EXPLORING EFFECTIVE SYSTEMS RESPONSES TO HOMELESSNESS

PROGRAM AND SERVICE-LEVEL COLLABORATION
Current market
conditions require
that potential tenants
pay more than 30% of
their income on rent,
making market housing
unaffordable and market
housing especially in
the less than $700 range
have a vacancy rate of
about one percent
(Pauly et al., 2013).
2. CASH: A ticket in a supported housing lottery
Every participant noted the lack of safe, adequate, affordable housing in the Greater
Victoria area as a concern impacting homelessness and as essential to solving
homelessness. Current market conditions require that potential tenants pay more
than 30% of their income on rent, making market housing unaffordable and market
housing, especially in the less than $700 range, have a vacancy rate of about one
percent (Pauly et al., 2013). Supported housing is subsidized by government making
rents affordable for individuals on various forms of income assistance and those who
qualify for supported housing.
For the 2014/15 year, there were approximately 50 CASH referrals per month. Of
those 50 referrals, approximately 28 referrals per month were wait-listed. In contrast,
there were approximately 14–15 ready to rent supported housing spaces available on
average per month (see Figure 2, below). Thus, the number of people being waitlisted
per month exceeds the overall number of units available. As a result, there is an
ongoing waiting list and inability to directly house people who are referred and met
the criteria for placement.
FIGURE 2
Number of People Wait-listed Compared to
Vacancies Month by Month (2014/15)
MARCH, 2015
14
43
FEB, 2015
JAN, 2015
DEC, 2014
13
15
15
26
25
31
NOV, 2014
15
28
OCT, 2014
SEPT, 2014
19
20
25
35
AUG, 2014
13
26
JULY, 2014
17
20
JUNE, 2014
12
30
MAY, 2014
APRIL, 2014
9
14
19
27
0 10 20 30 40 50
NEW READY TO RENT
WAIT LIST
42