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Keenan Research Centre - Research Programs

Centre for Research on Inner City Health - A Survey of Domiciliary Hostel Program Tenants in Ontario

Survey of Domiciliary Hostel Program Tenants in Ontario Download Summary Report (659 kb pdf file)

In 2007, “A Survey of Domiciliary Hostel Program Tenants in Ontario” was commissioned through a Request for Proposals issued by the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services to support policy work and service planning.

The study was conducted by Dr. Stephen Hwang and his research team at the Centre for Research on Inner City Health (CRICH).  The aim of the study was to provide reliable information about the tenants in Domiciliary Hostels, the circumstances that bring people to the hostels, and the circumstances in which they live.  The study conducted face-to-face interviews with 258 participants in 54 Domiciliary Hostels located in Windsor, Essex County, Waterloo, Hamilton, York Region, Ottawa-Carleton, Prescott-Russell, and Cornwall.

The Project Advisory Committee consisted of representatives from:

 

Download the Study:

  1. Summary Report
  2. Highlights Report  (English / French)
  3. Final Report
  4. Domiciliary Hostel Program Survey ( English / French)

 

Key Study Findings:

Since the inception of the Domiciliary Hostel Program more than three decades ago, this program has clearly evolved from housing frail seniors to housing a diverse group of vulnerable adults, including individuals with mental health issues and physical illness, developmental disabilities, as well as the elderly.  Domiciliary Hostel staff assist tenants in a number of ways, including taking their prescribed medications, accompanying them for health visits, and providing social support.  Nonetheless, these individuals tend to use relatively few community services and to have low levels of involvement in community activities.  Tenants of Domiciliary Hostels generally perceive the quality of their housing to be quite good, and 63% express a preference to stay at their current residence.  While it is beyond the scope of the study to make specific policy or program recommendations, it is hoped that the information in the study report will be useful in supporting future policy and program planning.

 

Contact:
Dr. Stephen W. Hwang, MD, MPH, FRCP
Research Scientist, Centre for Research on Inner City Health (CRICH)
Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute
St. Michael’s Hospital
hwangs@smh.toronto.on.ca

 

About the Domiciliary Hostel Program in Ontario:
In the late 1950s, municipalities began to provide financial support for impoverished adults living in unregulated lodging or boarding homes.  In the early 1970s, the province of Ontario began to develop more formalized policies to help provide adults who would be otherwise homeless with shelter and basic needs in lieu of direct financial assistance.  Over the years the program has evolved to become permanent housing for vulnerable adults with a wide range of special service needs, such as persons with mental illness, physical and/or developmental disabilities and/or frail elderly. There are currently 25 Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) in the province of Ontario that house approximately 4,700 Domiciliary Hostel funded tenants.