Habitat Services

Mission Statement: “Habitat Services strives to improve the quality of housing for tenants marginalized by poverty and their mental health status by contracting with landlords and providing recovery based support”. History: In the 1980s, advocates, mental health workers and housing providers voiced serious concerns about consumer/survivors of the mental health system being housed in boarding homes with very poor living conditions. Habitat Services was established in 1987 to help address these concerns and improve the quality of life for tenants. The City of Toronto, the Ministries of Community and Social Services, Health, Housing, the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto and the Supportive Housing Coalition discussed strategies. They developed the concept of using a contract to standardize services and improve housing standards in boarding homes. The details were worked out in consultation with consumer/survivors, advocates, representatives of the provincial and municipal governments, mental health workers and boarding home owners/operators. The result was the Habitat Services contract model. Funding: Habitat Services is funded by the Toronto-Central Local Health Integration Network. The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and the City of Toronto jointly fund the subsidy program. Habitat Services Model: The Habitat model is unique in Ontario. It is based on a contract between Habitat Services, a non-profit agency, and the owners of private sector and non-profit boarding homes. Regular monitoring of the houses ensures compliance with the contract and its attached standards. On-site housing support services for tenants are provided by staff of either Habitat Services or Cota. Habitat Services funds and monitors 45 boarding homes and 15 apartment units at sites across the City of Toronto. Habitat funded homes and apartments provide permanent housing for 931 adults.