Homelessness, Program Responses, and an Assessment of Toronto's Streets to Homes Program
Last year I participated in the Housing Internship and Scholar program, sponsored by the Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN) and the Social Housing Services Corporation. The central focus of this four-month program is the development of a policy paper published by the CPRN. My paper looks at the development of the Housing First model in the United States and then tells the story of Toronto's Streets to Homes program--the largest such program in Canada. The report concludes with recommendations about how to both improve Streets to Homes and ensure that Housing First programs in other Canadian cities are effective in housing homeless persons.
The internship--of which the CHRA's Sector Development Coordinator, Mary Clarke, is herself an alumnus--was an invaluable opportunity for me to develop my research skills under the supervision of Professor Michael Buzzelli, the CPRN's Director of Housing and Environment.
I highly recommend that other CHRA youth members consider applying for the internship. You won't regret it! Let me also say that, as a youth delegate to three consecutive CHRA Congresses, I very much appreciate the organization and its many efforts to promote youth leadership. Speaking of which, I am currently a PhD Candidate at Carleton University's School of Public Policy and Administration. As such, I run into Kwende Kefentse, CHRA's Houth House Editor, at least once a week on campus. Fortunately, I don't run into him very hard...
Click here to read Nick's paper on the Housing First model.
Meet Kwende Kefentse, new Youth House Editor
Kwende Kefentse is a student at Carleton University who spends his time DJing, writing for the Ottawa Xpress, working for CKCU FM and blogging.
He will be developing CHRA's Youth House as a space for youth to get engaged about affordable housing issues. "We live in an era of participation," says Kwende, and through Youth House, he hopes to get youth participating, bringing their ideas to the housing discussion.
Click here to meet Kwende and read about his goals for Youth House.
JOSHCO Redevelops Sol Plaatjes
By Andrée Lalonde, Rooftops Canada Intern
The informal settlement of Sol Plaatjies in Johannesburg, South Africa, grew up around the mining hostels adjacent to the abandoned Roodepoort Durban Deep Ltd. gold mine. The 16,000 people in the settlement lived in shacks and run down dormitory hostels. Many had no electricity, and lacked adequate water and sanitation facilities and refuse collection.
Planning for the redevelopment of Sol Plaatjies began in 2005, with support from Rooftops Canada´s partner, the Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSHCO).
JOSHCO was established by the City of Johannesburg to provide decent, affordable and
sustainable social housing. JOSHCO manages existing rental housing, converts and operates hostels and develops new social housing and inner-city residential opportunities. It manages over 4,000 housing units, a number expected to double over the next few years. The National Department of Housing cites JOSHCO as the leading example of a municipal housing agency.
In Sol Plaatjies, JOSHCO is formalizing the settlement, providing roads, water, and sewer connections), and converting old mining hostels into family units. The Sol Plaatjies construction process is proceeding in stages because the land was already occupied. Residents first moved into temporary housing erected adjacent to the site so that existing shacks could be demolished to make way for the new homes.
JOSHCO requires that the building contractor hire unemployed local residents who have the necessary skills. Construction began in January 2008. To date, JOSHCO has handed over 1761 completed units and expects to have completed 2560 units by June 2009. All the units 
fall under the South African Reconstruction and Development Programme. Title to the home and land is awarded to qualifying applicants who must be South Africans and have monthly incomes less than $400. Residents pay for water and electricity using pre-paid meters. At a later stage JOSHCO hopes to provide rental housing in Sol Plaatjies for residents who do not qualify for an RDP unit.
With Rooftops Canada support, JOSHCO is participating in a series of capacity-building exchanges with the Toronto Community Housing Company (TCHC). JOSHCO staff and Board members and City of Johannesburg housing officials visited TCHCin early March to share experiences. Rooftops Canada´s long-term technical advisor, Bob Cohen, is helping JOSHCO develop and implement its overall strategy and expansion planning. Intern Andréé Lalonde is working with JOSHCO´s project development department.
For more information, contact:
Rooftops Canada – Abri International
720 Spadina Avenue, Suite 313
Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 2T9
Tel: +416-366-1445
E-mail: info@rooftops.ca
Website: www.rooftops.ca