Resources

• Health and Homelessness in Halifax: A Report on the Health Status of Halifax's Homeless Population 2009

• CAH DVD ' Housing First: A Community Solution'
  part 1 | part 2

• Halifax Report Card on Homelessness 2009 (.pdf)

• Preventing Poverty. Promoting Prosperity. Nova Scotia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (.pdf) - released April 3, 2009

• 2009 Community Plan  

• 'Building Community 2009' (.pdf)

• Nova Scotia's Poverty Reduction Strategy - Released April 3, 2009

• The Community Coalition to End Poverty - Nova Scotia: Report of the Poverty Reduction Working Group (.pdf) (More info)

• Framework for a Poverty Reduction Strategy for Nova Scotia (pdf)  

• Tenant Rights Guide - Guide to rental housing in Nova Scotia - download from the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service website.  Copies are also available at the CAH office

• Poverty, Housing and Homelessness: Issues and Options. First Report of the Subcommittee on Cities of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology. June 2008. Examines and reports on current social issues pertaining to Canada`s largest cities. (.pdf) - added July 8, 2008

• We Are Neighbours: The Impact of Supportive Housing on Community, Social, Economic and Attitude Changes. May 2008, The Wellesley Institute, Prepared by Alice de Wolff (.pdf) - added July 8, 2008

• Beyond Freefall: Halting Rural Poverty.  Final Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry (.pdf) - added July 7, 2008

• 2008 Release of Federation of Canadian Municipalities: Quality of Life in Canadian Communities - Trends & Issues in Affordable Housing & Homelessness, Theme Report #4 (.pdf) - added June 5, 2008

• Nova Scotia:  A Directory of Senior Officials - A government wide directory of senior officials - added March 11, 2008

• Homelessness, Victimization and Crime:  Knowledge and Actionable Recommendations, January 2008 - Institute for the Prevention of Crime, added June 3, 2008

For further information about the Coalition, please contact one of the following:

Halifax:

• Stephanie Hunter, Coordinator, FEMJEPP - 902-423-7138, hunter.group@ns.sympatico.ca
• Pamela Harrison, Coordinator, Transition House Association of Nova Scotia, 429-7287, coordinator@thans.ca
• Stella Lord, CRIAW-NS - 902-477-0094, Lords@eastlink.ca
• Paul O'Hara (interim chair), Social Worker, North End Community Health Centre, 420-0303, ohara@nechc.com
• Rene Ross, Executive Director, Stepping Stone, rene@stepping-stone.org

Antigonish: Katherine Reed, reebing@gmail.com

Yarmouth: Dianne Crowell, decrowell1@ns.sympatico.ca

Amherst: Sharon Murphy sharonamurphy@eastlink.ca

Research and Resources

• Background Analysis of Need and Market Trends.  In support of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Big City Mayors Caucus report:  Sustaining the Momentum: Recommendations for a National Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness.  Available at the CAH office.  The Report, 'Sustaining the Momemtum', can be downloaded .

• ' Cycles of Homelessness: Understanding Eviction and Its Relation to Homelessness' , Final Report: March 2006

• Affordable Housing Handbook, HRM publication, www.halifax.ca/planning/ho meless.html

• Homelessness in HRM: A Portrait of Streets & Shelters, Halifax Regional Muncipality. (2004 January). Project Coordinator Kasia Tota. Planning and Development Services. http://www.region.halifax.ns.ca/planning/homeless.html

• Halifax Regional Municipality. (2003, June 12). Literature Review of Current Housing and Homelessness Research in the Halifax Regional Municipality (Principal Investigator Mikiko Terashima). Planning and Development Services. http://www.region.halifax.ns.ca/planning/homeless.html

• Karabanow, Jeff. (2004, February). Exploring Salient Issues of Youth Homelessness in Halifax, NS .

• The Relationship Between Policy, Planning and Neighbourhood Change: The Case of the Gottingen Street Neighbourhood, 1950-2000 , Melles, B. B. (2003). . Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Urban and Rural Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Dalhousie University.

• Project Third Step: Housing Problems and Solutions for Women who Have Left Abusive Relationships , Steinitz, S. (2003). Alice Housing.

• Under Siege Update : a follow-up study of non-profit, community based, social service agencies. Produced by: Captain William Spry Community Centre, Community Advocates, and the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers, Halifax, Nova Scotia, April 2004.

• The Homeless Research Virtual Library. www.hvl.ihpr.ubc.ca

• Housing Again is a website dedicated to putting affordable housing back on the public agenda. www.housingagain.web.net

CAH Reports & Pamphlets Available at CAH and Online

CAH has a number of resources available at our office and/or online.  If you would like to pick up copies, please give us a call first at 420-2186 to arrange a time to come to the office.

