The City, in collaboration with Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), has selected three (3) community non-profit organizations to provide Anchor Agency Services and Supports in three (3) rental housing communities.
Program Objectives
The objectives of the Anchor Agency Services & Supports program are to:
- improve the housing stability of identified tenants living in the selected buildings who have been approved for one-on-one case management services;
- provide community development and crisis management supports to the buildings to help meet community needs, support social cohesion and better coordinate services among existing community non-profit organizations supporting tenants in the selected buildings; and
- support the implementation of a community safety program that supports the buildings and the broader local community, in select Anchor Agency locations determined by the City.
The following projects have been approved to deliver services starting August 1, 2024. All applications were carefully evaluated by the City’s Housing Secretariat division and Toronto Community Housing Corporation through a comprehensive review process.
If you are interested in learning more about the services that will be offered or if your organization would like to collaborate by initiating a formal or informal partnership, please contact the organizations directly.
Contact information for each organization can be found on the organization’s website.
Building Profiles
The building profiles for the ward/ward groupings included in this funding opportunity are as follows:
- Site Location #1: Ward 1 – Etobicoke North
- Address: 101-121 Kendleton Drive, Etobicoke, ON, M9V 1V3
- 415 units (312 bachelor, 103 one-bedroom)
- Approximately 50% of tenants are seniors and approximately 50% of households are in receipt of OW/ODSP
- Site Location #2: Ward 6 – York Centre
- Address: 2195 Jane Street, Toronto, ON, M3M 1A3
- 294 units (215 bachelor, 79 one-bedroom)
- Approximately 60% of tenants are seniors and approximately 50% of households are in receipt of OW/ODSP
- Site Location #3: Ward 24 – Scarborough-Guildwood and Ward 25 – Scarborough-Rouge Park
- Address: 4175 and 4205 Lawrence Avenue East, Scarborough, ON M1E 4S6
- 720 units (631 bachelor, 89 one-bedroom)
- Approximately 40% of tenants are seniors and approximately 50% of households are in receipt of OW/ODSP
Service Delivery Requirements
Overarching Program Principles and Approach
Anchor Agency Services & Supports projects must:
- provide non-judgemental, trauma-informed, strengths-based, culturally responsive and anti-racist and anti-oppressive services rooted in harm reduction, eviction prevention and Housing First approaches; and
- be flexible to respond to fluctuating and episodic needs.
Organization Experience
Anchor Agency Services & Supports staff must have:
- extensive knowledge of and experience in delivering housing support services, conflict resolution and mediation;
- a strong understanding of community resources, referral pathways and community development; and
- an understanding of the social determinants of health, crisis response, de-escalation and community safety approaches.
Core Program Components
Case Management:
Case management supports will be provided to identified tenants in the building who require housing stability support and who have been approved for case management. Possible tenants for case management within the building may be identified by a variety of sources, including the housing provider, the tenant, the Anchor Agency Services & Supports provider, an external service provider, etc. Acceptance into case management, however, will be based on a pre-determined referral process developed by the housing provider and the City in consultation with the Anchor Agency Services & Supports provider.
Anchor Agency Services & Supports projects must:
- deliver services in person, on-site and, when needed, in tenant’s housing units and have the ability to provide services after hours and on weekends when necessary;
- provide responsive and person-centered low-to medium-intensity case management services in large apartment buildings/complexes with approximately 300 units or more that meet each person’s unique needs and/or complex challenges;
- deliver services with a case load capacity of 1:20-30 tenants per full time (1.0 FTE) staff member who provides case management services and have the ability to adjust the level of case management support provided to scale-up or down based on individual needs and to allow for new tenants to become part of the caseload;
- provide client-directed, goal-oriented service planning that fosters developing independence, integrates appropriate referrals to health and wellness and other community-based supports and/or long-term case management and embeds comprehensive discharge processes;
- provide services and strategies to stabilize housing for people at risk of homelessness, including landlord mediation with the housing provider, support with navigating the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) and arrears repayment; and
- participate in case conferencing between service providers and the housing provider to coordinate care and supports for a tenant.
Community Development and Crisis Management:
Community development and crisis management programming will be applied to the entire building and available to all tenants in the building.
Anchor Agency Services & Supports projects must:
- complete a needs assessment within the building to identify strengths, needs, issues and support gaps among tenants, as well as develop an inventory of existing services available to the building tenants;
- develop and implement ongoing programming, either through direct service or partnerships, that responds to identified and fluctuating needs within the building;
- coordinate services between other organizations providing supports to tenants in the building and help establish connections to additional supports as identified through needs assessments, including supporting connections to health and wellness services;
- develop an on-site reference group that includes stakeholders, such as housing provider staff and building tenants, to ensure programming is responsive to community need and supporting project outcomes; and
- provide/augment crisis response supports to the building should incidents arise.
Data Collection and Reporting Expectations
Anchor Agency Services & Supports projects must:
- participate in City and housing provider committees and working groups, as required;
- participate in an evaluation process of the Anchor Agency service model with the City and the housing provider;
- compile, maintain and provide program statistics and submit activity data and program outcomes, as required; and
- advance the City’s funding priorities, including:
- strengthening our relationship with Indigenous communities and advancing the Reconciliation Action Plan;
- strengthening our relationship with Black communities and advancing the Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism;
- focusing on equity and strengthening our relationship with other equity-seeking communities;
- delivering high-quality services;
- reducing chronic homelessness;
- developing integrated system responses; and
- strengthening and modernizing the sector.
Community Safety Program Requirements (in select locations to be determined)
The City, in partnership with our housing provider partner(s), will identify Anchor Agency locations to support the implementation of a community safety program that will work to address the identified safety needs of the selected building(s) and broader local community. The City will contract a community ambassador safety team service through a separate procurement process.
Anchor Agency Services & Supports projects selected to provide this program must:
- work with a designated City-funded service provider to deliver a community safety program through a community safety ambassador team approach to the site and surrounding area. The City will contract with a community safety ambassador team through a separate procurement process.
These service delivery requirements will form part of the funding agreement for successful applicants.
