Preventing, addressing, and working towards reducing chronic homelessness.
Central & Northern Vancouver Island Region
The Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy is a federal program that funds communities to prevent, address, and work towards reducing chronic homelessness. Nanaimo and the Cowichan Region are designated communities with Reaching Home.
Reaching Home is making a difference by:
Supporting initiatives helping to prevent and reduce homelessness.
Ensuring grants meet local needs by putting funding decisions in the hands of local service providers, residents, and First Nations.
Developing Coordinated Access Systems (CAS) to provide streamlined access to housing and supports.
United Way BC (Central and Northern Vancouver Island) is a designated Community Entity (CE) for Reaching Home in Nanaimo and Cowichan.
This role means that we:
Leverage decades of local relationships with service providers and community programs
Provide administrative support to CABs in Nanaimo and Cowichan
Hold and administer funding dollars as directed by local CABs
United Way British Columbia has been the CE in Nanaimo for more than five years, and the CE in the Cowichan area for even longer. We’re proud to utilize our existing relationships with local agencies, our knowledge of local programs, and our years of studying local needs to help direct funding to truly impactful initiatives. As part of Reaching Home, we’re not only getting people housing and support but making our communities a better home for everyone.
Reporting
All Reaching Home funding recipients are required to submit reporting documents to their Community Entity (CE). These reports are shared with the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy to track spending, measure impact and efficacy, and inform future policies and programs.
In addition, Reaching Home operates on a reimbursement model, where recipients submit program expenses in accordance with their approved budget.
Please refer to your Reaching Home contract for your specific reporting requirements.
Please review our Reaching Home Reporting Toolkit prior to completing doucments. Depending on your contract, you may be required to submit monthly and/or quarterly Payment Claims and Quarterly Activity Reports.
The Nanaimo Community Advisory Board (CAB) on Homelessness was formed to align leadership, who together, oversee investments made in the Nanaimo region to prevent and address homelessness through the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.
The Nanaimo CAB receives funding from Reaching Home to invest in solutions to end homelessness for Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the community.
Investments are guided by the Reaching Home: Nanaimo Community Homelessness Plan 2021-24 which was developed with input from community partners and updated regularly.
The City of Nanaimo’s Health and Housing Task Force, the Nanaimo CAB (formerly the Nanaimo Homeless Coalition), and United Way BC, partnered to develop a 5-year Health and Housing Action Plan (HHAP) to address health and housing priorities.
In early 2021, the Health and Housing Task Force endorsed the new Health and Housing Action Plan to meet the demands of our community and are now working to create a Governance Board to oversee its implementation.
CAB members approved more than $1M in Reaching Home COVID-19 emergency funding to address the challenges presented as a result of the pandemic. Some of these programs include:
Warming Centres: Warming centres for those unsheltered to warm-up during the day when cold, wet weather hits Nanaimo.
Shelter: Overnight safe shelter for those facing homelessness within Nanaimo.
Health & Safety: Emergency funding to help shelter spaces comply with COVID-19 health and safety regulations.
Essentials: Offering essentials such as food, PPE, and warm and dry clothes through outreach programs.
Reaching Home aims to prevent and reduce homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding to urban, Indigenous, rural, and remote communities across the Nanaimo region to address homelessness.
Reaching Home supports the goals of the National Housing Strategy, in particular, to support the most vulnerable Canadians in maintaining safe, stable and affordable housing and to reduce chronic homelessness nationally by 50% by fiscal 2027.
Nanaimo is a designated community that receives funds through the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. Funding is provided through two project streams:
Nanaimo Indigenous Homelessness
Providing funding to organizations in the city of Nanaimo that offer support to meet the unique needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Nanaimo Designated Communities
Providing funding to organizations that help support people experiencing homelessness while working to reduce homelessness throughout Nanaimo, including on First Nations.
Tze Tza Watul (Cowichan) Community Advisory Board (CAB)
Tze Tza Watul receives funding from Reaching Home to invest in solutions to end homelessness for Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the community.
Investments are guided by the Reaching Home: Cowichan Community Homelessness Plan 2021-24 (2020-2021 Report) which was developed with input from community partners and updated regularly.
Reaching Home aims to prevent and reduce homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding to urban, Indigenous, rural, and remote communities across the Cowichan region to address homelessness.
