Supportive housing is "housing + support" - the support people need to keep their homes. People typically need support when they are:

• chronically homeless and hard-to-house
• frail elderly
• physically disabled
• developmentally disabled
• seriously mentally ill
• victims of violence
• living with HIV/AIDS
• youth
• or have substance abuse problems

Over half of Ontario's supportive housing has been devolved to municipal responsibility. The remainder is funded and administered by the Ministry of Health/Long-Term Care and the Ministry of Community and Social Services.

Resources

On November 25, 2005, Health and Long Term Care Minister George Smitherman introduced the Local Health System Integration Act at the Ontario Legislature. The Act is the government's centrepiece for the transformation of health care in this province. Given that a key component of ONPHA's membership is our transferred members who come under the funding auspicies of MOHLTC, we will be reviewing this piece of legislation closely with our colleagues at the Ontario Federation of Community Mental Health and Addiction Programs to assess the impact and implications on community-based supportive housing operations.

We will keep you advised. Download more information on the government plans. Read the draft legislation.

Findings on the impact of supports on seniors living in social housing reported in "When Home is Community: Community Support Services and the Well-Being of Seniors in Supportive and Social Housing."

Learn how to handle NIMBY with the "Yes, in my Backyard" NIMBY Tool Kit.

American report shows Supportive Housing extremely cost-effective.

On Oct. 21, 2003, ONPHA's Mental Health and Alternative Housing Workgroup wrote to Cynthia Lees, Assistant Deputy Minister — Program Management Division, with "Suggestions from Ontario Non-profit Housing Association (ONPHA) for Improving MCFCS Supportive Housing Services."

On July 28, 2003 ONPHA’s Mental Health and Alternative Housing Committee wrote to Dennis Helm, Director of the Mental Health and Addictions Branch with a submission entitled Suggestions for an expanded “Phase III” Mental Health Homelessness Initiative."

Supportive housing providers should also check out ONPHA's SupportSystem listserver