Commonly used sector terms – Edmonton region.

Last updated: May 18, 2022

The following terms and definitions are commonly used within Edmonton’s homeless-serving system. This glossary is provided to support Edmontonians with a general understanding of the terms used across the housing and homelessness sector. The definitions are not all-encompassing and intended to be a reference tool.

All terms are operationally defined within the confines of Homeward Trust.

This glossary is a living document, subject to change to reflect the evolving use of language.

7 CITIES ON HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS: In Alberta, refers to the lead organizations responsible for the implementation of local plans to end Homelessness. The seven Alberta Cities—Calgary, Grand Prairie, Lethbridge, Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Red Deer and Wood Buffalo—coordinate local plans at a systems level and align funding resources for greater impact and progress towards ending homelessness.

ACCESS: The engagement point for an individual or family experiencing a housing crisis. This may include emergency shelters, mobile outreach teams, day centres, other community-based organizations and hotlines.

ACUITY: An assessment of the level of complexity of a person’s experience. Acuity is used to determine the appropriate level, intensity, duration, and frequency of case managed supports to sustainably end a person’s or family’s homelessness. In Edmonton, the SPDAT is the tool used to determine acuity. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Rental or ownership housing that requires capital subsidies or capital subsidies plus ongoing operating subsidies. Affordable housing also has rents or payments below average market cost, and is targeted for long-term occupancy by households who earn less than median income for their household size. Market housing units and short-term accommodation are not included in this definition. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

ALBERTA SUPPORTS (PREVIOUSLY ALBERTA WORKS): The province of Alberta’s Income Support system. It is administered by Alberta Employment and Immigration and helps unemployed people find and keep jobs, helps employers meet their need for skilled workers and helps Albertans with low income cover their basic costs of living. There are four different components to Alberta Supports: Employment and Training Services, Income Support, Child Support Services, and Health Benefits. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT (ACT): A team treatment approach designed to provide comprehensive, community-based psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation, and support to persons with serious and persistent mental illness, often existing concurrently with addictions, and chronic health issues. The ACT team will typically engage people immediately after they have secured permanent housing and will regularly offer a variety of services to choose from. Services may be delivered in people’s homes or in community offices or clinics. ACT teams might include social workers, physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, counsellors, addictions specialists, housing specialists, employment specialists, administrative assistants, and other professionals.

ASSURED INCOME FOR THE SEVERELY HANDICAPPED (AISH): A program that provides financial assistance (living allowance), supplementary assistance (child benefits and personal benefits) and health-related assistance for adult Albertans who have a permanent disability that severely impairs their ability to earn a livelihood. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

AT-RISK OF EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS: A person or family that is experiencing difficulty maintaining their housing and has no alternatives for obtaining subsequent housing. Circumstances that often contribute to becoming at-risk of homeless include eviction; loss of income; unaffordable increase in the cost of housing; discharge from an institution without subsequent housing in place; irreparable damage or deterioration to residences; and fleeing from family violence. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

BRIDGE HOUSING: A short-term, continuous stay accommodation that helps people ‘bridge’ the gap from homelessness to permanent housing. On site and in-reach support are offered to assist individuals with meeting basic needs, while individuals work with community supports to secure permanent housing as rapidly as possible. Residents stay for an average of 30 to 90 days before moving on to housing that works for them.

BY NAME LIST (BNL): All known individuals experiencing homelessness in Edmonton who have connected with an access point for housing assistance. In Edmonton, there are over 60 access points where individuals and families can be screened and enrolled on the BNL.

CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS: Those who have either been experiencing homelessness continuously for a year or more or have experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years. People experiencing chronic homelessness face long term and ongoing homelessness related to complex and persistent barriers related to health, mental health, and addictions.

Chronic homelessness includes time spent in the following contexts:

Staying in unsheltered locations, that is public or private spaces without consent or contract, or places not intended for permanent human habitation (Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH) Typology: 1.1 and 1.2).

Staying in emergency shelters, including overnight shelters for people experiencing homelessness (including those for specific populations, such as youth, families, and newcomers), shelters for people impacted by family violence, and emergency shelters for people fleeing a natural disaster or destruction of accommodation (COH Typology: 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3).

Staying temporarily with others without guarantee of continued residency or the immediate prospects for accessing permanent housing, or short-term rental accommodations (for example, motels) without security of tenure (COH typology: 3.2 and 3.3). This is known as provisionally housed.

