There are housing gaps for northern seniors, but where?

The North East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) has put together a 23-member expert housing panel to focus on the needs of the frail elderly, homeless and at-risk populations, as well as the region’s vulnerable population groups, including people with mental illness and addiction issues.

Because health and access to safe and affordable housing are so closely linked, the panel will determine what gaps need to be filled, and how to make the best use of public dollars to build new housing and improve current infrastructure.

“It's a really comprehensive look into how to invest differently,” said Catherine Matheson, the North East LHIN's senior director of health system transformation and implementation.

The expert panel was formed shortly after an announcement in March that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing would invest more than $100 million in funding over the next three years for new supportive housing units to improve access for up to 4,000 families and individuals to services like counselling, dispensing medication, and life skills.

“We're a little bit ahead of the game,” Matheson said.

The North East LHIN's expert housing panel includes private sector developers, non-profit groups, hospital representatives and members from municipal and provincial levels of government.

The panel will consult directly with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and is expected to file a draft report on affordable housing gaps in the northeast by June.

Matheson said she expects the province's three-year funding commitment to have a big impact on services in northeastern Ontario.