2021 – 2022 Community Homelessness Report Summary

Collaboration between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Partners

Specific to the implementation of Coordinated Access and an HMIS, has there been collaboration between the Designated Community (DC) Community Entity (CE) and local Indigenous organizations?

• Yes.

Describe how this collaboration was done and how it affected the implementation of Coordinated Access and/or the HMIS. How will it be strengthened in the future?

• We work closely with local Indigenous organizations in a variety of capacities. On both our Coordinated Access Advisory Committee, and our Community Advisory Board, we have representation from Brantford Native Housing - a prominent Indigenous service provider in Brantford-Brant. Through consistent contact and relationship building, we are continuing to strengthen these collaborations.

Specific to the implementation of Coordinated Access and an HMIS, has there been collaboration between the DC CE and the Indigenous Homelessness (IH) CE and/or Community Advisory Board (CAB), where applicable?

• Yes.

Describe how this collaboration was done and how it affected the implementation of Coordinated Access and/or the HMIS. How will it be strengthened in the future?

• We actively engaged both the IH CE and CAB over the past year regarding the implementation of Coordinated Access and the implementation of HIFIS. We have not had the level of engagement from the IH CAB that we had hoped, however we will continue to work through this in 23/24 and ensure input with regards to the continued implementation of Coordinated Access has stronger Indigenous engagement. This was done during regularly scheduled CAB meetings where de-identified data from HIFIS and additional information is openly shared. As Brantford Native Housing is part of our Coordinated Access Advisory Committee, they have been given the opportunity to provide input on new policies and procedures created to support our shelter providers and the system as a whole.

With respect to the completion of the Community Homelessness Report (CHR), was there collaboration between local Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations and, where applicable, the IH CE and/or CAB?

• Yes.

Describe when this collaboration occurred and what parts of the CHR were informed by these efforts.

• Once drafted, the CHR was sent to our CAB, inclusive of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations for feedback and updates. Each member was given the opportunity to fully review the report, ask questions, and make changes as needed.

Does your community have a separate IH CAB?

• Yes.

Was the CHR also approved by the IH CAB?

• No.

Please explain how engagement will happen with the IH CAB during next year’s CHR process.

• The CE continues to prioritize liaising and building strong relationships with the Indigenous community and the Indigenous CAB in order to better serve the Indigenous homeless population. Indigenous partners from the following organizations were asked to review and provide feedback on the CHR:
• Brantford Native Housing (Hotinohsioni), Brantford Regional Indigenous Support Centre, and the De dwa da dehs nye>s (Aborignal Health Centre). As referenced above, the CE and CAB will continue to prioritize engagement with the IH CAB moving forward in the on-going work being completed.

Coordinated Access and Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS) Self-Assessment

Summary Tables

The table below provides a summary of the work your community has done so far to meet the Reaching Home minimum requirements for Coordinated Access and an HMIS.

 The table below shows the percentage of minimum requirements completed for each core Coordinated Access component.

Summary Comment

Are there particular efforts and/or issues that you would like to highlight for this reporting period related to your community’s work to achieve the Reaching Home minimum requirements? In particular, please include an update about your community’s efforts to set-up, sustain and/or improve the Coordinated Access system and use of an HMIS.

We have been working hard with the support of Built For Zero to achieve Coordinated Access and Reaching Home requirements. We were the 14th community to achieve the requirements for Reaching Home level Coordinated Access in December 2021. In April 2022, we achieved Basic Quality Coordinated Access, the ninth community in Canada to reach this milestone. We continue to work with our community partners to sustain coordinated access with our Coordinated Access Advisory Committee, and are continually improving the data quality of HIFIS.

Outcomes-Based Approach Self-Assessment

Where does data for the List come from? Excel, HIFIS, other HMIS, other data source(s), not applicable – do not have a List yet.

• HIFIS.

Optional question: How does data from the List compare to other community-level data sources that are considered reliable? This is an optional follow-up question for communities that have completed the “CHR Community-Level Data Comparisons”.

• Community did not complete this optional question.

Summary Table

The table below provides a summary of the work your community has done so far to transition to an outcomes-based approach under Reaching Home.

Summary Comment

Are there particular efforts and/or issues that you would like to highlight for this reporting period related to your community’s work to transition to an outcomes-based approach under Reaching Home?

We have continued to actively engage with any and all service providers who may benefit from utilizing HIFIS and therefore contribute to the By-Name list. We actively seek new partners to join our local homelessness system of care and share the importance of data quality with each partner. The By-Name list has been used to prioritize individuals, and provide us with real- time statistics for planning purposes, including the Unsheltered Case Conference Table, and looking to plan for winter shelter options.

Community-Level Core Outcomes – Annual Data Reporting

Based on the information provided in the Community Homelessness Report, the community does not have to report annual community-level outcomes for the reporting period.

• People who experienced homelessness at least one day that year. Chart not included. No data for reporting year.
• People who were newly identified that year. Chart not included. No data for reporting year. 
• Returns to homelessness that year. Chart not included. No data for reporting year. 
• Indigenous peoples who experienced homelessness at least one day that year. Chart not included. No data for reporting year. 
• People who experienced chronic homelessness at least one day that year. Chart not included. No data for reporting year. 

Community-Level Core Outcomes – Monthly Data Reporting

• Outcome #1: Fewer people experience homelessness (homelessness is reduced overall)
• People who experienced homelessness for at least one day that month. Chart not included. No data for reporting year except for March 2022 with 400 people reporting out of target of 200 people. 

Have you changed any data as submitted in a previous CHR for Outcome #1? If yes, in the comment below please describe what was changed and why?

• Not applicable.
• Outcome #2: Fewer people were newly identified (new inflows to homelessness are reduced)
• People who were newly identified (that month). Chart not included. No data for reporting year except for March 2022 with 47 people reporting out of target of 25 people. 

Have you changed any data as submitted in a previous CHR for Outcome #2? If yes, in the comment below please describe what was changed and why?

• Not applicable.
• Outcome #3: Fewer people return to homelessness (returns to homelessness are reduced)
• Returns to homelessness that month. Chart not included. No data for reporting year except for 2 people in March 2022 with a target of 1 person.

Have you changed any data as submitted in a previous CHR for Outcome #3? If yes, in the comment below please describe what was changed and why?

• Not applicable.
• Outcome #4: Fewer Indigenous peoples experience homelessness (Indigenous homelessness is reduced)
• Indigenous peoples who experienced homelessness for at least one day that month. Chart not included. No data for reporting year except for March 2022 with 70 people reporting out of target of 30 people. 

Have you changed any data as submitted in a previous CHR for Outcome #4? If yes, in the comment below please describe what was changed and why?

• Not applicable.
• Outcome #5: Fewer people experience chronic homelessness (chronic homelessness is reduced)
• People who experienced chronic homelessness for at least one day that month. Chart not included. No data for reporting year except for March 2022 with 130 people reporting out of target of 60 people. 

Have you changed any data as submitted in a previous CHR for Outcome #5? If yes, in the comment below please describe what was changed and why?

• No we have not.