CLIENT: A person served by utilizing the services of a social agency. May also be referred to ‘participant’. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

CONTINUUM OF HOUSING: The spectrum of accommodation options that meet a range of needs and standards, including physical adequacy, space and capacity, and affordability. The continuum is often used in reference to a model of housing and support services whereby people progress from one end of the spectrum (short-term housing) towards the other (safe and affordable market housing). In the City of Edmonton’s Affordable Housing Strategy, this continuum is referred to as the “housing spectrum”. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

Please note: The term is not intended to imply progression in a step-wise fashion from emergency shelter towards homeownership – it simply represents the full range of options that match people’s needs and preferences with appropriate forms of housing and supports (if needed).

COORDINATED ACCESS (CA)*: A system-wide program designed to meet the needs of individuals and/or families experiencing homelessness first and creates a more efficient homeless-serving system by helping people move through the system faster, reducing new entries to homelessness, and improving data collection and quality to provide accurate information on client needs. It is designed to match individuals and families experiencing homelessness with the right supports for housing, based on their needs.

In Edmonton, the Coordinated Access Program is operated by the team at Homeward Trust and includes the network of 60+ participating agencies across the city. Community-wide participation in Coordinated Access is supported by a centralized database system called Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) and training of front-line staff.

CORE HOUSING NEED: A household is in core housing need if its housing does not meet one or more of the adequacy, suitability or affordability standards and it would have to spend 30% or more of its before-tax income to access local housing that meets all three standards. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

COUCH SURFING: Temporarily sleeping at friends and/or family’s places on a regular or intermittent basis, moving from household to household. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

DIVERSION*: An upstream intervention to prevent and end experiences of chronic homelessness. It supports individuals and families in resolving an experience of homelessness as independently as possible, working with the person to identify a housing plan and supporting them to action it. A variety of Diversion applications exist at present including Shelter Diversion, Diversion from Chronic Homelessness and in some cases as a method of prevention.

EMERGENCY SHELTER*: Any facility with the primary purpose of providing temporary accommodations and essential services for homeless individuals. Such accommodation represents a stop-gap institutional response to homelessness provided by government, non-profit, faith-based organizations and/or volunteers.

ENCAMPMENT: An outdoor makeshift camp site with one or more visible structures such as tents or shacks.

EPISODIC HOMELESSNESS*: A person who has been experiencing homelessness for less than a year and has fewer than four episodes of homelessness in the past three years. Typically, those classified as episodically homeless have recurring episodes of homelessness as a result of complex issues such as addictions or family violence.

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE OR BEST PRACTICE: An intervention or approach that consistently produces better results than alternatives, as evaluated through rigorous scientific research. Its effectiveness must be proven across several cases or examples, and there must be evidence that it will be effective across different contexts (e.g., different cities).

EXTREME CORE HOUSING NEED: Refers to extreme housing affordability and very low income issues for households who were earning less than $20,000 per year and paying 50% or more of their income on shelter costs. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

FAMILY: In the context of homelessness, those who are homeless and are: parents with minor children; adults with legal custody of children; a couple in which one person is pregnant; multi-generational families; and/or part of an adult interdependent partnership. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

FUNCTIONAL ZERO: Regarding homelessness, functional zero means that homelessness is prevented whenever possible, and that experiences of homelessness are rare, brief and non-recurring. Functional zero on chronic homelessness is achieved when the number of people experiencing chronic homelessness is zero, or if not zero, then either 3 or .1% of the total number of individuals experiencing homelessness, whichever is greater. Functional zero chronic homelessness is confirmed when this goal is reached and sustained over three consecutive months, as measured through a quality By-Name List (that includes complete and reliable data for single adults, youth and families).

HARM REDUCTION*: A public health strategy designed to reduce harm and the negative consequences related to substance abuse, without requiring the cessation of substance use. The aim of harm reduction is to reduce both the risks and effects associated with substance use and addiction at the level of the individual, community, and society without requiring abstinence.

A recovery-oriented approach to harm reduction uses strategies to empower people to use their strengths and skills to help them lead the life that they choose when experiencing substance use and mental health issues. Recovery-oriented care involves healthcare providers working with individuals and their families to reach their chosen recovery goals. Healthcare providers build on personal strengths and skills to enhance health outcomes and quality of life. This includes a broad range of activities that are person-centred and promote resilience.

