Proposed Changes to the Schoolhouse Program

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (March 9, 1999) from the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services:

Purpose:

This report proposes changes for the Schoolhouse, a unique shelter/rooming house at 349 George Street.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Funding for the Schoolhouse program is currently covered in the 1999 budget for Hostel Services of the Shelter, Housing and Support Division.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)thethe Schoolhouse Program, located in a City-owned building at 349 George Street, be modified to include services to assist homeless men to leave hostels;

(2)staff negotiate with Dixon Hall to finalize:

(a)a legal agreement to operate the new program in the City-owned building at 349George Street; and

(b)a purchase of service agreement with Hostel Services;

(3)the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect to the recommendations.

Council Reference/Background/History:

The former City of Toronto has owned and operated the Schoolhouse, an overnight facility for 50 to 70 homeless men, since 1978. The hours of operation have been 4:00 p.m.-10:00 a.m. for many years. This is a unique facility because it has features of both a rooming house and a shelter. The accommodation is dormitory style, yet the residents pay a nightly fee, help with the operation of the Schoolhouse and most want to work at least part-time. In addition there is a harm reduction approach to alcohol. Historically, Schoolhouse residents have seen themselves as responsible workers who pay their own way.

The Schoolhouse has operated with the limited budget generated by the resident fees and has employed a manager who is a temporary non-unionized City of Toronto employee. He has maintained informal relationships with the residents who assist him in the operation of the facility. In exchange, these residents were paid an honorarium. In addition, the Toronto Housing Company (formerly Cityhome) has been providing basic maintenance services which are not reflected in the current budget. The operating budget is inadequate and there are no capital reserves. The 1998 excess expenditures over revenues is shown in Appendix A and discussed under Financial Implications below.

For more than 15 years, Dixon Hall, a local agency, has provided some assistance to Schoolhouse residents in finding longer term housing.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

Change is Needed:

The Schoolhouse is an anomaly and needs to change as the City moves to rationalize the roles of the Toronto Housing Company and the Shelter, Housing and Support Division. In particular, the informal relationships between the City and the residents who help with the program are of concern and may be open to challenge. The honoraria paid to residents to help with the facility needs to be formalized and can best be handled by a community-based agency with a history of employing homeless men.

The Schoolhouse building requires up-grading and staff believe that the program needs to be modified to more effectively assist homeless men to find and keep both jobs and housing. Existing resources are not adequate to accomplish this.

Proposed Program:

The proposed program is intended to build on the strengths of the current program, while putting an emphasis on helping men to leave the hostel sector. This focus is in keeping with the recommendations of the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force.

The proposed new Schoolhouse program, like its predecessor, will be a unique model with features of both rooming house and shelter projects. Residents will continue to pay a nightly fee of $6.00 but will be expected to work with staff, both on site and in community agencies, to develop strategies for finding housing and employment. The new program will continue to use a harm reduction approach with respect to alcohol and will promote peer support. Referrals to the Schoolhouse program will come primarily from men's hostels and will focus on men who are looking for assistance to leave the hostel sector. Staff will be on site 24 hours/day.

The attached budget reflects the additional staff needed to operate the proposed program. This includes cleaning and caretaking which would provide an opportunity for employment and skills development for homeless men. This change to employment experience will be implemented in conjunction with existing training programs.

It is proposed that the administration of the Schoolhouse program, currently a responsibility of the Department's Shelter, Housing and Support Division, be turned over to a community agency that will manage the operation, link with other programs and services, and continue to work with the local community to address any local issues.

Operation of the Schoolhouse Program:

It is recommended that the City contract with Dixon Hall to operate the new program at the Schoolhouse for the reasons described below.

For the past fifteen years a Dixon Hall housing worker has visited the Schoolhouse on a weekly basis. In addition, Schoolhouse residents have used other Dixon Hall programs. The proposed changes will strengthen this existing relationship and provide continuity for the residents.

Dixon Hall is an established community-based multi-service agency that has a positive history with the City including many years of working with the Schoolhouse. Dixon Hall, a leader in serving the homeless community, has successfully operated shelters and community economic development projects employing homeless people with funds from the former Metro and former City of Toronto. In addition, Dixon Hall received federal funding last fall to operate a project which will help homeless men to find and keep casual work.

In delivering its programs and services, Dixon Hall has always maintained positive working relationships with its neighbours in the downtown east section of the City.

For this range of reasons, Dixon Hall has been recommended as the agency best suited to run the new Schoolhouse program rather than initiating a Request for Proposals process. Dixon Hall has expressed an interest in this proposal during preliminary discussions.

Capital Repairs:

The building which houses the Schoolhouse program is in need of considerable upgrading. Therefore, an application for federal funds, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program has been made. Preliminary discussions have been positive and final funding approval is expected soon. Renovation work could be completed by the fall and will be managed by the Toronto Housing Company. The Schoolhouse and the Toronto Housing Company will work with Dixon Hall's Casual Labour Exchange to employ homeless men for some of the work. This approach is in accordance with the self help principle articulated by the Mayor's Action Task Force.

Transition Plans:

Current residents will remain at the Schoolhouse with staff available to assist them in finding employment and longer term housing. As vacancies become available, new referrals to the Schoolhouse will primarily come from men's hostels. The hours of operation will remain 4p.m.-10a.m. at least initially and the cleaners/caretakers will be on site during the remaining hours.

The City employee currently managing the Schoolhouse will be invited to apply to Dixon Hall to manage the new program. Similarly, the residents who assist with the facility will be invited to apply for the new cleaning/caretaking positions.

The Toronto Housing Company has agreed to provided basic maintenance services and will implement the capital upgrade. The associated costs need to be negotiated.

After an initial six month period, City and Dixon Hall staff will evaluate the progress of the program to assess its effectiveness in assisting the residents to leave the shelter system. They will also consider the Schoolhouse's relationship with the local community and its linkages with other programs and services for homeless people. Any necessary program modifications will be made at that time.

Financial Implications:

The Schoolhouse has operated with a limited budget and has provided minimal services. Revenues have been generated solely by the resident fees with no hostel per diems flowing to the program. In 1998, the Schoolhouse revenues were $99,930.00 and expenditures were $120,354.00 as shown in Appendix A. The excess expenditure over revenues is $20,424.00. This shortfall was absorbed by utilizing underexpenditures in the remaining portion of the former Housing Division's annual operating budget.

The existing revenues are not sufficient to support the longer term program goals or the maintenance of the building. Therefore, it is recommended that hostel per diems of $10.00-$15.00 be provided to supplement revenue generated by resident fees. The proposed annualized 1999 operating budget of $281,050.00 found in Appendix A reflects these sources of revenue and the increase in staffing.

As there are existing revenues generated by resident payments, a full per-diem is not required for the program. The proposed per-diem amount of $10.00-$15.00 is substantially below the Provincial cost-sharing cap and will help balance the higher cost programs in the system.

Conclusion:

As noted in the Final Report of the Mayor's Homelessness Action Task Force, the City must work towards reduced emergency shelter usage by supporting a range of programs which offer longer term options to people who are homeless. The proposed Schoolhouse Program is an important program designed to help homeless men leave the homeless sector - by providing assistance in accessing longer term housing and employment. The proposed Schoolhouse program builds on the successes of the past two decades and plans for the future by encouraging self-reliance.

Contact Name:

Joanne Campbell

Tel: 392-7885/Fax: 392-0548

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Appendix A

Schoolhouse Annual Operating Budgets