Quick PreviewClick to view this email in a browser

 RTR_logo_2c_2009_red_rev.gif                                                                   
                                                                                                  Donate Now
                                                                                                       view past issues 4

housing-again-logo-3.gif
  A monthly e-bulletin highlighting what people are
  doing to put housing back on the public agenda in
  Ontario, across Canada and around the world.

In this issue...

   Number 183 • July 2015


Feature:

Volunteering to Support
20,000 Homes


 
        20K Homes


Launched earlier this year, the 20,000 Homes Campaign aims to support Canadians experiencing homelessness by providing them with housing. Based on the 100,000 Homes campaign in the US which successfully housed 105,580 people experiencing homelessness, the project has the ambitious goal of housing 20,000 in-need individuals by July 1, 2018.
 
The campaign is described as an urgent response to a national emergency. 20K Homes is guided by seven principles:

  • Know every homeless person by name

  • Implement Housing First

  • Understand the community’s unique set of strengths and challenges

  • Use the data to track progress

  • Build a coordinated homelessness system of care

  • Learn from other communities across Canada

  • Provide a united voice at a national and provincial level

One unique aspect of the campaign is its organization: while it is a national initiative being led by the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, it is individual communities that have committed to implementing programming. This ground-up approach aims to address the unique needs of each community, working with various support systems to address homelessness at the local level. Currently, 21 communities have signed on, including 3 in British Columbia, 6 in Alberta, 2 in Saskatchewan, 6 in Ontario, 3 in New Brunswick, and 1 in Nova Scotia.
 
The first stage of the campaign – preliminary data collection – has already taken place in some of these communities. In order to understand the state of homelessness in each area, ‘knowing who’s out there’ is an essential starting point. Obtaining this information requires participation from the leading community agency, but most importantly, a fleet of dedicated volunteers.
 
To better understand this stage of the campaign, I spoke with volunteer Malanie Dani, who recently worked with the City of Hamilton to perform their initial community surveying. Malanie is a Social Work student at York University and a member of the Housing and Homelessness Planning Group in Hamilton, a group responsible for assessing Housing First measures and other proposals made to the City. It was here that she first found out about 20K Homes, and agreed to volunteer as a team lead for data collection.
 
On a cold, rainy day in late April, Malanie and her team of 3 volunteers began street outreach in Hamilton (one of three project pilot cities), seeking to connect with people experiencing homelessness. Their primary task was to identify and survey homeless individuals, information that would provide the foundation for the community’s campaign. Malanie knew their task would not be easy, however encouraged her volunteer team to engage in meaningful conversations with the people they surveyed, focusing on each individual instead of just reaching a certain number of responses.
 
The survey itself consisted of 51 questions which were broken into several categories: general information and consent, history of housing and homelessness, socialization and daily functioning, wellness, and demographic information. Malanie describes the survey as “person-centered and approachable”, though noted she wished it was more “culturally universal”.
 
When asked about the responses, Malanie noted that although they are confidential, she was shocked by two highly prevalent themes. First, the large number of people who identified as Aboriginal and second, the majority of respondents that admitted to having experienced violence while homeless. Malanie also describes one emotional encounter with a young teenager who they spoke with while he panhandled near a GO transit station: “It was difficult to watch, and even more difficult to leave knowing that at the end of the day I’m going home, and he’s not.”

When asked why she felt so passionate about participating as a volunteer with the 20,000 Homes Campaign, Malanie’s answer was two-fold. “As someone who’s experienced poverty in my past, I felt like this was a great opportunity to engage with people with whom I share similar life experience, and empower them to be part of a solution.” She also notes her fondness of their campaign motto: walking with. “For me, it really is walking with, and fighting with. Reaching out to these individuals and telling these people, ‘We are on your side’.”

In Hamilton, 454 individuals were surveyed as part of the 20,000 Homes Campaign thanks to the tremendous support of local volunteers. Dedicated volunteers like Malanie will be required in participating communities across the country in order to ensure the campaign’s early success.

Click here to learn more about the City of Hamilton’s campaign.
 
For more information about the national 20,000 Homes Campaign, visit www.20khomes.ca

 


News Briefs:

Calgary: Supporting LGBTQ2S Youth Experiencing Homelessness
 
The Calgary Homeless Foundation is partnering with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary in a new program to support LGBTQ2S youth who may be experiencing homelessness.

Youth will be placed in homes with host parents. Youth and parents will be assisted by support workers, who will also direct youth to training opportunities and other support programs.
 
The Aura Host Homes program will begin with 16 youth between the ages of 14 and 24 who are currently experiencing homelessness or at-risk.
 
Read the full press release or visit the Calgary Homeless Foundation website for more information.
 
Edmonton: Community Strategy to End Youth Homelessness

  “The Community Strategy outlines a local response to addressing Edmonton’s high risk and homeless youth, and will act as a guide as we plan the youth programming for the rest of the year and beyond.”
-Susan McGee, CEO of Homeward Trust Edmonton

Homeward Trust Edmonton has released a new Community Strategy to End Youth Homelessness centred on Housing First and youth-centred supports. A year in the making, this strategy seeks to connect Edmonton’s youth with safe, secure, stable housing, long term connections to supports, improved wellbeing, education, and employment.
 
Learn more about Homeward Trust Edmonton and the Community Strategy to End Youth Homelessness.
 
Ontario: The Economic Case for Affordable Housing
 
A new report from the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association links affordable housing to economic development in Southwestern and Northern Ontario.
 
The paper looks at the impact of investment in housing on job creation and social outcomes such as health, ability to purchase nutritious food, stress levels, etc.

The authors conclude that increased investment in affordable housing will have a stabilizing impact on communities and they urge regional and municipal governments in Ontario to address affordable housing in economic development plans.
 
The full text of the report can be found here (click to download pdf).

U.S.: Supreme Court Legalized Same-Sex Marriage
 
On June 26th, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that under the Constitution’s guarantees of due process and equal protection, a state cannot ban same-sex marriages, making it legal in all 50 states.
 
The White House showed its support of the decision, with President Obama describing it as a ‘victory’ and the signature rainbow colours displayed proudly on the building’s white façade.
 
While this is certainly a success for gay rights activists, the growing number of LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness remains a prominent concern. One can only hope this legal change results in a greater societal change that better supports America’s LGBTQ youth community.
 
 Read more here.

 

Visit us at:

Raising the Roof
www.raisingtheroof.org

Follow us on:


Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Youtube


If you have a tip or story suggestion for the Bulletin please e-mail: caitlin@raisingtheroof.org
 


RTR_logo_2c_2009_red_rev.gif



If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: Unsubscribe

Click here to forward this email to a friend

Raising the Roof
263 Eglinton Ave. West, Suite 200
Toronto, Ontario M4R 1B1
CA

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

Try Email Marketing with VerticalResponse!