While implementing programming changes in the homelessness sector at the national level can be a challenge, one way to effectively provide supports to community agencies is through easy-to-use-and-adapt Toolkits. The growing trend of Toolkit development in recent years has both challenged and motivated front-line community agencies working with people experiencing homelessness to make changes to programming that include addressing the needs of different demographics, connecting with the community, and incorporating progressive policies.
In May, three new Toolkits were released, each targeting a specific element of youth homelessness. The first two, released by the Homeless Hub/ Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH), focus on two areas to help youth exit homelessness: employment and housing.
The Youth Employment Toolkit is described as a flexible and adaptable model for implementing youth employment programs. Targeting organizations and youth-serving agencies concerned with at-risk or homeless youth, this Toolkit provides a variety of resources, materials, and case studies to assist with implementing effective employment programming for youth. The model shared in the Toolkit is based on the proven ‘Train for Trades’ program at Choices for Youth in St. John's, Newfoundland.
Transitional housing is a temporary housing situation meant to bridge the gap between homelessness and permanent housing. The Youth Transitional Housing Toolkit acts as a guide, tool, and example for shelters, housing providers, and youth-serving agencies looking to implement transitional housing for at-risk or homeless youth. Similar to the previous Toolkit, it offers a flexible and adaptable model (based on the Foyer model) that can be implemented in a way that best meets the needs of each community. Case studies and resource materials are based on the transitional housing program ‘Rights of Passage’ used at Covenant House Toronto and Covenant House Vancouver.
An estimated 20-40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ2S, yet until recently, very little programming focused on the specific needs of this population. While recent strides have been made in cities like Toronto, where funding for two LGBTQ2S youth shelters has been announced, many communities across the country struggle to provide adequate services to this demographic.
The LGBTQ2S Toolkit for Youth Experiencing Homelessness addresses this gap in services, providing publicly accessible training, tools, programming, policies, and more to community agencies, shelters, and staff working with at-risk youth. This resource, developed by the National Learning Community on Youth Homelessness, is meant to encourage youth-serving agencies to become LGBTQ2S allies and implement specific programming, services, and policies into their current structure, providing a variety of adaptable models based on the unique needs of each agency or community. Creators of the Toolkit are hopeful it will help put an end to the “erasure” of LGBTQ2S homeless youth in the supports our systems provide to youth in-need.
One important, similar element arises in each of these new Toolkits: that they provide flexible and adaptable models that can be shaped to fit the specific needs of individual communities. Addressing homelessness at the national level requires a buy-in from individual communities. While resources and needs differ from community to community (particularly in rural vs. urban communities), providing proven tools that can work in a variety of unique settings is an effective part of the approach to long-term solutions to homelessness.
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News Briefs:
Great Canadian Giving Challenge begins June 1st!
From June 1 – 30th, Canadians are being challenged to donate to charities across the country during what has historically been a ‘light’ giving season. For every dollar donated, charities will be entered to win a $10,000 grand prize, to be announced on Canada Day 2015.
The Great Canadian Giving Challenge is a joint initiative of GIV3, CanadaHelps, and the organizers of Giving Tuesday Canada.
More information on the Great Canadian Giving Challenge can be found at www.givingchallenge.ca .
To visit Raising the Roof’s challenge page, click here.
Medicine Hat the first Canadian city to end chronic homelessness
Medicine Hat adopted the “housing first” approach as a part of the Alberta provincial 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. In the small city of 60,000, this approach has effectively housed 885 people experiencing homelessness since 2009.
The city’s Mayor Ted Clugston has been a champion of the housing first model as a means to eliminate homelessness. In a recent interview, the Mayor said: "In the old days, they expected you to get off the drugs, get off the alcohol, and then maybe give you a house. But housing first basically gives you a place to live, and then wraps the support services around you."
While programming in Medicine Hat is reliant on long-term funding and chronic homelessness in the Alberta community may not be gone for good, this is certainly a success worth celebrating.
Read more here.
Decreasing investment in social housing has put more Canadians at-risk of homelessness, study says
Researchers at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP) have recently released findings on research conducted on the current international trends of social housing and its future.
Canada was one of 12 countries (out of the 16 studied) that saw a significant decline of social housing development from 1990-2011. With social housing investment continuing to decrease at the national level, the risk of homelessness will climb accordingly. Sadly, this does not paint a bright picture for the future of secure, accessible housing.
Read the full report here
CHRA calls for a national response to affordable housing in newly released video
At their 2015 annual Housing and Homelessness Congress in Winnipeg, the CHRA released a new video illustrating the need for increased federal funding for social housing. Detailing the decline of national investment over the last decade and the corresponding rise of homelessness, the video urges Canadian voters to make affordable housing a top priority in the upcoming federal election.
Find out more here.
Homeless point-in-time counts: Regina and Yellowknife
Two Canadian cities implemented their first-ever point-in-time counts for people experiencing homelessness last month. The counts helped to bring local attention to the issue, and provided a good starting point for how to work towards effectively ending homelessness in these communities.
In Regina, approximately 130 volunteers led the count, canvassing different areas around the city. Mayor Michael Fougere spoke to volunteers just before the count began, stating “Measuring what you have as a baseline is critical. That’s how you get to the root of the problem by knowing the extent of the problem, and then you design the programs to deal with if after that”. Results have not yet been released.
In Yellowknife, a different approach to the count was taken. Community members who identified as homeless, vulnerable or at-risk were asked to gather at a public square in the city center. Participants were given a hot lunch and asked to complete a short survey, offering additional insight into specific situations and experience. Count coordinators are hopeful the survey will offer a better understanding of homelessness in the area, allowing the city to shape programming and address the issue accordingly.
Read more about the Regina count here, and Yellowknife here.
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