Housing the Homeless and Poor: New Partnerships Among the Private, Public, and Third Sectors

310 Pages·1990·15.755 MB·English

by  George Fallis, Alex Murray

Housing the Homeless and Poor
New Partnerships among the Private,
Public, and Third Sectors
Housing is fast becoming the most critical issue facing North American
cities today. In Canada a quarter of a million people a year find
themselves, at some time, on the streets without permanent shelter. For
some individuals, and a growing number of families, housing is simply
beyond reach altogether, and the numbers of homeless have become
legion, even in our wealthiest cities.
The first four essays in this volume explore the housing problem as a
social, economic, and political issue. They present an overview of the
problem, with an analysis of who the homeless are and how great are
their numbers; a study of how the housing market is structured; a
review of policy developments in various levels of government; and an
examination of the breakdown of consensus for housing policy.
The essays in the second part discuss the possibilities of new roles for
municipalities, the private sector, and non-profit groups (the third
sector). Although most homeless people and those with severe housing
problems live in privately owned rental housing, this sector has been
little involved in developing housing programs. Experience in other
countries suggests there are other ways in which the strengths of the
private sector can be effectively combined with public and third-sector
programs.
A final chapter draws out the central themes and conclusions,
suggesting that the most promising solutions lie in partnerships among
government at one or more levels, private, and non-profit sectors. It also
considers the role of those least often included in the debate: the poor
themselves.
GEORGE FALLIS teaches in the Department of Economics at York
University.
ALEX MURRAY teaches in the Faculty of Environmental Studies, York
University.
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Housing the Homeless
and Poor
New Partnerships among
the Private, Public, and
Third Sectors
Edited by
George Fallis
Alex Murray
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS
Toronto Buffalo London
www.utppublishing.com
University of Toronto Press 1990
Toronto Buffalo London
Printed in Canada
Reprinted in paperback 1991
ISBN 0-8020-2689-3 (cloth)
ISBN 0-8020-6722-0 (paper)
Printed on acid-free paper
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Main entry under title:
Housing the homeless and poor
Papers originally presented at a symposium sponsored
by the Canadian Real Estate Association and the
Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
ISBN 0-8020-2689-3 (bound). - ISBN 0-8020-6722-0 (pbk.)
1. Homeless persons - Housing - Canada - Congresses.
2. Poor - Housing - Canada - Congresses. I. Fallis,
George, 1947- . II. Murray, Alex L.
1107287.96x311681990 363-5'96942'o97i 9€ 0-093048-9
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii
1 GEORGE FALLIS AND ALEX MURRAY
Introduction 3
2 ALEX MURRAY
Homelessness: The People 16
3 GEORGE FALLIS
The Urban Housing Market 49
4 RAMESH MISHRA
The Collapse of the Welfare Consensus? The Welfare State in the
19808 82
5 KEITH G. BANTING
Social Housing in a Divided State 115
6 LANGLEY KEYES
The Private-Sector Role in Low-Income Housing 164
7 JEANNE M. WOLFE AND WILLIAM JAY
The Revolving Door: Third-Sector Organizations and the
Homeless 197
8 TOM CARTER AND ANN McAFEE
The Municipal Role in Housing the Homeless and Poor 227
vi Contents
9 GEORGE FALLIS AND ALEX MURRAY
Reflecting on the Problems and Possibilities 263
APPENDIXES
1 Vienna Recommendations on Shelter and Urban Development
(1986) 271
2 Symposium Recommendations on the Private-Sector Role 288
SYMPOSIUM PARTICIPANTS 29!
CONTRIBUTORS 293
INDEX 295
Acknowledgments
The re'search that led to this book was generously supported by the
Canadian Real Estate Association and Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation. Their contribution also included encouragement to focus
on real policy problems and to adhere to deadlines. The views expressed
in this book, are, of course, those of the editors and authors and do not
represent the views of either the association or the corporation. Having
set the basic agenda, both sponsors let the authors follow their research
where it led. The participants at the symposium where the papers were
first presented greatly enriched the development of the research. Numer-
ous secretarial and administrative members of staff at York University, in
the Faculty of Environmental Studies and the Department of Economics,
gave generously of their time and goodwill in seeing a lengthy and
complicated project to its conclusion. Finally, we owe a great debt to
Lydia Burton who not only copy edited the book, but also patiently
advised and encouraged us throughout.
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Housing the Homeless and Poor