NL Housing and Homelessness Network

Conference - 2015

Background

‣ Bluebook 2011 Commitment

‣ In January 2012 NLHC began work to commission the study

‣ Nation-wide RFP

‣ OrgCode Consulting Inc was the successful proponent; they were asked to:

Estimate the homeless population

Make recommendations on the provincial response

Estimates

Defining Homelessness

‣ Sheltered Homeless

“In Newfoundland and Labrador, a person is homeless if they are admitted to a homeless or domestic violence shelter, or seek housing crisis/emergency shelter services from a front line homeless worker”

‣ Unsheltered Homeless (eg: street homelessness, rough sleepers)

‣ Hidden Homeless (eg: couch surfers)

Over the Course of 2012‣ 1,685 individuals required emergency shelter

(this includes domestic violence shelters)

‣ 141 Individuals experienced unsheltered homelessness (people living on streets, in wooded areas, etc..)

‣ 3,743 individuals experienced hidden homelessness (temporarily living with friends or relatives)

o 5,569 Persons in Total

Regionally (Sheltered Homeless)Region

St. John’s 854Rural Avalon 154

Burin 124Clarenville & Gander 114Grand Falls- Windsor 34

Stephenville 92Corner Brook- St.

Anthony143

Labrador 170Total 1,685

Recommendations

Causes of Homelessness in NLHomelessness normally occurs when several of these causes come together:

‣ Structural (eg: discrimination based on age, mental health, sexual orientation)

‣ System Gaps and Barriers (eg: persons with no fixed address being discharged from health or corrections)

‣ Individual Circumstances (eg: trauma, domestic violence, compromised mental health, substance abuse)

Characteristics

Effecting Change – Traditional Response

Effecting Change – Housing First Response

Themes1. System Integration

• Provincial endorsement of approach.

• System transformation from independent departments and programs to an integrated system of care focused on housing stability.

• NLHC provide the leadership required to end homelessness.

2. Homelessness Prevention

• Strategic initiatives and investments to prevent people from entering into the homeless system.

Themes3. Housing and Support Programming

• Use a triage approach to end homelessness to match the right intervention to need.

• Focus resources on the chronically homeless population through a Housing First method.

4. Information sharing and Performance Management• Implement an integrated data system for service

providers.

• The data system will facilitate improved service delivery, identify investment priorities and allow for monitoring of progress.

What’s Next?

Steering Committee

‣ Struck when the report was released

‣ An additional layer of consultation

‣ Short Term

‣ Mandate:

o Consider impact on creating bureaucracy

o Consider rural and urban impacts

o Report back to the Minister with advice on recommendations to be “adopted as is”; “adopted with modifications” or “rejected”