What is the Habitat Model?
The Habitat model is unique in Ontario.
The Habitat model is based on a contract between Habitat Services, a non-profit agency, and the owners of private sector & non-profit boarding and rooming houses. Compliance with the contract is achieved through monitoring. In addition to the services provided by the home owners and their staff, on-site support services for tenants are provided by Habitat Services or COTA Health. Habitat funded housing provides permanent housing for 931 adults at 45 different locations across Toronto.
The contract model has enabled Habitat Services to improve physical and personal care standards in boarding home accommodations. With a significant increase in funding in 2001, we were able to strengthen the contract by adding requirements for enhanced services to tenants. At that time, the groundwork was laid for one of the most significant improvements in boarding home accommodations since the beginning of the program -- the elimination of triple occupancy bedrooms. During Habitat's expansion, beginning in September of 1999, Habitat Services began to award contracts to owners operating homes with a higher proportion of single rooms, such that the portfolio now includes more single than double occupancy rooms.
The Contract
Habitat Services enters into commercial contracts with owners of boarding homes and rooming houses in Toronto. The majority of the homes are owned by private business people, who in many cases also operate the home themselves. There are five non-profit boarding homes and an apartment type housing model with shared facilities in the portfolio. The contract outlines the physical and personal care standards that owners must meet. Habitat Services monitors the services provided to tenants pays a per diem subsidy (fee for services) to the owners. The subsidy program is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and the City of Toronto.
Monitoring
Each Habitat-funded home has a Program Coordinator and Inspector assigned to it by Habitat Services. The Program Coordinator works with the boarding home owner and operator to ensure that they are meeting the personal care requirements of the contract and ensure that tenants are receiving the services to which they are entitled. Tenants who have complaints or questions about their entitlements may bring them to the Program Coordinator. The assigned Program Coordinator meets with the boarding home operator monthly, attends house meetings with the site support workers from either Habitat Services or COTA Health. The Program Coordinator also facilitates "Tenant/Operator Dispute Meetings". A "Tenant/Operator Dispute Meeting" is a meeting that is requested by a home operator or a tenant of the home. These meetings occur when there is an issue of concern that might affect a tenant's housing, etc. Tenants may be supported at the meeting by the person of their choice (a case manager, site support worker, friend or family member). The purpose of the meeting is to look for possible solutions, with the objective of maintaining the tenant's housing. In most cases, "Tenant/Operator Dispute Meetings" have resulted in agreements between home operators and tenants so that tenants do not lose their housing.
The Habitat Inspector makes both scheduled and unscheduled visits to the home to inspect the physical and nutritional standards as listed in the Habitat contract requirements. They check to see that the house is in good repair, serving first quality meals as required, and that the tenants are receiving the supplies to which they are entitled. The Habitat Inspections Team also ensures the boarding home operator addresses any identified deficiencies and ensures that proper pest control management is in place.
Boarding homes and rooming houses fall under the the Residential Tenancies Act (R.T.A). The R.T.A. is provincial legislation that outlines the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords. Both the Habitat Inspector and Program Coordinator monitor that the home owners and operators follow the R.T.A. when dealing with tenancy issues.
On-Site Support Services for Tenants/ Habitat Services Site Support
Each house has a team of two or more workers assigned to it by either COTA Health or Habitat’s site support program. The number of workers in each team and the number of visits they per week varies according to the size and needs of the house. The site support workers assist tenants in many ways, for example, by helping to establish regular tenant meetings and organizing recreation and other activities. Tenant participation in the activities organized by site support workers is voluntary. Tenants may also have their own case managers, workers, or other support services who visit them in their homes from time to time.
Habitat Services provides on-site support services for tenants in houses that joined the Habitat program since September 1999. Habitat site support workers use a community development model of support. The community development support model involves:
- Providing opportunities for tenants to interact and socialize with one another and build a sense of community in their housing
- Supporting tenants to acquire and practice skills which will enable them to participate in the community
- Supporting tenants to assert themselves and exercise their rights in housing and other areas
Site support workers make regular scheduled visits to homes and offer group social and recreational opportunities to tenants. They are flexible and responsive to the needs and wishes of the tenants in each home.
New tenants are offered support as they settle into their new environment. They are provided with information about the role of Habitat Services and their rights and responsibilities as tenants. Site support workers may also help new tenants to familiarize themselves with the neighborhood and local services.
Habitat site support workers are available to provide some assistance to tenants individually. For example, they may help tenants to work on personal or interpersonal issues, develop new skills, or link with community or social services. Site support workers may also offer support or advocacy to a tenant in dealing with income supports, community and healthcare services, and/or the operator of the home. Informal counseling and accompaniment to appointments may also be provided.
On-Site Support Services for Tenants/COTA Health
COTA Health, a not-for-profit agency, provides services to people with serious mental health challenges living in the community. The aim of COTA Health Site Support Services is to promote the development and maintenance of supportive home environments that enable people with mental health challenges to achieve heightened levels of independence and improved quality of life.
Community support staff:
- Visit each house regularly, 1 to 3 times per week
- Deliver services that support and enrich each individual home, based on the assessment and identification of tenant needs
- Facilitate group activities/events which foster tenant engagement/participation, the development of social networks, and skill acquisition (e.g., Art Group, Music Group, Sports Group, Social Club, Dances, Large Group Excursions etc.)
- Provide individual support to tenants in the areas of community orientation, linking to other services and professional supports, situational dispute/problem resolution and informal counseling
- Establish and maintain ongoing supportive relationships with all those living and working in each housing setting
For more information about COTA Health and other Site Support Services, call
COTA Health's Client Service Centre at (416)785-9230.
Parkdale Activity & Recreation Centre (PARC) at (416) 537-2262
Ontario Council of Alternative Businesses (OCAB)
Streets to Homes (City of Toronto)
City of Toronto Housing Help
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health at (416) 535-8501
Toronto Mental Health Housing and Support Network
Gerstein Centre at (416) 929-0149
Federation of Community Mental Health and Addiction Programs
