Selection Criteria for Renters

By: John Gill

Selecting individuals that will be supported by our model will require us to work with a case worker that is familiar with the individual and their circumstances. Often this is fairly easy, as there are only a few individuals that are currently employed and have lost their homes recently. The benefit of working with a case worker is that they have first hand knowledge who would be the right candidate for our model. Active outreach workers that work in neighborhoods are the first to know when new residents become homeless or through new members at the soup kitchens.

Some of the guidelines we will use to ensure your investment and property is safe is as follow:

1)      Individual be free of any drug or alcohol addictions.

2)      Individuals have no criminal history.

3)      Individuals are currently employed.

If not currently employed job lost within the last 6 months.

4)      Individuals lost their home within the last 6 months.

5)      Individuals provide a reference from a case worker.

6)      Individuals are actively involved with the job search and home search process.

7)      Individuals are matched with some sort of service such as a peer, mentor, or neighbor, to provide the necessary support.

These are the guidelines used to give a sense of security to all parties involved with this model. This assures all stakeholders that funding and resources are put into good and specific use. Although we are aware of the limits of this model, such as each case would be assessed on a case by case basis and no two cases are alike.

If there are any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

Homelessness in Tri-Cities

by: Arita Liu

In our research into homelessness in Tri-Cities, several characteristics of the homelessness in this area came to our notice.

First, Tri-Cities have the fastest increase of homeless population from 2005 to 2008 in Metro Vancouver.

According to the 2008 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count, there are 94 homeless persons in Tri-Cities, making up 4% of the entire homeless population in Metro Vancouver. From 2005 to 2008, however, Tri-Cities have the biggest homeless increase rate of 140%. Outreach workers in this area even found that the real number of homeless people is four to five times higher than the count. In the big picture, Tri-Cities have relatively smaller homeless population, yet with the fast increase of homelessness in this area, there has to be something done to stop the homeless epidemic.

Second, Tri-Cities homeless longevity is relatively short with a highest percentage of people being homeless less than six months.

The 2008 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count reveals that 48% of people who provided information had been homeless for a year or more. Among those street/service homeless people, 56% had been homeless for a year or more. Debate has been focused on the long-term mentally ill and substance abusers, but the new homeless represent different phenomena and require different approaches to a solution.

Third, There is no permanent shelter in this area whereas Ridge Meadow area has 19 shelter beds where there is a smaller homeless population.

“Three Ways to Home”, the Regional Homelessness Plan for Greater Vancouver Area developed by The Greater Vancouver Regional Steering Committee, maps out the three key elements to end homelessness — affordable housing, support services, and adequate income. Factors such as lack of affordable housing, poverty and low income require permanent emergency shelter capacity throughout the region as a link between homelessness and permanent housing. What makes the situation more frustrating is, last week, Coquitlam city Mayor Richard Stewart and councillors were informed that the permanent shelter planned for 3030 Gordon Ave. and a 30-unit apartment block at 528 Como Lake Ave. for women and children are on hold because there is no provincial fund available for the project.

Tri-Cities homeless group is small yet the situation is complicated. It is more likely to develop an experimental intervention model in this area, which is scalable and cost effective and can be applied to a larger area.