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NEWS Continued from page 14 Placed faster than single, non-senior individuals and couples due to applicant volumes and available rental stock," he said. “One be der the age of 65 continue to be in high demand." The lack of available, af- fordable rentals for adults living on their own is some- thing that Milton resident Joanne (not her real name) can attest to firsthand. The local woman, who wage and struggling to af- ford a roof over her head, entered the Milton Transi- tional Housing (MTH) pro- gram two years ago. The organization has 10 subsidized units in Halton that are offered to individu- als and families in crisis for atwo-year period. MTH ex. ecutive director Donna ment support to ensure cli- ents leave the program with the tools needed to succeed on their own. And while Joanne's two years is up, with the gram helping her secure 2 a permanent subsidy that e can take with her, she's continuing to live in an 'H unit out of necessity. "There's not a lot out there," she said. an lool joking around sib that ‘would include some utilities, but people are asking for $1,900 to $2,000 and that often in- cludes nothing. Its just re- ally a challengs en, those r rare afford- able units do come up, Jo- anne said it's essentially a hopeless race for the many residents clamouring to se- cure it. “People can't wait to get the affordable places, but I'm also busy working, and by the time! call, they're of- ten gone.” The pandemic has only exacerbated the situation, with Halton reporting a steady uptick in applicants SCAN FOR MORE =f Part tit in our requesting rent-geared-to- income housing since CO- VID-19 emerged locally in March 2020. Atthe same time, Balah- ura _ fewer social hous- ing mo’ out oft homie due to pro- vincially mandated lock- downs. Halton manages 3,902 community housing units, with rent-geared-to-in- come support provided for 8,110 of those households. "Demand remains high, primarily due to unafford- ability in the private mar- ketplace in Halton broad- ly,” said Balahura. "Halton Region saw a seven per cent average increase in rental costs in 2020 alone. In fact, Halton Region has now surpassed Toronto for the highest rents in Onta- rio." While expensive rental Experience Ontario all over again. so much to rediscover in Ontario. From endless parks and trails to bustling cities and local businesses. Let's get back to exploring Ontario. Get started today at destinationontario.com Cr) ents longer than we nor- mally would have as we try to find the right placement for them going forward," she said. "We do have a 100 per cent success rate; all of our graduates have goneon io long-term, sustainable Rouse, But it hasnt been easy this past year and a half." On a positive note, Dan- ielli said Halton hi has been “moving heaven and earth" to find units to subsidize for people in need, with the municipality also bringing all relevant community agencies together in a lead- ership group to collectively address local residents' housing needs. Balahura said Halton is number that exceeded the Region's target and is pro- jected to grow to 972 by the end of the year. Halton has also estab- lished new programs fe help those on the wait list such as a rent oe eran program that houses peo- plein private market units, with funding flowed from the Region to “andlords, and a portable housing benefit, where Halton pro- vides a subsidy directly to jualified residents to help them afford rent in their current unit. But more can and will be done to support local resi- dents, emphasized Balahu- * Housing i is a shared re- sponsibility. All levels of ion continues to advocate to the provincial and feder- al governments for target- 7 The team effort senti. ment was echoed by Ted = ildebran cial planning for Commu- nity Development Halton, 2 who also suggested a great: & er use of safe secondary suites could be encouraged { to help address the issue. " seeing much purpose-built rental housing happening in our community. That becomes a real challenge," he said, adding that as Halton's pop- ulation ages, the need for accessible rental housing will grow as well. root of the issue, Danielli said the very defi- nition of affordable ‘h hous: ing needs to be e: “Most people say eed able housing is 80 per cent ofmarket rent. Butif you're on Ontario Works and you're getting a $500 shelter portion, you're not going to be able to rent anything." ONGUNILE) Yours dscver