Supporting the goals of the National Housing Strategy in particular, Reaching Home supports the most vulnerable Canadians in maintaining safe, stable, and affordable housing and to reduce chronic homelessness nationally by 50% by fiscal 2027.
Cowichan is a designated community to receive funds and provides funding through two streams.
Duncan Indigenous Homelessness
Providing funding to organizations in the City of Duncan that offer supports to meet the unique needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessenss.
$179,500 is allocated for the Duncan Indigenous Homelessness stream in 2021-22.
Cowichan Designated Communities
Providing funding to organizations who help support people experiencing homelessness, while working to reduce homelessness throughout the Cowichan region, including on First Nations.
Coordinated Access Systems
As part of Reaching Home funding requirements, both Nanaimo and Cowichan will develop a Coordinated Access System (CAS) to streamline the way individuals and families experiencing (or at risk of) homelessness can access services.
What is Coordinated Access?
Coordinated Access Systems are a process through which people are provided access to housing and support based on a standardized intake process and needs assessment. CAS will improve efficiency, and connect people in need to support and referrals sooner.
The Government of Canada has identified 4 key objectives of Coordinated Access:
Help communities ensure fairness and prioritize people most in need of assistance.
Help more people move through the system faster.
Reduce the number of new people entering into homelessness.
Improve data collection and quality to inform services and support.
In 2021/2022, United Way funded 62 agencies and 84 programs/activities in Cowichan and Nanaimo thanks to the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.
All funding is approved by advisory boards from each community (Cowichan and Nanaimo).
Funding Streams
The Reaching Home program distributes funding through several streams, each with its own requirements. Additional Reaching Home funding was provided in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 Emergency Funding: Non-recurring funding divided into Indigenous and Designated streams meant to provide additional support to the homeless-serving sector.
Annual Allocations: Recurring funding provided annually for a number of years. These funds can be used to provide multi-year support to a particular service or pay for one-off project expenses. Funds are divided into Indigenous and Designated streams.
Indigenous Stream: Funds organizations that meet the unique needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Intended for Indigenous organizations in urban centres.
Designated Stream: Provides long-term, stable funding to organizations addressing homelessness in the Designated Community.
2022-2023 Funded Agencies
Cowichan Allocations
Cowichan Housing Association (CHA) – New Foundations and Point-in-Time (PiT) Count
In partnership with Cowichan Tribes Tx’ewulhtun Health Centre, purchased land will be used as housing for unsheltered / temporarily sheltered people to be permanently located.
From January 2023 to June 30 2023, in collaboration with CAT Peers and the homelessness services sector, will conduct one PiT Count to assess the state of homelessness in the Cowichan Valley.
Cowichan Women Against Violence (CWAV) – Charlotte’s Place
After a successful campaign in 2021 (including funding from Reaching Home) CWAV Society has purchased a new home Charlotte’s Place Shelter. We will begin renovations in January 2023 to make the property operational and double current occupancy. The renovations will provide upgrades to fire and flood safety, security, privacy, accessibility, food preparation, living spaces, sleeping spaces, outdoor spaces, and spaces for health care access and therapeutic work.
Malahat Nation
Malahat Nation will support upgrade of two homes to safe living spaces. These aging homes require extensive repair to continue to safely house the members.
Cowichan Housing Association (CHA) – Housing Loss Prevention Program
The Housing Loss Prevention Program consists of a suite of tenant support services for people in the Cowichan Region including: Compassionate, need-based, practical assistance through the Information and Referral Program for people at risk of becoming unhoused.
Clements Centre – Complex Needs Outreach Support
Fostering independence by providing purposeful support that meets the individual’s needs and the goals they have laid out for themselves. Because of the complexity of the needs of these community members, they require additional staff support time as well as other resources, activities, and financial support in order to prevent or reduce their risk of homelessness. The Reaching Home Funding will support services such as emergency assistance to avoid eviction, short-term financial assistance related to retaining or acquiring housing, and transit costs related to integration activities. These additional supports are delivered on a daily basis and without them, the risk of homelessness increases greatly.
Cowichan Green Community (CGC) – Food for Youth First
This program will help support Cowichan youth who are street entrenched, at risk of homelessness, and /or precariously housed. CGC, Our Cowichan Communities Health Network, Island Health, the Cowichan Community Action Team, and other organizations have been working on the Youth @ Home Collective Impact Initiative to increase housing, food, and supports for vulnerable youth. This funding will support youth with 20 meals/day and provide additional food and meals at CGCs Community Food Pantry and KinPark Youth Urban Farm.
