Supportive housing is the key to ending chronic homelessness, and provides a stable foundation for people living with mental illness or addictions. In Toronto, people apply for this housing through The Access Point, a community agency that works with housing providers. More than 14,000 people are on this waiting list.
What are the characteristics of people who have applied for supportive housing – demographics, homelessness, mental health or addiction issues, housing preferences, and support needs? What are the wait times, and who is more likely to be housed sooner? This report provides some answers to these and related questions.
This research report was a collaborative project of The Access Point, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Toronto Branch, and the Wellesley Institute.
The report also identifies implications of the findings – for The Access Point, supportive housing providers, funders, policy makers, and others. The implications range from strategic investments to operational changes. There is a need to expand the supportive housing system, but also to prioritize effectively and provide various options for applicants. For a summary of key findings see the summary report and highlights.