• The Many Faces of Homelessness.   This booklet is part of a public awareness campaign about homelessness in HRM.  It challenges some of the misconceptions people have about homelessness by sharing information about who is homeless or at risk of homelessness in HRM, and why.  Available at CAH and online at http://www.cahhalifax.org/manyfaces/manyfacesbooklet.pdf

• The accompanying posters to The Many Faces of Homelessness booklet are available from our office or online:
  • Youth: Growing up on the Street
  • Diversity: Housing a Diverse Society
  • Vulnerable Families:  An Ever-Growing Issue
  • Multiple Needs: Individuals with Mental Illness and/or Substance Use Issues
  • Seniors: Housing for Positive Aging

• The Cost of Homelessness:  The Value of Investment in Housing Support Services in the Halifax  Regional Municipality .  Published June 2006.   A community research project supporting the Community Action on Homelessness Research Group coordinated by Social Policy Development, Community Development Services of Halifax Regional Municipality. This study is about homelessness and the costs and benefits of providing supportive housing in Metro Halifax.  Local research was conducted with 9 supportive housing and shelter providers through individual interviews in Metro Halifax.  The intent of this part was to compile a snapshot of existing supportive housing services, including the supports they provide and their associated costs.  Available at the CAH office and online at http://www.cahhalifax.org/DOCS/costofhomelessnessjune06report.pdf .

• " Building Community " CAH Housing Week Publication 2007, edition 1 - download (.pdf)  Emergency Social Services as Core Services User Survey 2006: A Snapshot of Consumers in Downtown Dartmouth.  Presented by The Public Good Society. Published December 2006.  The purpose of The Core Service User Survey is to identify gaps in existing services and other services that are needed to allow all citizens to fully take part in our community. It is also an effort to give voice to those without one.   Available at CAH. 

• North End Winnipeg's Lord Selkirk Park Housing Development: History, Comparative Context, Prospects . Jim Silver .  Published June 2006.   This paper examines North End Winnipeg's Lord Selkirk Park public housing development. It surveys the history of Winnipeg's North End, and the historic Salter-Jarvis neighbourhood where Lord Selkirk park now stands. It describes the debates and struggles leading to Winnipeg's first urban renewal project which involved the bulldozing of Salter-Jarvis and the building of the Park. It analyses and compares the post-war experience with large, inner city public housing project and discusses the experience of the Park since its establishment in 1967 and the revitalization efforts now being made by the North End Community Renewal Corporation.  Available at CAH and online at www.policyalternatives.ca .

• Meth Madness.  This pocket-size pamphlet provides facts on the risks of using meth and its effects, safer use practices and local resources in the City. Available at CAH.

• A Discussion of Squeegeeing, Panhandling, Youth Homelessness and Criminalizing the Poor .  CAH & ARK Outreach - pamphlet

• Information on Social Assistance and poverty in Nova Scotia . Community Advocates Network pamphlet

Recommended Reading

• Homelessness. Jack Layton, 2000.
• The Vanishing Country: Is It Too Late to Save Canada? Mel Hurtig, 2002.

Homes First

Opening Doors to Supportive Housing, held March 21-22, 2005:

• March 2005 Workshop Summary (.pdf)
• Proceedings (.pdf)
• Proceedings (notes, in Word)

Definitions

• Community Action on Homelessness – Community Action on Homelessness (CAH) is an umbrella group that promotes partnerships to build community's capacity to address issues associated with homelessness and affordable housing. CAH is guided by its mission: “to work in partnerships within our community, to advance community solutions that address homelessness, and the right to a home as a key to the ‘quality of life’ for everyone in our community.”

CAH is funded by Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative (SCPI), a program of the Government of Canada, and supported by other government and community partners. The CAH initiatives that advance the mission and achieve its objectives would not be possible without this support.

The CAH Steering Committee guides the activity of the community office. Membership includes representatives from community agencies that deal with issues around homelessness and affordable housing, and community voice members, persons who have had a homelessness experience. There are also representatives from government departments that implement policies that impact on homeless or at risk persons, including persons of low income.

• Core need – core need refers to individuals or families who pay more than 30% of their incomes on housing, or live in over-crowded or sub-standard conditions. Individuals or families in core-need are at risk of homelessness.

• First Voice - the name given to persons who are homeless or live at risk of homelessness. This includes persons who live in inadequate or over-crowded conditions and persons living in poverty.

• Community Action on Homelessness recognizes the invaluable contribution that First Voice makes to community solutions that work. There is First Voice representation on the Steering Committee and on sub-committees. An honorarium model – perhaps the first of its kind in Canada - recognizes the First Voice expertise and participation!

• Harm Reduction - a non judgemental approach to providing persons with supports and services that recognizes that some individuals may never cease harmful behaviors. The goal of harm reduction is to minimize negative impacts of a persons actions such as drinking or drug use. For more information on harm reduction read the report posted on this site.

• Home – a home is a safe place where individuals and families can grow and contribute to the ‘quality of life’ in their community

• Homelessness – homelessness is the lack of a safe place where individuals and families can grow and contribute to the ‘quality of life’ in their community. Homelessness may be absolute or reflected through core-need. The Community Action Plan on Homelessness addresses issues surrounding both absolute and ‘at risk’ homelessness.

• Multiple needs – multiple needs refers to homeless or at risk individuals who experience some combination of mental health, physical disability, addictions, legal, or other problems, that increase the challenge in securing safe and affordable housing