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This Chapter summarizes the main findings of the evaluation. It also highlights key factors leading to the success that has been achieved and some areas for improvement in any future federal government activity on homelessness.

9.1 Key Evaluation Findings

In reviewing the evaluation findings in light of the strategic objectives of the NHI and the operational objectives of the SCPI, Aboriginal Homelessness and Youth Homelessness components, the evaluation has found that there has been substantial progress made in most areas.

The review of the design, implementation and early results of the SCPI indicate that there are no apparent major flaws in the SCPI delivery model and that the premises underlying the community-based approach have been borne out thus far. The design features of the SCPI have allowed an appropriate balance between the flexibility communities require and the government's need for accountability. The combination of program funding and the planned, community-driven approach to allocating that funding has resulted in a considerable enhancement of community capacity to address homelessness in the great majority of the communities examined.

The Aboriginal Homelessness component of the NHI faced significant design and implementation challenges. There were initial delays and restrictive funding guidelines, a lack of dedicated planning funds and a generally lower capacity to conduct research and develop community plans in Aboriginal communities. These factors had an impact on the progress of most Aboriginal communities and caused delays in the implementation of the initiative, as evidenced by the low level of project expenditure allocations to date. While there have been some gains in terms of Aboriginal community planning around homelessness, on the whole there has been considerably less progress in addressing Aboriginal homelessness than in the mainstream communities.

Despite their similarities, concerns about the design and implementation of the Youth Homelessness component were less significant than those of the Aboriginal Homelessness component. The separation of Youth funding from the SCPI funding, the limited initial terms and conditions, and the fact that HRDC maintained administrative and decision-making authority over youth funds, resulted in some inconvenience on the part of community members and a delay in allocating Youth funds. However, in most cases, youth serving agencies were integrated into the community planning process, which enabled communities to fund youth homelessness projects as an integrated part of the community strategy.

One of the most positive evaluation findings comes from the analysis of the incremental impact of SCPI funding. The analysis shows that federal resources have significantly built upon pre-existing investments in homelessness and that the Initiative may have helped to generate additional investments from non-federal partners. This finding is reinforced by evidence that the investments in facilities and services are in keeping with the continuum of supports approach that the federal government sought to encourage.

While there was some success in coordinating the SCPI, Aboriginal Homelessness and Youth Homelessness components of Initiative, the non-HRDC components were, for the most part, managed separately both nationally and locally. The evaluation concludes that, overall, the NHI did not succeed in establishing a coordinated federal response to address homelessness.

The Research component has not yet produced the results initially anticipated. It has been successful in setting a research agenda, and developments have been made with respect to the HIFIS data collection system. However, a relatively small budget commitment to research and to the dissemination of information on homelessness has meant that Canada is still at an early stage in the development of basic knowledge of the nature and extent of homelessness.

9.2 Key Success Factors

• The SCPI model of devolving control over the funding allocation process to the community level, with safeguards to ensure that federal objectives are addressed, has been an important factor in fostering a wide-reaching mobilization of communities to address homelessness.
• The SCPI requirement for community planning has resulted, in most communities, in increased partnerships, and planning and decision-making structures and processes. Together, these represent a significant increase in community capacity to address homelessness.
• The support provided by local HRDC staff in implementing the Initiative was widely viewed as critical to its success in most communities, and presented a renewed proactive, collaborative face of the federal government that was welcomed by service providers.
• The flexibility of the SCPI terms and conditions allowed communities to make a wide array of investments that were not possible previously, and at the same time provided adequate assurance that expenditures were in keeping with SCPI objectives.
• Consultations with provincial governments prior to the SCPI, the requirement that communities find matching funds, the wide-reaching, collaborative approach to community planning that often included other levels of government, the severity of the homelessness problem and communities' desire to address the problem, all appear to have contributed to SCPI funds being 100% incremental, relative to pre-existing investments on homelessness.

9.3 Areas in Need of Improvement

• Clarification of roles and responsibilities is needed at the most senior level in relevant federal departments and agencies, to establish a more cohesive pan-federal approach to addressing homelessness.
• Federal government senior management in the regions need clear direction to participate in the federal homelessness initiative, to ensure that relevant programs and policies are informed by the federal and community strategies, and to present a coherent federal presence in communities in relation to homelessness.
• There is potential to increase collaboration between the federal government and some provincial and municipal governments, particularly at the community level.
• In partnership with governments, communities will need to address the continuing demand for more transitional and supportive housing facilities and services, to enable people living in shelters to progress toward greater independence when they are ready, and to free shelter space for others who need it.
• Capacity to address Aboriginal homelessness may be enhanced in future by the allocation of funds dedicated to community planning, research, and other capacity building functions. Aboriginal communities would continue to benefit from having the choice between joint planning with mainstream communities on one hand, and independent community planning on the other.
• The brevity of the SCPI's three-year time frame placed pressure on communities (and on the NSH and regional HRDC staff) to carry out an exhaustive community consultation and planning process, build decision making structures, allocate project funding, monitor progress, and reassess priorities, all in a very short timeframe. The "urgent needs" funding process was often in conflict with the planned and consultative approach. Especially for communities at an earlier stage in dealing with homelessness, a longer time frame would take into account the time required to build capacity, consult widely, plan accordingly, and implement projects effectively.
• Communities with dynamic community development initiatives and strong project development capacity in relation to homelessness have been better able to target spending in line with their priorities. Continued support for community development initiatives will help communities to address homelessness.
• There is room for improvement in the quality of some community plans, particularly in the availability of comprehensive background information and in the setting of clear priorities. Clearer standards, guidance and assistance in this regard may be needed for future community planning exercises.
• Investment in research on homelessness has been insufficient to make progress in establishing baseline data on the nature and extent of the problem. Research conducted to date is inadequately developed to support communities and the federal government in their efforts to monitor progress and identify effective approaches to alleviating homelessness. Given the time required to develop solid research, communities and governments would benefit from a continued effort to develop research on homelessness sooner rather than later.³²

Footnotes

32	Appendix F presents elements that should be part of any future research program, as identified by key informants.