>Homeward Trust’s Coordinated Access team as well as contracted agencies delivering Housing programs targeted to addressing a person’s experience of homelessness. This includes supporting individuals to obtain housing, and as well as case management supports whereby the individual receives support in addressing underlying factors and circumstances that may pose challenge to long term housing retention. This includes but is not limited to mental health, addictions, physical health, recovery from trauma, employment and education support, etc.
>In the context of the person being a veteran or first responder experiencing homelessness. The interventions are specifically targeted to addressing their housing circumstance, while brokering in community supports to address underlying factors contributing to the crisis (health and wellness, domestic violence, etc).
>Anyone experiencing homelessness, or service providers working with people experiencing homelessness can be screened and assessed for housing support by connecting with the Coordinated Access team at Homeward Trust. The standardized screening approach is also embedded at over 60 community locations, meaning if a person accesses one of the locations they can access housing support via that option as well. Can provide further information and detail on Coordinated Access as required.
>Homeward Trust’s Coordinated Access team and contracted service delivery partners. Additional information on programs available on website, also able to provide program descriptions and models if needed. https://homewardtrust.ca/
>Additional Background on Housing First: Housing First as a philosophy is the core approach for community efforts to end homelessness under Edmonton’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. Housing First works from the belief that everyone has the right to safe, permanent, and sustainable housing without any preconditions of readiness (such as sobriety or abstinence). As an approach, Housing First includes the following key elements: 1)Housing First focuses on efforts to help people who have experienced homelessness to access housing without preconditions, and then supporting individuals to remain housed; 2)The goal is to move clients toward the highest level of self-reliance possible, and housing retention is a cornerstone of that goal; 3)Housing First takes a recovery-oriented approach, meaning that it assumes people can move along the path to healing, independence and empowerment with the right supports in place; 4)Client choice is an important aspect of the Housing First approach, as it has been shown to improve results and experience of Housing First programs.