Creating Two Assertive Housing First Teams (AHFTs)
through Conversion of an Existing Service and an Investment of New Funding
Cota participated in the Toronto-site of the pan Canada At Home/Chez Soi demonstration research project from 2009 to 2013. The aim of this project was to evaluate the impact of implementing a Housing First service model in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Moncton. Cota provided an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team service intervention in Toronto to people living with complex mental health challenges who were homeless by: assisting them to secure housing using a Housing First approach (for e.g., wellness was not a precondition of access to housing) and then providing wrap around interdisciplinary supports for their personal recovery, wellness and housing stability.
The project concluded on March 31, 2013 and revealed that the Housing First intervention was effective with participant recovery and housing stability, as well as being a cost-effective approach to service delivery. Fortunately, the government of Ontario recognized the value of this model and committed new base funding to sustain our At Home ACT Team beyond 2013 and Cota has continued this service in its original format since.
In the last two years, we’ve been searching for opportunities to replicate the service so that we could have two or more teams each delivering service to tenants within smaller geographic areas of the city. That opportunity presented itself in early 2019. The Toronto Central LHIN was seeking options for investing in new supportive housing service funds and rent supplement resources to support up to 100 homeless individuals living with mental health challenges who also had justice system involvement. Cota expressed our interest by proposing to expand our existing At Home ACT model and create two interdisciplinary teams. We were successful in securing this funding and moved rapidly with our colleague organizations to discuss eligibility criteria and referral pathways prior to implementation. The new teams are referred to as the East and West Assertive Housing First Teams (AHFTs).
“During the initial stage and throughout the development and implementation of our Assertive Housing First Team (AHFT), Cota reached out to community agencies and provincial detention centres to ensure a collaborative process. We met with potential referrers and landlords to share information and collaborate with new and existing partners. Cota strengthened relationships and coordinated support for our mental health and justice-involved client population. We continue to develop and maintain valued and inclusive relationships with partners to support the success of our clients and the AHFT program. ”
During fiscal 2019-20, we reorganized and recruited the necessary new personnel to create the two AHFTs. Each AHFT has the capacity to support up to 100 service users: 50% of whom are living with complex mental health challenges and are homeless at intake; and the other 50% whom are living with complex mental health challenges, are homeless at intake, and have justice system involvement.
Landlord Engagement Strategy
We have also been actively engaging with landlords across the city in an attempt to tap into whatever rental market options we may be able to secure on behalf of our clients. Progress has been steady but slow given the combination of low vacancy rate and the continued escalation of rental rates in Toronto’s rental housing market. We will be continuing to ramp this service up to full capacity in fiscal 2020-21.
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