Six months after the Guelph-Wellington 20,000 Homes Campaign announced it intended to help 30 of the most vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness find and maintain housing, the goal has been exceeded.
In late April the campaign hosted “Registry Week,” collecting information about the wellbeing and housing history of those experiencing homelessness. The information was used to develop a list and has been used to facilitate decisions around how best to refer individuals experiencing homelessness to housing resources.
“Based on our by-name list, we know that at least 37 of the most vulnerable individuals that were previously homeless, are now housed,” said Randalin Ellery, Co-chair of the Guelph-Wellington 20,000 Homes Campaign. “This is a reflection of how a combination of good data and information, paired with the commitment and passion of our community, can make real change.”
Guelph-Wellington is just one of over 30 participating communities in the national 20,000 Homes Campaign. Local results add to the overall goal of housing 20,000 of the most vulnerable Canadians by July 1, 2018.
“Guelph and Wellington is delivering on the promise of ending homelessness by beating a really ambitious six-month housing target,’ said Tim Richter, president and CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. “You are not only setting the bar for other communities but you are proving that homelessness is indeed solvable.”
The campaign will continue to focus on housing the vulnerable and has set targets to develop a coordinated access assessment system for those entering the homelessness-serving system.
“Coordinated access and sssessment provides a single process for people experiencing homelessness to access housing supprts,” noted Lori Richer, Co-chair of the Guelph-Wellington 20,000 Homes Campaign.
“This will help move people through the system faster and ensure they are matched with the resources they need to exit homelessness and not return.”
During Registry Week in April 2016, 295 individuals were found to be experiencing homelessness over a three-day period.
The full results from Registry Week, along with other information about the campaign, can be found at: www.gw20khomes.ca
