2017 Annual Report streetohome.org A message from the Chair and CEO We are proud to announce that since our start in 2008, goals, and supporting projects that empower those we have leveraged more than $31 million for 23 building at-risk or with lived experience of homelessness and projects in the city of Vancouver to provide 1352 homes assist them in moving along their preferred life path. for more than 2600 individuals, including children, This year, we participated in the opening of two youth, families, couples, adults and seniors; as well as adding a number of new and innovative support supportive housing buildings: the YWCA Cause We Care initiatives to prevent homelessness. Streetohome House – 21 homes for low-income single mothers with continues its mission to change lives and build better children; and Pacific Community Resource Society’s futures. We strive to provide more than just homes. Annex 2 – 6 bedroom home for homeless youth including We are working towards helping individuals realize those who are indigenous, identify as LGBTQ2S, and/or their housing, health, legal, education and employment are transitioning out of foster care or juvenile detention. 2 The Vancouver Rent Bank (VRB) continues to stabilize pilot project launched in December, will support 100 housing for individuals and children. Since its inception individuals in transitioning from supportive housing to in 2012, the VRB has approved 662 interest-free loans, their preferred choice of social, lower-end-of-market helping 892 individuals under threat of eviction or or shared independent housing. By moving individuals having their utilities cut off. In the last five years, it has into their housing of choice, and backfilling the vacated helped 206 children (from 173 families) benefit from supportive housing units with homeless living on the secure housing. Similarly, Covenant House’s Vancouver street or in shelters, Streetohome further leverages the Semi-Independent Housing Program has helped 136 1300 plus homes constructed to date, and provides youth move towards housing stability since its opening improved stewardship of donor contributions. in 2012. We continue to explore opportunities to broker and We are in the second phase of our 10-Year Plan – leverage innovative promising practices that fill gaps Homelessness Prevention. 2017 has been a year of in the addiction recovery service continuum. We have engaging with our partners, service providers and two business cases under development that dentify the community to identify gaps in homelessness new pathways. The first is an Addiction Recovery prevention and to discover where Streetohome can Community (ARC) model that includes a Recovery add the most value without duplicating efforts. The Community Centre, Early Recovery Program and concensus was to focus on individual intentions and Recovery Supportive Housing all under one roof that preferred life paths. Our collaborative efforts have optimizes the use of limited and expensive health care supported a focus on employment and addiction resources. The second is a Delancey Street Vancouver recovery. (DSV) model that combines housing with life skills development, education and employment training This year we launched two new initiatives – WorkWithUs schools at no cost to government, families or clients. and STEP. Partnering with TPD, an international workforce and HR solutions company, we launched Our work is only possible through the support of our WorkWithUs in November. The new non-profit staffing partners: BC Housing, the City of Vancouver and agency will facilitate access to employment opportunities Vancouver Coastal Health; our donors; and over 80 that align with the capabilities and preferences of board and committee volunteers; who believe that we vulnerable individuals. can make a difference. Together we are changing lives and building better futures for Vancouver’s homeless. STEP (Supporting Tenants, Enabling Pathways) – a John McLernon, Chair Rob Turnbull, President & CEO Changing Lives, Building Futures Streetohome Annual Report 3 4 4 Our role Streetohome’s overarching goal is to leverage and broker a comprehensive system response to homelessness to ensure that homelessness in Vancouver is prevented whenever possible and, when homelessness can’t be prevented, to ensure the experience is least harmful, brief and non-recurring. How we work • Promoting a systematic approach – a comprehensive set of connected services • Searching for evidence-based and promising practices that fill gaps in the system • Brokering collaborative relationships that pool and optimize limited resources • Leveraging private sector contributions (often at 10:1) and sharing both risks and successes Streetohome has three broad goals 1. Provide stable housing with appropriate support services 2. Prevent people who are most vulnerable from becoming homeless 3. Build broad public support and commitment for permanent solutions to homelessness Streetohome Annual Report 5 It’s the Little Things That Help Fiercely independent, Linda is a fighter. The years of sight to the chronic pain, despite seeing multiple doctors. misdiagnoses, depression and anxiety roll down her She was going through a separation. She lost her father. cheeks as she recounts her story – how her chronic And then she lost the job she held for 18 years. pain led to depression and anxiety, and ultimately left her living in a shelter, and later moving into supportive “I feel so bad not being able to work and not being able housing, before finally being able to move to independent to take care of myself. The chronic pain led to housing through STEP. depression, and the depression led to anxiety.” In her modest new apartment, Linda makes the most Living on only a disability pension and her savings, of her tiny living space – cupboards and drawers full Linda was in debt and unsure about her future. Not of cookware she held on to despite numerous moves only was she depressed about being unable to work, between hospitals, shelters and supportive housing; but the depression and pain left her too anxious and a raised bed to store things under, even though this scared to leave the house. Could she walk today? means she needs a step stool to safely get on and off. Would she fall in the shower again? 10 years ago, Linda had her life taken away in a few “I used to love sports – racket ball, swimming, running, seconds. Rear-ended, she suffered soft tissue and I wanted to try everything – I was fearless. Now I can’t nerve damage. Struggling to fight through the pain, do any of it. I have to pace myself like an 80 year old,” she relied on muscle relaxants to continue to work, she says. describing herself as a “zombie.” She barely left her home in two years. Friends and “I pushed and pushed and pushed myself because I family would offer their help and support, but she wanted to work,” says Linda. “I’ve worked my whole would push them away, embarrassed. She tried to apply life – since I was 11 or 12 years old. And then I get into for different subsidized housing, but began to miss the a car accident and I can barely take care of myself.” appointments and follow-up meetings required as her depression and anxiety worsened. The accident was life changing. There was no end in Supporting Tenants, Enabling Pathways (STEP) stewards the generous contributions of our donors, who have contributed to more than 2600 individuals Supportive housing is, by nature, more expensive being stably housed through the construction of new than market housing due to the additional costs of the units and funding of homelessness prevention services supportive services required to keep tenants safe and such as the Vancouver Rent Bank. healthy. The STEP pilot project will identify 100 individuals over The Supporting Tenants, Enabling Pathways (STEP) the next two years, who are willing and able to move pilot project is a partnership between BC Housing, the from supportive housing to another affordable housing City of Vancouver, Vancouver Coastal Health and option. Streetohome Foundation made grant money Streetohome Foundation. The program seeks to ensure available to assist STEP participants with moving costs supportive housing units in Vancouver are occupied by including: first and last month’s rent, modest household people who are most in need of supports, and those furnishings and kitchen essentials, with assurance that who can live independently have support to move on extra support is available if they encounter challenges to other affordable housing options. This strategy best along the way. 6 As two years passed, Linda had to leave her family furniture, including a bed that was suitable for her home. To treat her depression and anxiety, she chronic pain, and knows that she’ll have support if committed herself into a hospital. there are any challenges along the way. “I didn’t have anywhere to go – I thought I’d end up on “It was a miracle that I could get this sort of help. It Hastings and Main,” Linda says. “When I went there [to was the right timing, and I finally got the help I needed. the hospital], I got a little bit of hope back. They asked STEP helps those who have lost everything.” me what kind of help I needed. They wanted to help me find a place to live.” Knowing that she no longer needs to worry about “ending up on Main and Hastings,” Linda sees the light With no place to go after her inpatient care, the at the end of what felt like a very dark tunnel. Despite hospital recommended Linda stay in a shelter, even losing so much, she has always fought to maintain her though it wouldn’t be able to meet her mobility needs. independence and take care of herself. Having stable, independent housing has given Linda not only her independence back, but also her hope.