Housing First: a new approach in combatting homelessness in the Region and around the country

More than $2.2 million will be released to Waterloo Region over the course of five years in order to help combat homelessness.

This is via an approach called Housing First, which is part of the federal government’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy.

It’s different from traditional approaches which aim to provide help with things like mental health and education and provide temporary housing.

Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Diane Finley tells 570 News that approach only helps approximately 32 per cent of homeless people.

Finley says that by focusing on housing first, the results are far greater.

“Housing First means finding people permanent housing to start with, get them stable and then wrap them with the supports they need to get the skills they need for jobs, to tackle their other issues … we’re getting about 73 per cent total results in that. So it’s a much better result.”

These figures are the results of a study conducted by the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

The study also revealed that participants were less likely to get in trouble with the law and showed more signs of recovery than those who did not receive the housing and support services.

The announcement of the approach and funding comes on the heals of the loss of another host site for the Region’s Out of the Cold program earlier this week.

Finley says that she is happy that K-W has the support groups and agencies to help with this.

Some of those agencies being The Working Centre, Lutherwood and Mary’s Place, as well as The House of Friendship, all of which will receive an allocation of funding.

Waterloo Region is one of the first communities of approximately 60 in Canada that will roll out the Housing First initiative.