For people with justice involvement and mental health or addictions issues, supportive housing can foster stable lives, better health, and reduced service use. But who sets priorities when needs are complex and multiple service systems are involved? CMHA Toronto and Wellesley Institute have partnered with AMHO and the Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness in a community-led initiative. Their 2019 justice-focused project is developing a consensus-based, evidence-informed plan for action in supportive housing. This includes identifying the housing and support needs of this population; documenting successes, gaps, and shortfalls in existing programs; and pointing to priorities and next steps. This project is one component of broader efforts to develop a supportive housing growth plan for Toronto. The workshop will describe this justice-focused work and the resulting findings and recommendations. It will point to funding opportunities, and include reflections on adapting this approach in other Ontario communities.
Presenters: Irma Molina, Frank Sirotich, Greg Suttor
