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Supportive housing plays a crucial role in helping people who have experienced homelessness find a safe, stable place to live. However, when these individuals want to move into the private rental market and live independently, the transition is not always smooth. Still, despite the challenges, studies indicate that many people are satisfied with their decision to move, even though they encounter issues that can affect their housing stability.

Supportive Housing in Toronto

For many, the path out of homelessness begins with supportive housing. This type of housing has two critical features: affordable rent (often capped at 30% or less of one’s income) and access to essential services that support mental health and independent living. Studies show that supportive housing is effective in helping people remain housed. However, the supply of these spaces is limited. In Toronto alone, more than 19,000 people are currently on the waiting list for supportive housing, and this number is expected to rise.

Understanding Moving-On Initiatives

Moving-On Initiatives (MOIs) aim to assist people in transitioning from supportive housing to other living arrangements with fewer services. This has two primary advantages: first, it allows tenants who feel ready to live more independently to do so, and second, it opens up supportive housing spaces for new tenants. MOIs can potentially reduce the lengthy waiting lists for supportive housing, thereby relieving pressure on a sector that is already under-resourced. Although MOIs have been implemented in major cities across the United States, there is little research on such initiatives within Canada.

Home for Good in Toronto, Ontario

With funding from the Government of Ontario, the Home for Good (HFG) program enabled Houselink & Mainstay Community Housing (HLMS), Toronto’s largest supportive housing provider, to create a Moving-On Initiative. Through HFG, HLMS helped 11 tenants move into private rental units. Here’s a breakdown of the process:

  • Before Moving: HLMS assisted tenants with finding a new unit, understanding renter rights, signing leases, securing financial aid for deposits, and working out repairs with landlords. Tenants were assured they could return to HLMS if necessary.
  • After Moving: HLMS provided each tenant with an $800 monthly rent supplement and continued to offer monthly check-ins.

In partnership with HLMS, our team at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions examined the experiences of 10 tenants who moved to the private rental market during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Experiences of Home for Good Participants

All participants in the program relied on fixed incomes from social assistance. They had spent between three and 23 years in supportive housing and were ready for independent living. The study shared these participants’ experiences with Home for Good across three phases:

Deciding to Move – The decision to leave supportive housing wasn’t taken lightly. Transitioning to the private rental market presented risks, especially when rent supplements were involved. However, tenants were reassured by knowing they could return to HLMS if they faced difficulties. One participant said, “I’d been there way too long as it was. I wasn’t progressing anymore there. It was holding me back.” For many, moving out represented a step toward greater independence.

Finding a New Home – Tenants looked for rentals, shared their findings with a housing worker, who then contacted landlords and assisted with the application process. This search was challenging because finding affordable options was difficult, and some applications were rejected. Despite these hurdles, one tenant proudly noted, “I was helping to find my home.”

Adjusting to Independence – Participants enjoyed their new living spaces, which were larger, quieter, and more private. They prepared their meals and had more opportunities to connect with family and loved ones. Although COVID-19 limited community involvement, most were grateful for the program. As one participant shared, “I came to an environment that everything is normal, people are cheerful and you know everything is perfect.”

After moving, the affordability of private rentals remained a challenge. Despite receiving an $800 supplement from HLMS, most tenants still spent over half of their income on rent. Rising grocery prices, annual rent increases, and insufficient social assistance made it hard to balance budgets. To prevent evictions, HLMS raised the rent supplement amount. Consequently, all participants have managed to stay in their homes.

Insights and Recommendations

Our research indicates that Moving-On Initiatives (MOIs) offering rent supplements can effectively help people transition from supportive housing to private rentals. Based on insights from HLMS, future MOIs should focus on educating tenants about their rights, providing ongoing support to those who move out, and ensuring they have the option to return to supportive housing if needed. We suggest that Canadian researchers further explore MOIs, including those who have firsthand experiences with homelessness on their teams.

Policymakers should prioritize ensuring that rent supplements keep up with rent increases, enforce strong rent control measures, and raise social assistance rates to better align with living costs. Additionally, Toronto needs more affordable housing units, including options that cater to a range of support needs. These steps can help reduce waitlists and offer more people a stable and suitable place to call home.

Health and Housing Stability

A person’s health—along with their family’s and community’s well-being—is influenced by a complex web of social, economic, political, cultural, and historical factors. Among these, income has consistently been recognized as one of the most important. People with higher incomes and socioeconomic status tend to live longer, face fewer illnesses and injuries, and generally report better health. Conversely, individuals living in poverty have a shorter life expectancy and are more susceptible to various diseases. Poor health can increase the likelihood of homelessness, while homelessness, in turn, worsens health conditions.

Many people experiencing homelessness face harsh conditions that negatively impact their health in both the short and long term. This also leads to an increased mortality rate. Although some deaths among homeless individuals are due to extreme weather, most result from injuries and the physical and psychological toll of living on the streets. Environmental factors, mental health stress, and exposure to infectious diseases create numerous chronic and acute health issues, including cold-related injuries, tuberculosis, respiratory conditions, malnutrition, sleep deprivation, body pain, and dental problems.

Conclusion

Moving-On Initiatives, especially those that provide rental supplements and support services, can play a valuable role in helping individuals move from supportive housing to more independent living arrangements. However, challenges around affordability, mental health support, and access to ongoing resources need to be addressed to make these programs sustainable. By improving rent supplement policies, enhancing tenant rights education, and increasing affordable housing units, governments and organizations can help more individuals transition successfully from homelessness to a stable, independent life. These efforts could significantly reduce waitlists and make Toronto a more inclusive city for everyone.