Housing & Supports
Coordinated Access
Coordinated Access ensures those with the greatest need are served first. Housing First is not “first come, first served.” Instead, it matches people who are experiencing homelessness with the best service available to meet their needs.
To create a simple, and streamlined process, the “No Wrong Door Approach” has been created so people seeking assistance can go to one of the multiple screening locations within the city and experience the same consistent assessment. This ensures people and families experiencing homelessness can access the services they need and are eligible for, without having to call or visit multiple social service programs.
Supported Referrals
Supported Referrals is an ‘upstream’ intervention intended to reduce inflow into chronic homelessness by providing housing support and financial assistance to single adults and families who may have some barriers to accessing housing on their own. Individuals receiving a Supported Referral are assisted through a one-time financial payment that covers the start-up costs of moving into a new permanent home, such as security deposit, first month’s rent, groceries and tenant home insurance, with the purpose of restoring housing stability and participant independence. Individuals connect with workers on a monthly basis for at least six months to make sure they are maintaining housing stability.
Landlord Relations
Landlords play a vital role in Homeward Trust’s goal to end homelessness as more than 80% of people in Housing First programs live in market rental units. Renting units across the city—as opposed to concentrating participants in certain neighbourhoods or buildings—is proven to provide significantly better outcomes for both program participants and communities. Homeward Trust’s Landlord Relations team supports the success of the Housing First program by working with landlords to answer questions, address issues, and maintain positive relationships.
Rental Assistance Program
Homeward Trust helps Housing First clients who face barriers or difficulties in paying their own rent in market rental units. The program offers a subsidy that is paired alongside the client’s income support or employment income to ensure their rent is paid in full each month and that their housing stability is not at risk due to late or insufficient funds. The intent of the subsidy is to provide financial assistance until the client reaches financial independence or becomes accepted in the CRHC (Capital Region Housing Corporation) subsidy program, which is a long-term and permanent subsidy program.
Training
Homeward Trust offers staff and partnering agencies extensive training opportunities. Housing First workers regularly attend workshops and training sessions, learning about best practices, and refining the skills needed to best help their clients.
All staff and frontline workers in funded programs attend Indigenous Diversity Training. This is provided to over 200 participants annually and shares knowledge about Indigenous culture, history, and legal rights.