Cowichan Lake Community Services (CLCSS) – Homelessness Prevention & Support Program
This project is aimed at supporting vulnerable community members who are experiencing homelessness and/or who are at imminent risk of becoming homeless. This project includes the continued funding for the Community Navigator position, who works directly with clients and helps them address issues impacting their ability meet their basic needs. It also includes project funding to continue supporting Prevention Activities and Client Support Services, including regular mental health counselling. Resource packages will provide information to the outreach workers who deliver the youth meals. Youth will also gain access to workshops and programming to learn new skills at our 2 teaching farms, retails store, food recovery program, cob oven and commercial kitchen.
Ladysmith Resource Community Association (LRCA) – Housing Support Services Program
The LRCA works to reduce and prevent homelessness through a coordinated approach. Reaching Home helps reduce homelessness by integrating case management services for people who are at risk of homelessness or who identify as having no home. The Housing Support Services Project aims to support community members in Ladysmith in core housing need by building capacity and providing support for individuals and families to secure and sustain healthy and appropriate housing.
Lookout Housing & Health Society – Emergency Weather Response
Purchasing supplies to operate an Emergency Weather Response in Cowichan.
Cowichan Women Against Violence (CWAV) – Homelessness Prevention Program
The program mandate is to first provide emergency intervention to prevent eviction or loss of home to individuals (identifying as female or gender diverse)/families in the Cowichan Valley. Secondly, it is to offer education and capacity-building skills to those accessing the program.
Cowichan Green Community (CGC) – Food for Youth
This program supports Cowichan youth who are street entrenched, at risk of homeless, and /or precariously housed. CGC, Our Cowichan Communities Health Network, Island Health, the Cowichan Community Action Team, and other organizations have been working on the Youth @ Home Collective Impact Initiative to increase housing, food, and supports for vulnerable youth. This funding will support youth with 20 meals/day and provide additional food and meals at CGCs Community Food Pantry and KinPark Youth Urban Farm. Resource packages will provide information to the outreach workers who deliver the youth meals. Youth will also gain access to workshops and programming to learn new skills at our 2 teaching farms, retails store, food recovery program, cob oven and commercial kitchen.
Cowichan Tribes (Ts’ewulhtun Health Centre) – New Foundations
In partnership with Cowichan Housing Association, purchase land to which housing for unsheltered/temporarily sheltered people can be permanently located.
Hiiye’yu Lelum House of Friendship – Homelessness Breakfast Program
Provides client support services addressing basic needs: breakfast, lunch, access to shower and laundry facility, clothing depot, personal care items, cultural supports, referrals for counselling, health care, shelter, outreach, extreme weather extend hours (heat, cold). To provide support services that meet basic essential needs and are a cultural connection that build a sense of belonging.
Outreach helps builds connection to community and support services aid the client in working toward social integration. The Program Elder shares traditional knowledge/teachings and the other. Elder is able to provide cultural healing ceremony. Our Addictions Counsellor also attends the breakfast program regularly to build relationships and if the Homelessness staff make a referral for Addictions counseling, it is an easier process if the client knows the counsellor.
At the Friendship Centre, we have 2 BC Housing Homeless Outreach Workers, who administer rent supplements. Homelessness is able to access these resources if a client attains housing. There are also Start Up kits to provide to first time housed clients, that contains basis house supplies
Kw’umet Lelum – Kw’umet Lelum Housing Program
Supports individuals with market searches, viewings, budgeting, communication, dispute resolution, and other applications, with the goal to secure housing. They also host monthly rent smart certificate course -Housing Service for First Nations on and off reserve (ongoing basis).
Nanaimo Allocations
7-10 Club – Food/Basic Needs
Provision of food, the equivalent of 2 meals/person, through distribution to Nanaimo and Area Resource Services for Families (NARSF) for delivery to various locations through outreach. A total of 120-150 2 meal bags are delivered. Surplus food pickups are distributed to other meal programs and some supportive housing.
AVI – Harm Reduction/Food/Basic Needs
Our Indigenous led Outreach team strives to supply our current and future clients with the basic necessities they require to maintain stability on the path to less precarious housing. We supply support around groceries, food cards, immediate consumables.
CMHA – Point-in-Time (PiT) Count, Out Shop, Non-Housing First/VITC
Conduct a spring 2023 Point in Time Count and collate and report on the results of the Count.
