Council upends waitlist policy that prioritized high acuity homeless and out-of-towners for RGI housing

Adjusting London's RGI housing waitlist policy A waitlist policy that prioritized homeless and high-needs individuals for discounted public housing may have done more harm than good. Daryl Newcombe reports.

A waitlist policy that prioritized homeless and high-needs individuals for deeply discounted public housing may have done more harm than good.

On Tuesday, council adjusted its Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) Waitlist Placement Ratio to favour local applicants and households who have been waiting for the longest period of time.

Enacted in 2005, the local rule required RGI housing providers to ensure that 90 per cent of placements be from households in the urgent category and only 10 per cent from the chronological list based on the order people applied.

Several RGI housing providers including London Middlesex Community Housing (LMCH) had expressed concerns that the 90-10 housing ratio often resulted in unstable tenants in need of social supports.

The result was often greater damage to units, guest management issues, higher eviction rates, and instability for neighbours.

“We need to move away from the revolving door of constant repairs because we have individuals who are not able to sustain their housing,” Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis told council colleagues.

Council voted to temporarily swing the ratio in favour of the chronological list.

“Eighty per cent of the residents will be coming from the chronological list and 20 percent will be from the urgent priority list,” explained Lewis.

People can been deemed eligible for Urgent Medical, Urgent Social or Urgent Homeless Status.

City staff assured council that high acuity individuals will be more successful in housing with wraparound supports— rather than RGI housing that’s based on their income.

“Those that require additional support, we continue on a regular basis to match them to a number of housing first programs,” explained Kevin Dickins, deputy city manager of social and health development.

Council’s decision also closes the door to out-of-town applicants seeking urgent status.

The changes require households/individuals seeking urgent status on the RGI waitlist to have lived in London or Middlesex County for at least nine months — except when relocation is required to accommodate medical treatment.

“You can no longer get off a bus from another community, register here because you’re homeless, and get on the urgent list,” said Lewis.

A staff report read, “Urgent Medical, Urgent Social, and Urgent Homeless status applications from outside of London-Middlesex make up 28 per cent of the 1,610 households on the RGI waitlist.”

The deputy mayor adding, “People are coming from outside of our community and getting housing because they can claim urgent status because they are homeless. We’re saying not anymore.”

Civic administration will report back on the findings of a comprehensive RGI Waitlist Review next year.