Community Action on Homelessness

Community Solutions to Homelessness

 

Resources

| research and resources | CAH pamphlets| recommended reading | Homes First | definitions

 

New

• "Building Community" CAH Housing Week Publication, edition 1 - available for download (.pdf) - added March 11, 2008
• Nova Scotia:  A Directory of Senior Officials - A government wide directory of senior officials is available for download - added March 11, 2008

Research and Resources

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

• The HRM publication, Affordable Housing Handbook,is available at www.halifax.ca/planning/homeless.html

• Halifax Regional Muncipality. (2004, January). Homelessness in HRM: A Portrait of Streets & Shelters (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.

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

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

• 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 Pamphlets - Available at CAH and Online

If you require an alternative format for any resource or pamphlet, please contact us.

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 into the office.

• NEW "Building Community" CAH Housing Week Publication 2007, edition 1 - available for 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.  Available at CAH.  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.

• North End Winnipeg's Lord Selkirk Park Housing Development: History, Comparative Context, Prospects. Jim Silver .  Published June 2006.  Available at CAH and online at www.policyalternatives.ca. 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.

• The Cost of Homelessness:  The Value of Investment in Housing Support Services in the Halifax  Regional Municipality.  Published June 2006.  Available online at http://www.cahhalifax.org/DOCS/costofhomelessnessjune06report.pdf.   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.

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

• The Many Faces of Homelessness.  Available at CAH and online at http://www.cahhalifax.org/manyfaces/manyfacesbooklet.pdf   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.  It sheds light on the complexity and diversity of this issue.  It also provides some suggestions about what needs to be done to address homelessness in HRM, and outlines what YOU can do to help. This resource guide has been made possible through the support of SCPI, which continues to support initiatives that work to alleviate homelessness in our communities.

• The accompanying posters to The Many Faces of Homelessness booklet are also 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

 

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

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

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