What Social Services learned from the trashing of the Bel Air (6 photos)

The cost of repairing local motel rooms after last year's temporary housing fiasco is still being calculated by District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board.

Jeff Barban, DSSMSSAB's director of housing services, says his best estimate of damages to 38 rooms at three local motels is $165,000.

"Contractors continue to complete repairs to the motel units, however turnaround time is further complicated due to supply chain issues for sourcing items such as glass, carpet etc." Barban says in a report prepared for a DSSMSSAB meeting this Thursday.

"As such, management cannot quantify the final damage and repair costs at this time as repairs are still being completed," he says.

Barban has prepared what's essentially a post-mortem of the homelessness-and-COVID-complicated quagmire that developed last November and December.

The following are excerpts from his report:

"In 2020, the DSSMSSAB approved the purchase of the former Sacred Heart school located at 721 Wellington Street East for the purposes of being renovated to occupy a homeless shelter for men, neighbourhood resource centre, and transitional housing facility."

"Due to lack of exhaustive drawings for the building, supply chain issues, etc. it became clear that the facility would not realistically open until sometime in 2022. In response, the DSSMSSAB began working on opening a temporary homelessness shelter in the summer of 2021 to respond to the increased prevalence of homelessness experienced in the community."

"October of 2021 saw the formation of a homeless encampment established at City Hall. The DSSMSSAB worked with organizers of the movement resulting in our staff securing short-term rental of several local motels for the purposes of offering temporary housing to those community members at the encampment site. Their short-term rental was in place until the temporary low-barrier shelter became operational. Renovations of the low–barrier shelter were complete in the fall of 2021, followed by a staff recruitment campaign and full operation in late 2021."

"The DSSMSSAB began incurring and accruing costs related to the temporary shelter in the fall of 2021. The SSMHC [Sault Ste. Marie Housing Corp.] is responsible for all DSSMSSAB-controlled assets and is therefore best positioned to lease and renovate the temporary shelter, as well as leasing and managing the motel operations and coordination of repairs to these units upon vacancy."

"It is estimated that annual operational costs for the temporary shelter will be $1,020,600. This figure includes estimates for all associated operational costs such as wages, benefits, rent, utilities, maintenance, food, security, etc. The budget for payment of the costs will be covered using a variety of provincial funding mechanisms...."

"Currently, the DSSMSSAB has hired six full-time and three part-time employees under contract. Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has also hired shelter workers to complement the temporary DSSMSSAB staff. This aligns with the previous plan presented to the board that included contracting with CMHA to operate the future shelter at 721 Wellington Street E. site in 2022."

"A memorandum of understanding between both parties is underway as the asset is leased and operated by the SSMHC; but owned by the DSSMSSAB. Full-time staff recruitment with CMHA has been challenged and resulted in a bridging motel for staff between the DSSMSSAB and CMHA until they have recruited their full-time shelter team this year."

Short-term motel usage and repair

"The SSMHC entered into a short-term lease with several local motels for the purposes of providing shelter to community members associated with the encampment last fall who were experiencing homelessness. Originally, DSSMSSAB management, through the SSMHC, rented 38 rooms from two local motels. Very soon after the rooms were rented Algoma Public Health (APH) determined many of the community members staying in these rooms had either tested or screened positive for COVID-19."

"Concerned with staff and guest safety, the owner of the one motel advised DSSMSSAB staff that all people staying at the motel associated with the encampment were to vacate the premise. Faced with the very real prospect of having COVID-19 positive community members with no place to isolate or stay, the chief executive officer and director of community housing and development negotiated the rental of the all rooms at the motel. In order to do so, the SSMHC/DSSMSSAB was required to assume legal property management responsibility for the motel and the owner also sought assurances that any damages to rooms would be recovered."

"During the same time period, Sault Area Hospital (SAH) was also experiencing a significant increase of COVID-19 patients, many of whom were either homeless or had no place to self-isolate. As a result, the motel was quickly occupied at capacity."

"The need to secure adequate isolation space was further challenged by a COVID-19 outbreak within the shelter system causing access restrictions to those facilities. DSSMSSAB staff again reached out to motel owners to secure additional rooms and space. Space was secured, however all owners sought assurances that DSSMSSAB/SSMHC would cover the costs of damages, repairs, etc."

"In total the SSMHC secured and was responsible [for] 38 motel rooms through three different locations. Out of the 38 rooms, all rooms incurred damages and needed repair to varying degrees. Damages of rooms varied from minor to extensive."

"The result clearly and unequivocally highlights the reality that many people within our community who are experiencing homelessness cannot be provided 'a roof over their head.' The need and complexity is must greater than the lack of adequate shelter. Our organization has been providing tenancy opportunities with proper wrap-around supports and services for some time now to those at risk of or experiencing homelessness."

"The situation that unfolded provides a direct example to support the theory that in order for a tenancy to be successful, many individuals who are homeless, or risk of homelessness, require both a place to call home and and in-home supports."

"Of the 40 individuals that were relocated to the new temporary shelter, staff estimate that approximately 95 per cent require supports to have maintain a successful tenancy."

Barban says the needed supports are typically provided by the provincial healthcare system, and include the following:

• mental health professional services
• addictions services
• primary care and prescription medication
• dental services
• cultural services and resources
• housekeeping and personal-need services
• harm reduction services
• peer supports and life skills
• skills development

"These events substantiate the fact that demand for service currently outpaces the ability and capacity of our community partners to currently provide. There are currently only 10 housing units providing 24/7 supports within our community with an additional 13 operating at a support level of eight hours per day."

"Failure to ensure on-site services are provided through a supportive housing complex will result in continuation, at minimum, of the status quo. The costs of providing supportive housing is significant; however as seen in this report, so are the costs of not providing the additional support services."

"Furthermore, the costs of continuing with the status quo will continue to be felt through increased shelter needs, and emergency response costs. Anecdotally, it could also be argued that there is also negative impact to property values in some neighbourhoods, negative feelings towards community safety and diminished community revitalization efforts. Additional negative impacts related to quality of life and ill health of community members and their families dealing with the challenges of mental health, addictions and homelessness."

"The DSSMSSAB transfer of funding ($477,110.16) to the SSMHC will cover the costs of motel repairs and operations of the temporary low barrier shelter."

"The transfer of funding from DSSMSSAB to SSMHC is vital to ensure all the required repairs to the motels are completed and ensures the temporary shelter operations are in place to meet the needs of our community members who are experiencing homelessness. It does not; however, address the urgent need to housing with in-home supports required by members of the community."

On Thursday night, Barban and his CEO Mike Nadeau will ask DSSMSSAB to allocate $477,110 in social services relief funds to pay for damage at the local motels, and to support operations of the low-barrier shelter at the Verdi Hall until renovations are finalized for the permanent shelter at the former Sacred Heart school at 721 Wellington St. East.