HOMELESSNESS*: The situation of an individual, family, or community without stable, safe, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it. It is the result of systemic or societal barriers, a lack of affordable and appropriate housing, the individual/household’s financial, mental, cognitive, behavioural or physical challenges, and/or racism and discrimination. Most people do not choose to be homeless, and the experience is generally negative, unpleasant, unhealthy, unsafe, stressful and distressing.

Homelessness encompasses a range of physical living situations, including:

• Unsheltered, or absolutely homeless and living on the streets or in places not intended for human habitation;
• Emergency Sheltered, including those staying in overnight shelters for people who are homeless, as well as shelters for those impacted by family violence;
• Provisionally Accommodated, referring to those whose accommodation is temporary or lacks security of tenure, and finally,
• At Risk of Homelessness, referring to people who are not homeless, but whose current economic and/or housing situation is precarious or does not meet public health and safety standards. It should be noted that for many people homelessness is not a static state but rather a fluid experience, where one’s shelter circumstances and options may shift and change quite dramatically and with frequency. (Canadian Observatory on Homelessness)

HOMELESS POINT-IN-TIME (PiT) COUNT: Point-in-time homeless counts provide a snapshot of the population experiencing homelessness at a point in time. Basic demographic information is collected from emergency shelters and short-term housing facilities, and a survey is done with those enumerated through a street count. Public systems, including health and corrections, provide numbers of those without fixed address on the night of the count as well. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

HOMELESS-SERVING SYSTEM: A range of local or regional service delivery components serving those who are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness. Edmonton’s system comprises of key components or building blocks that work together towards system goals.

HOUSING FIRST (HF)*: An approach that involves moving people who experience homelessness into independent and permanent housing as quickly as possible, with no preconditions, and then providing them with additional supports and services as needed. It is a proven intervention, moving people from an experience of homelessness to stability with support to access services to achieve long-term success.

INDIGENOUS HOMELESSNESS: As defined by Jesse A. Thistle, Indigenous homelessness is a human condition that describes First Nations, Métis and Inuit individuals, families or communities lacking stable, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means or ability to acquire such housing. Unlike the common colonialist definition of homelessness, Indigenous homelessness is not defined as lacking a structure of habitation; rather, it is more fully described and understood through a composite lens of Indigenous worldviews. These include: individuals, families and communities isolated from their relationships to land, water, place, family, kin, each other, animals, cultures, languages and identities. Importantly, Indigenous people experiencing these kinds of homelessness cannot culturally, spiritually, emotionally or physically reconnect with their Indigeneity or lost relationships. (Indigenous Definition of Homelessness in Canada)

INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT (ICM): A team-based approach to support individuals, the goal of which is to help clients maintain their housing and achieve an optimum quality of life through developing plans, enhancing life skills, addressing mental and physical health needs, engaging in meaningful activities and building social and community relations. It is designed for clients with lower acuity, but who are identified as needing intensive support for a shorter and time-delineated period. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

LIVED EXPERIENCE: A person, adult or youth, who has experienced homelessness. Personal knowledge about the world gained through direct, first-hand involvement in everyday events rather than through representations constructed by other people.

MAKING THE SHIFT (MtS): A Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab with a mandate to contribute to the transformation of how we respond to youth homelessness through research and knowledge mobilization specific to youth homelessness prevention and housing stabilization. The program is funded by the Government of Canada and co-led by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and A Way Home Canada.

NATURAL SUPPORTS: Other caring adults outside the family unit (including teachers, coaches, neighbours, peers, etc.)

NIMBY (Not in My Backyard): An acronym for “Not in My Backyard,” describes the phenomenon in which residents of a neighbourhood designate a new development (e.g., shelter, supportive housing, affordable housing, group home) or change in occupancy of an existing development as inappropriate or unwanted for their local area.

OUTREACH: In the context of homelessness, outreach provides basic services and referrals to people experiencing homelessness and can work to engage this population in re-housing (Systems Planning Framework). Outreach can have different intentions, from connecting to basic needs and services, to an explicit housing mandate. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

PARTICIPANT: A person served by or utilizing the services of a social agency. May also be referred to as “client” in other organizations.

