| Announcing Streets to Homes |
Nov. 02, 2009
For Immediate Release
November 2, 2009
New Program to House Homeless in Private
Apartments
Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness Unites Agencies with Pilot
‘Streets To Homes’ Program to House 120 Homeless over Two Years
VICTORIA, BC – Mayor Dean Fortin, Co-Chair of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End
Homelessness launched ‘Streets To Homes’ today, a pilot program to coordinate housing and
support services for people experiencing chronic homelessness.
Adapted from a similar program in Toronto, Streets To Homes integrates BC government agencies and five community organizations to more effectively assist people in securing housing. The program also connects new tenants with specialized follow up supports, linking them to vital services to help them re-connect with their community and become more independent.
“It is vital that, as a community, we are working together, coordinating our efforts and sharing
resources to ensure everyone has a home,” said Mayor Dean Fortin. “The Streets To Homes
program builds important relationships and puts theory into action so that we can put an end to
homelessness in the Capital Region.”
Streets to Homes coordinates the efforts of participating agencies to work with landlords to secure rental housing, and outreach workers in these agencies will work together to help clients gain quick access to this new housing. Follow-up support is then provided for the landlord - and the client - to help clients stay housed.
Streets to Homes is funded by a grant from the United Way of Greater Victoria.
Ann Moskow, Board Chair for the United Way of Greater Victoria, added, “The United Way’s goal is
to have the greatest impact on resolving the most critical social issues in our communities. Our
donors have identified housing for the homeless, low income and working poor as one of their
priorities. Streets To Homes is a key initiative to ensure that those who face the most significant
barriers have the housing and services they need to become and remain housed. The United Way of Greater Victoria is very pleased to fund Streets To Homes and is excited to see it get underway.“
The implementation of Streets To Homes reflects key recommendations of the 2007 Mayor’s Task Force on Breaking the Cycle of Mental Illness, Addictions and Homelessness which called for a “housing first” approach and “an evidence-based, best practice model for an integrated, communitybased service delivery, tailored to the specific needs of Victoria’s homeless population”.
The Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness is a community-based partnership of service providers in the non-profit and public sectors, advocates, business representatives and elected
municipal officials, formed in February 2008 to lead the region’s commitment to end homelessness.
The goals of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness are to house and support those
who are homeless; provide the necessary infrastructure to lead, coordinate, monitor and ensure
results on Victoria’s homelessness crisis; and to prevent homelessness from occurring in the future.
Participating Streets to Homes agencies are:
• BC Housing
• BC Ministry of Housing and Social Development
• Our Place
• Pacifica Housing
• Salvation Army
• Victoria Cool Aid
• Victoria Native Friendship Centre
• VIHA - Vancouver Island Health Authority, which operates three Assertive Community
Treatment (ACT) teams and is the primary funder along with the Victoria Police Department
of the Victoria Integrated Community Outreach Team (VICOT)
To learn more about the work of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, please visit our
website at: www.solvehomelessness.ca
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Contact:
To arrange interviews with Coalition Co-Chair Mayor Dean Fortin, United Way of Greater Victoria
Chair Ann Moskow, or Coalition Executive Director Jill Clements please contact:
Robert Mitchell
Program Manager,
Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness
Office: 250-370-1506
Cell: 250-888-1834
Email: robertmitchell@solvehomelessness.ca
Web: www.solvehomelessness.ca
