2021.

Safe and secure housing is essential for everyone. Housing Solutions: A place for everyone – Phase 2 Plan, 2019-2023, approved by Regional Council in October 2019, sets out the following three goals: increase the supply of affordable and rental housing, help people find and keep housing, and strengthen the housing and homelessness system.

Significant progress was made on these goals last year despite ongoing challenges amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, York Region worked to increase the supply of affordable and rental housing by:

  • Presenting a draft Regional Official Plan to Council to allow enhanced intensification, density, and complete community requirements to direct substantial new housing growth to areas well-served by transit and close to community, health and other services
  • Initiating a Housing Affordability Task Force to advise on strategies to address private market affordability challenges
  • Continuing work to expand the community housing portfolio, with ongoing construction for 265 new units in the City of Markham, and procurement of a construction partner for 97 units in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville

The Region also took action to help people find and keep housing by:

  • Addressing the housing needs of 329 applicants from the subsidized housing wait list and enrolling 95 households in the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit program
  • Expanding the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care pilot to approximately 500 clients receiving ongoing heath care supports at seniors’ community housing sites

Finally, York Region strengthened the housing and homelessness system by:

  • Conducting a Point-in-Time Count of people experiencing homelessness in York Region in partnership with United Way Greater Toronto. Information from this count will be used to enhance housing stability prevention, life stabilization services and inform future program planning
  • Establishing multi-sectoral Community Safety and Well-Being Community Action Tables to collaborate locally to address priority risks, including housing stability
  • Continued with the development and construction of a total of 28 new transitional housing beds in the Towns of Georgina and East Gwillimbury
  • Improving the Cold Weather Alert System, ensuring consistent, rapid and synchronized communications to York Region Homelessness Community Programs staff and community partners
  • Diverting 218 individuals from emergency housing to more appropriate housing, including reunification with family or friends

In addition to the actions above, York Region collaborated with a broad range of community partners to support residents facing housing challenges due to the pandemic by:

  • Continuing the temporary Self-Isolation Shelter and Transitional Shelter for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Between March 30, 2020 and April 30, 2022, 158 people were supported at the temporary Self-Isolation Shelter and since, May 11, 2020, when the facility opened, 1,356 people have been supported at the Transitional Shelter as of June 13, 2022
  • Delivering the COVID-19 In-Situ program to provide market rent households living in community housing with a short-term rent benefit to address income decreases and avoid housing loss. Since launching in early 2020, 25 households received assistance
  • Continuing to provide virtual programming and support services to community housing residents. This included wellness checks, partnering with Rexall to deliver COVID-19 vaccine booster clinics in the buildings, delivering resiliency kits to vulnerable families, and partnering with Vaughan Community Health Centre to deliver Rapid Antigen Kits to seniors’ sites
  • Increasing the amount of people accessing the Region’s homelessness prevention and housing stability programs, from 1,606 in 2020 to 1,852 in 2021. This includes 341 individuals who were supported to remain housed through the Region’s temporary COVID-19 Arrears Benefit, which was launched in January 2021

 

Housing is the foundation of strong, safe and caring communities. York Region is continuing to build a strong network of services and supports to help individuals and families at risk of homelessness stay housed while helping those experiencing homelessness to find and keep housing. Together with our partners, the Region is committed to taking action to address affordability challenges and create inclusive, complete, vibrant and healthy communities for generations to come.