POVERTY: When people lack, or are denied, economic, social and cultural resources they need to have a quality of life that ensures full and meaningful participation in the community. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

PROVISIONALLY ACCOMMODATED: Refers to those whose accommodation is temporary or lacks security of tenure. This describes situations in which people, who are technically homeless and without permanent shelter, access accommodation that offers no prospect of permanence. Those who are provisionally accommodated may be accessing temporary housing provided by the government or the non-profit sector, or may have independently made arrangements for short-term accommodation. (Canadian Observatory on Homelessness)

RAPID REHOUSING: Provide targeted and time-limited financial assistance, system navigation and support services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness to facilitate their quick exit from shelter and obtain housing. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

REHOUSED: From a data management and technical perspective, rehoused describes a situation where a client was previously housed in a permanent home and has been placed in a new home while remaining in the same Housing First Program. More colloquially, rehoused refers to a person exiting homelessness and becoming housed again. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

SECTOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE (SER): An emergency response plan that operates when weather conditions worsen and increases the risk of exposure for people experiencing homelessness by expanding supports to keep them safe from the elements. Edmonton’s Sector Emergency Response is a partnership between Homeward Trust, the City of Edmonton and more than 25 system and partner agencies working together to keep community members safe during extreme weather conditions.

SPDAT: The Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT) was developed as an assessment tool for frontline workers at agencies that work with homeless clients to prioritize which of those clients should receive assistance first. The SPDAT tools are also designed to help guide case management and improve housing stability outcomes. They provide an in-depth assessment that relies on the assessor’s ability to interpret responses and corroborate those with evidence. As a result, this tool may only be used by those who have received proper, up-to-date training provided by OrgCode Consulting, Inc. or an OrgCode certified trainer. (Org Code)

SOCIAL HOUSING: Social housing is provided to very low-income households who are capable of living independently, without a need for support services. On-going subsidies (either publicly owned operators or to community-based, non-profit housing corporations, or to private landlords) enable rents to be paid by residents on a ‘rent-to-income’ basis (usually 30% of gross household income). Social housing is also called subsidized, community, or public housing. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

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 monthly for at least six months to make sure they are maintaining housing stability.

SUPPORTIVE HOUSING (SH)*: Supportive Housing combines affordable housing for individuals with complex needs with programs that offer voluntary access to on-site health and social supports to help people who have experienced chronic or episodic homelessness access and maintain safe and affordable housing. Previously referred to as permanent supportive housing (PSH).

SYSTEM PLANNER: A dedicated and community-based organization leading day-to-day system operations and strategy work to end homelessness. The System Planner Organization is designated to align funding streams, identify needs quickly and adapt programming. In Edmonton, Homeward Trust serves as the System Planner Organization.

TRANSITIONAL HOUSING*: Transitional housing is conceptualized as an intermediate step between emergency crisis shelter and permanent housing. It is more long-term, service-intensive and private than emergency shelters, yet remains time-limited to stays of three months to three years. It is meant to provide a safe, supportive environment where residents can overcome trauma, begin to address the issues that led to homelessness or kept them homeless, and begin to rebuild their support network. (Homeless Hub). Transitional housing is considered synonymous with interim housing.

UNSHELTERED: An individual/family experiencing living on the streets or in places not intended for human habitation. This includes people who are not accessing emergency shelters. People who are unsheltered, lacking housing and not accessing emergency shelters or accommodation. In most cases, people who are unsheltered are staying in places not designed for or fit for human habitation, including: people living in public or private spaces without consent or contract (public space such as sidewalks, squares, parks or forests; and private space and vacant buildings, including squatting), or in places not intended for permanent human habitation (including cars or other vehicles, garages, attics, closets or buildings not designed for habitation, or in makeshift shelters, shacks or tents). (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

VI-SPDAT*: The Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT) is an initial screening to learn about the individual’s current circumstance for the purpose of matching to housing programs and services. This is a 10-15-minute survey-style triage tool which can be completed in-person or over the phone.

YOUTH HOMELESSNESS: A youth experiencing homelessness is an unaccompanied person aged 24 and under lacking a permanent night-time residence. They can be living on the street, in shelters, couch surfing, in unsafe and insecure housing, and / or living in abusive situations. They may also be about to be discharged without the security of a regular residence from a care, correction, health, or any other facility. (Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness)

YOUTH HOUSING FIRST*: A Housing First program for youth aged 16 to 24 with no readiness requirements. Youth are housed through a variety of housing options (e.g., independent living, supported independent living placements, family reunification) and provided with support to help them successfully transition to adulthood. In Edmonton, e4c, Edmonton John Howard Society, Bent Arrow and Native Counselling Services of Alberta offer Youth Housing First.

*These definitions have been revised from Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness. Acknowledging that any glossary should be a constant work in progress that changes to follow the evolving use of language, these definitions have been modified to reflect a greater understanding of the terms concerned.