Toronto Rent Bank

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The mission of the Toronto Rent Bank Project is to prevent homelessness and stabilize life situations for low-income working households in the Canadian city of Toronto who are on the verge of being evicted. Like food banks serving a population who are in crisis and struggling to meet their most basic needs, the project endeavours through systemic advocacy and change to ensure that tenants at risk of eviction are protected and supported through various means. Timely mediation assistance, information and referral, supportive counselling and interest-free loans ensure that vulnerable tenants in imminent danger of being evicted maintain their housing and that their housing stability is enhanced by these supports. By stabilizing their tenancies, Rent bank services also enable them to begin to work on other means of improving their life situations.

Neighbourhood Information Post has seven formal partners working together: Albion Neighbourhood Services, COSTI Immigrant Services, East York Housing Help, Scarborough Housing Help Centre, WoodGreen Community Centre and York Community Services. With Neighbourhood Information Post as the central co-ordinating agency, the seven agencies make up the Toronto Rent Bank Network. They are all local Housing Help Centres in Toronto, and are responsible for carrying out intake and assessment for Rent Bank applicants. Due to the huge volume of Rent Bank inquiries and phone calls, many of the Rent Bank staff at these centres volunteer extra time to ensure the needs of clients are met. Moreover, each agency commits space and a great deal of administrative resources to the project free of charge. Funding for the project does not consider many of the overhead costs (e.g. rent and office expenses). In this regard, the Toronto Rent Bank Project is truly a model of efficiency, co-operation and effective partnership building.

Over the years, Neighbourhood Information Post and its Rent Bank Project have become a leader in delivering emergency funds to targeted populations. Along the way, very productive partnerships have been established with various organizations, including business corporations. In June 2003, in the aftermath of the SARS crisis, the project assisted United Way of Greater Toronto administer the Molson Hospitality Employees’ Relief Fund in collaboration with Molson Canada. With a donation of close to $450,000 from Molson Canada and Sovereign Insurance, the Rent Bank Project provided rent relief grants to hospitality workers whose employment had been affected by the SARS crisis and faced eviction. As a result of this successful collaboration, 270 households (consisting of 364 adults and 295 children) received rent relief and avoided losing their homes. In administering this special fund, our project also forged productive partnerships with the Labour Education Centre, Hospitality Workers’ Resource Centre, Ontario Association of Hotel Workers, as well other social service providers such as FoodShare, and Community Information Toronto.

The Toronto Rent Bank Project has made a significant contribution to the quality of life in Toronto. It has been highly successful in preventing homelessness for low-income working households and stabilizing their life situations. In doing so, clients are able to begin to work on other means of improving their life situations. The project enhances the other housing help/eviction prevention work that is currently offered in the community. It provides a vital “tool” in housing workers’ “tool box” to help vulnerable individuals and families prevent eviction and homelessness.

The Rent Bank Project is successful because it enables tenants who are in rental units that are protected under the Rent Control Act to preserve their units without having to pay more for rent for new housing units. This is a significant achievement because there is a serious lack of affordable housing in Toronto. To get into social housing, families need to wait as long as ten years. Another unique feature of the Rent Bank Project is the flexibility and interest-free nature of the Rent Bank loans, which helps clients better predict their cash flow, giving them space to get their personal finances back on track again. Clients are learning more about money management and budgeting through this support. It is also important to note that the loans are repayable. Many clients have expressed that making rent bank loan repayments is an empowering experience. Their self-esteem and self-confidence have increased and they are pleased that they are not receiving “hand-outs”. In the absence of more affordable housing, this innovative project fills an important service gap for low-income households in Toronto.

Moreover, through Rent Bank assistance, children are kept in their school districts and communities, without having to go through the trauma of changing day-care or schools, and having to stay in the shelter system. It has also been observed that clients’ health status (both physical and emotional) improves or receives more attention once their housing situations are stabilized. By assisting people in overcoming their financial crises and by stabilizing their life situations, this project indirectly benefits the community through reduced crime, child abuse/neglect, mental health issues and substance abuse. It also decreases the use of food banks, social services, mental health services, child protection services, and the use of emergency shelter. Landlords, too, are pleased with the Rent Bank Project, since Rent Bank loans pay off their tenants’ rental arrears and save them from further eviction proceedings and rent collection activities.

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