Windsor supportive housing program says its future is 'not sustainable' without more city cash

Paulo Tavares says he'd have nowhere to live if it wasn't for IRIS Residential Inns and Services in Windsor, Ont.

The supportive housing location on Ouellette Avenue near the city's centre provides a foundation for people with persistent serious mental illness. 

"I'd be on the streets," he said.

Tavares, who has schizophrenia, has lived at IRIS for 18 years.

"It's for people who don't have a home to live in. I get good food, [a] good bed, my own room. We love it here, we enjoy it here."

The housing support service is poised to go before council on Monday as part of a city budget delegation session in search of more funding. The group made a similar pitch during last year's budget process.

Karen Soulliere is the chair of the board with IRIS.

She hopes the city will unfreeze funding increases that subsidize their clients.

"What we were hoping for is small increases every year instead of being frozen like we've been since April 2023," said Soulliere, explaining that with inflation, they're falling behind.

As it stands, city council does not plan on revisiting this particular funding matter until 2026, unless they alter the timeline based on Monday's delegation.

'Not sustainable'

Soulliere says at the end of last year they were spending $69 per resident, per day, and getting $60 subsidized from the city. As of today, she says, they're now spending more than $73 — with fundraising making up the difference.

She says if it wasn't for local donors chipping in they likely couldn't keep their doors open.

"We shouldn't be relying on donations for operating costs. So far, they've been very supportive and we've been very lucky."

Soulliere says their goal is to secure IRIS's future and right now it's "not sustainable."

"We're always scrambling, trying to find ways to figure out how to make it work with what funds we have. We're kind of very bare-bone budget as it is. We have been for some time. Without our donors, we couldn't stay open."

Kirk Whittal, the executive director of housing and children's services with the city, says he understands the home is facing challenges. However, he adds, it's one of 20 homes across the region receiving municipal funding.

"If I gave an increase in this system, I potentially have to give a decrease to other operators in other pieces of the homeless system as well. So, it's the same kind of pressures all the way around," he said. 

"From my organization, our team is sitting there trying to balance the system as best we can."

He added the other "big piece" is that his team advocates for more support through upper levels of government.

CBC News has reached out to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for comment.

There are currently 67 residents at the facility with the city partially subsidizing 59 of those spots, Soulliere says. The remaining residents pay their own way.

The majority of clients have schizophrenia, are over the age of 50 and are male. Other common diagnosis among residents include bipolar, depression and schizoaffective disorder.

"People with serious mental illness that would otherwise be homeless," she said. "So the worst case scenario is if we had to close, those folks would be on the streets."

She says each "vulnerable" resident has their medication monitored by staff, and that hospitals are only notified when critical issues arise to facilitate necessary wellness plans.

"It keeps people out of hospital. Some who are chronic users of the hospital before had to have multiple hospitalizations — and [it] also keeps them from being homeless."

With a funding gap that's getting "bigger and bigger," according to Soulliere, it's difficult to look too far into the future as it relates to the supportive housing group, she says.

"It's getting scary too. Everybody's in a tight spot right now and everybody has different … financial issues that they're dealing with."

Whittal stresses the city knows IRIS homes has a tough job.

"They do a great job and it's not easy and we certainly realize that," Whittal said.