Housing & Supports
Coordinated Access
Coordinated Access ensures those with the greatest need are served first. Housing Support 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 Support 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 Support program by working with landlords to answer questions, address issues, and maintain positive relationships.
Rental Assistance Program
For individuals housed through Homeward Trust Housing Support Programs, who face barriers or difficulties in paying their own rent in market rental units, there is access to rental assistance. The rental assistance program is paired alongside the client’s income support or employment income to ensure their rent is paid in full each month and their housing stability is not at risk due to late or insufficient funds. This program aims to provide 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 extensive training opportunities to staff and partnering agencies. Housing Support workers regularly attend workshops and training sessions, learning about best practices and refining the skills needed to help their clients best.
All staff and frontline workers in funded programs attend Indigenous Diversity Training. This is provided to over 200 participants annually, sharing knowledge about Indigenous culture, history, and legal rights.
