The Toronto Supportive Housing Growth Plan (the Growth Plan) unites supportive housing providers from across sectors to increase the supply of supportive housing in Toronto.
It is a joint initiative co-hosted by the TAEH, the Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto Branch (CMHA), and the Wellesley Institute.
Supportive Housing for purposes of this Plan
Supportive Housing in this plan refers to a broad range of housing and support services that help people in need live with dignity, stability, and independence in the community.
This plan is being created by providers representing a range of clients and funding programs. It includes Ministry of Health funded mental health and addictions programs, City of Toronto funded alternative housing providers, and Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services funded disability services housing, serving a wide range of client ages and needs.
This plan recognizes we can do more together than individually. We have a long way to grow in order to meet need. This plan also acknowledges the intersectional experience of our clients. Regardless of funding program, we have a shared purpose to provide housing and supports to the most vulnerable, at greatest risk of homelessness and harm.
We know, and need no further data to tell us, that Black, Indigenous, and racialized people are overrepresented in groups needing supportive housing and underrepresented on our wait lists and in our programs. This plan contains actions for us, individually and collectively, to remedy that.
We also work closely on developing this plan with the Thrive Toronto Table (on mental health and well-being in Toronto), and the Toronto Mental Health and Addictions Supportive Housing Network.
The Growth Plan advances new ways for the sector to work together to build capacity for expansion and development, and new ways of working with municipal, provincial, and federal governments to collaboratively increase impact.
Products under development
Read the Toronto Supportive Housing Growth Plan Here!
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Key pieces that are part of the over Plan include:
Asset Inventory: Quantifying, for the first time, what assets currently existing in the supportive housing sector (physical stock, land, and rent supplements) — and how these could be leveraged towards new supply.
Needs Assessment: Developing a more detailed understanding of need, including both the range and typology of housing and supports required.
Funding Analysis: Understanding how existing government funding could be applied in more strategic ways, and where new funding could be targeted to fill the remaining gap.