Quote taken from the 2013/14 Report on Housing & Supports. Visit victoriahomelessness.ca for more information.
One of the best ways to address homelessness is to prevent people from experiencing it in the first place. Helping an individual or family at risk of homelessness maintain their existing housing places less strain on their health and well being and is vastly more cost effective for the system at large. Continue reading
I recently co-authored a study on family homelessness and housing instability in the Capital Region. The aim of the study was to figure out, or get a rough estimate of, how many families with dependent children are experiencing or facing homelessness and to find how it impacts their lives. A really important part of this study was having focus groups with families who are or have experienced homelessness. Continue reading
This touching story comes to the Coalition from Ian, a close friend of our executive director.
When going through his mother’s writings, Ian found this moving description of an interaction his mother had with a youth experiencing homelessness in Vancouver during the holiday season of her 85th year: Continue reading
Image courtesy of graur codrin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A recent Coalition report has estimated that over 260 families in Greater Victoria experienced a housing crisis in the last year alone. The Burnside Gorge Community Association (BGCA) offers a variety of programs and services that support families struggling with poverty. BGCA’s Homeless Family Outreach program works with families who are experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness, to find shelter and/or maintain their housing. We spoke with Kathy Dallman, Family Housing Outreach Coordinator, to learn more about the program and family homelessness in Greater Victoria. Continue reading
Jen Bacon from EWP
Winter has arrived in the Victoria region. With temperatures dropping to zero and below, many of our thoughts turn to those without a warm, safe place to sleep. In response, the Greater Victoria’s Extreme Weather Protocol (EWP) has started for the season (on November 1). We took the opportunity to sit down with EWP Coordinator, Jen Bacon, to learn more about the program. Continue reading