Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy

Homelessness has an economic and social impact on every community in Canada. The Government of Canada is committed to helping those who are in need and believes that one person who is homeless is one too many.

In June 2018, the Government of Canada announced bold changes to the federal strategy to prevent and reduce homelessness. Reaching Home, the Government of Canada’s redesigned homelessness strategy, doubles support for communities to address the needs of those experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. It replaced the Homelessness Partnering Strategy and officially launched on April 1, 2019. Reaching Home is designed to support the goals of the National Housing Strategy and puts communities at the forefront of tackling homelessness.

Building on the successful adoption of Housing First as a best practice, the Government will work with communities to develop and deliver data-driven community plans with clear outcomes. Reaching Home also introduces Coordinated Access as a program priority. Adopting a federal focus on this approach was a key recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Homelessness.

The goal of Coordinated Access is to help communities ensure equity of access to appropriate resources, prioritize people most in need of assistance and connect people to appropriate services in a more streamlined way. Communities participating in Reaching Home will work toward four core outcomes including: chronic homelessness in the community is reduced; homelessness in the community is reduced overall and for priority populations (e.g. individuals who identify as Indigenous); new inflows into homelessness are reduced; and returns to homelessness are reduced.

The new outcomes-based approach will give communities greater flexibility to identify, test, and apply innovative solutions and evidence-based practices that achieve results for vulnerable people. This means developing targeted responses for various populations, such as Indigenous people, youth, LGBTQ2S communities, immigrants and refugees, survivors of domestic violence, racialized communities, veterans and people with disabilities.

The shift to Coordinated Access supports an integrated systems-based approach where service providers, local communities and orders of government work together to achieve common goals. With Coordinated Access, communities will gather comprehensive data on their local homeless population. In time, communities will be able to establish baselines against which progress will be measured. Communities will be able to monitor trends at the community level, allowing for the sharing of successes as well as determining where more focus or a change in course is needed.

For a copy of the Reaching Home Coordinated Access Guide, click here.

Contact us about: coordinatedaccess@nelsoncares.ca

KOOTENAY SENIORS

Kootenay Seniors is a program of Nelson CARES Society. The goal is to provide supports that allow seniors to live with dignity and joy,

participate in their communities and remain in their own homes as long as possible.

PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

Home Support Program

Transportation Program

Kootenay Seniors Website

 “People who are aging without a lot of family support around them are an incredibly vulnerable population. If you believe we live in caring society, we should take care of each other.”

EMERGENCY HOUSING SERVICES

A safe place to turn when housing becomes uncertain.

Homelessness can happen to anyone. A lost job, a family crisis, or challenges with physical or mental health can quickly push a vulnerable person into a housing emergency. When that happens, Stepping Stones is here.

Operated by Nelson CARES Society, Stepping Stones provides 24/7 emergency shelter for individuals in the Kootenays who have nowhere else to go. Each year, we offer hundreds of people a warm, dry bed, hot meals, and a safe place to regroup.

Many guests stay for only a short time while they stabilize, gather resources, and prepare to return to independent living. Others come back more frequently seeking shelter and support. In every case, our team helps connect people with financial, medical, and housing resources—providing the essentials they need to rebuild their lives.

Stepping Stones is a key part of Nelson CARES Society’s commitment to ending homelessness and expanding access to affordable housing in our community. We are proud to operate this service in partnership with BC Housing.

Contact Stepping Stones at 250.352.9876 if you can help.

“The way society has set itself up has advantaged some people and disadvantaged others. For me advocacy is about trying to ensure access to justice for everyone, to ensure there is fairness for all.”

– Amy Taylor, Advocate

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

People who are applying for a subsidized unit must meet the housing income limit set by BC Housing. As the demand for affordable housing is high, Nelson CARES Society Affordable Housing assesses each applicant’s need for housing based on criteria which includes the applicant’s income, current living situation and personal and family requirements as compared to other applicants. This ensures that priority is given to households in the greatest need.

If you are applying for a non-subsidized unit, the application process is the same.

Nelson CARES Society DOES NOT use any third party real estate brokers and/or agencies in filling vacancies for available units. Please contact our Affordable Housing Team for support in filling out a BC Housing Application.

“Safe and affordable housing is a human right. When individuals and families can create a home, there is space to address health and wellness needs, continue education, and build community belonging.”
~Joanne Motta, Housing Director