About Homelessness

Affordable Housing Program

Objective of the Program

To provide secure, affordable and modest housing to individuals and families in the Region of Peel.

Background: Why We Need Affordable Housing in Peel

• The length of Peel’s social housing waiting list reflects the need for more affordable housing options and is an indicator of the local affordability problems.
• The current demand and strain on all social services demonstrates that families are striving to pay rent and housing costs and have little left to purchase food and clothing.
• Adequate affordable housing is the cornerstone to combating homelessness and poverty in a community.
• Stable and affordable housing provides a secure base for families to flourish. Adults are able to live and work in the same community, allowing for stronger personal economic well-being as well as at the same time, contributing to the overall economic growth of the community.
• Children who have a more stable living environment are given the opportunity for better emotional and cognitive development and optimal personal growth.
• The overall community benefits, as there becomes less strain on the shelter system, which can be very costly to a community’s economic development.
• Participation in the Affordable Housing Program represents an excellent opportunity to develop and support new affordable housing initiatives.

Implementation

• On April 29, 2005, the Affordable Housing Agreement was signed and the Region of Peel was allocated a total of $39.61 million under Wave 1 of the new Affordable Housing Program (AHP).
• $32.55 million was made available for the creation of 465 rental and supportive units.
• No direct rent-geared-to-income subsidies are associated with the capital funding.
• Rents for the units must not exceed 80 per cent of the CMHC average market rent for the area.
• Initiatives such as the Rent Supplement Housing Allowance program give individuals and families the opportunity to live in units with reduced rents to alleviate economic strain while they are waiting on the centralized social housing waiting list. There is a total of 270 units allocated to this component of the AHP
• Specific client groups being targeted for the AHP are families and singles; victims of family violence; individuals experiencing mental health issues; and seniors.

Results

• The new units created under this program will be of greatest assistance to the above-mentioned target groups and those deemed to be the ‘working poor’ on the PATH waiting list.
• Individuals and families are becoming more stable and healthy and are contributing more to the overall growth of the communities that they call home.
• By having the opportunity to obtain housing at affordable rent rates, many of the social housing residents in Peel have been able to move from subsidized housing to market rentals, and some have been able to move into homeownership.

Capital Projects Underway through the Affordable Housing Program

Next Steps

• Peel believes that adequate affordable housing is essential to building healthy, stable communities and to address the disturbing rise of homelessness in the Region. However, sustainable funding from senior levels of government is necessary to protect our investment into the future.
• The continuous growth of Peel’s population and ever-changing demographics of the region puts the affordable housing supply in high demand; such demand that it is impossible to accommodate all of the residents who are in need.
• Without contributions form the provincial and federal governments, Peel sees its social housing stock and its ability to provide affordable housing to be seriously compromised in the near future.

Contact

Drew Goursky, Manager, Housing Initiatives, 905-453-1300, ext 3571
Region of Peel, 5 Wellington St. East, Brampton, ON L6W 1Y1