The Out Shop provides a consistent access point for ordering, supplying, and monitoring supplies required to support persons experienciencing homelessness.
Providing housing placement services and pre-emptively reducing the likelihood of homelessness by offering non-wet housing opportunities for clients experiencing substance abuse and mental health issues.
Connective – Housing First, The Dwelling Place
Facilitating the procurement and maintenance of safe and secure permanent housing for individuals within our most vulnerable population experiencing chronic and episodic homelessness.
The Dwelling Place focuses on seniors experiencing homelessness with the integration of housing based supports and transitional housing in order to provide a safe and secure place to live while assessing and applying for permanent housing solutions.
Island Crisis Care Society (ICCS) – Rise Program/Education & Employment
Connections4Hope aims to deliver essential life skills, employment skills training, and work placement opportunities to people who have experienced homelessness but are now ready to re-integrate more fully into independence and community life.
Nanaimo Family Life Association (NFLA) – Shine Program (Seniors) Housing Loss Prevention (SHNPP)
The SHNPP will provide one-to-one assistance to eligible seniors who are actively unhoused or at high risk of losing their current housing. The SHNPP will continue the work and objectives of the current Seniors Housing Information and Navigation Ease program (SHINE) currently in operation until March 31, 2023.
Nanaimo Brain Injury Society (NBIS)- Peer Support Program/Basic Needs
NBIS offers peer support to brain injury survivors and families at Nanaimo Hospital. Peer volunteers visit patients & families 3 days/week on the rehab units providing connection and care, while reducing the negative impacts of life after brain injury.
Nightkeepers – Harm Reduction/Basic Needs
Providing outreach and harm reduction supplies to marginalized members of community, focusing on Indigenous individuals, people who use drugs and those are the most alone and vulnerable at night.
Pacifica Housing Advisory Association – Prevention & Shelter Diversion
The Community Connections Program (CCP) is a client-centred homeless prevention program designed to meet the needs of vulnerable, marginalized residents of PHAA’s portfolio of 167 subsidized and affordable permanent independent living housing units in Nanaimo.
Since 2018, the Nanaimo Unitarian Shelter (NUS) has operated the Caledonia Shower program on behalf of the City of Nanaimo. The program operates five days a week, 260 days a year and serves the unhoused population in Nanaimo.
Wisteria Community Association – Meals/Basic Needs
WCA has been delivering bagged lunches to 150+ homeless and low-income individuals nightly, from 6-8 pm, in various locations.
Kw’umet Lelum – Housing Navigator
Support individuals with market searches, viewings, budgeting, communication, dispute resolution, and other applications, with the goal to secure housing.
Snuneymuxw First Nation – Wrapping Blankets
From a harm-reduction, trauma-informed framework, we endeavor to provide the indigenous population with low barrier access to a Social Worker, Peer support, and cultural supports. These supports will enhance our capabilities to advocate and connect indigenous people to the appropriate resources. Further, we will be able to provide harm reduction supplies and education delivered by peers and properly trained professionals. We will also be able to create stronger working relationships while collaborating with other organizations.
Tillicum Lelum – Young Mom’s House, Housing Navigator
Staff will provide individualized support helping Indigenous young mom clients develop a plan to address barriers in maintaining and sustaining permanent housing.
Facilitated delivery of culturally competent homelessness programming, in keeping with the Indigenous homelessness definition document.
Grants & Opportunities
The 2023-2024 Reaching Home request for proposals (RFP) opens on Monday, August 21st, 2023, and closes on Wednesday, September 27th. Once the RFP is open, you will be able to access the opportunity here: https://resources.uwbc.ca/(will be open on Monday, August 21)
We recommend that you take some time to familiarize yourself with the 2023-24 Reaching Home RFP opportunity. Click the appropriate Application Guide to learn more.
This is only a template. Please submit your applications electronically via the United Way BC Grant Portal.
2024/25 Application Guide – Cowichan
2024/25 Application Guide – Nanaimo
Would you like to know more about Reaching Home funding, eligibility, what makes a strong application, and how to use the online portal? There are two webinar opportunities being offered.
Tuesday, August 22nd from 10 – 11 am Monday, August 28th from 1 – 2 pm
To register, email jennys@uwbc.ca with your preferred webinar date and the names and emails of those who would like to attend.
About Reaching Home Funding
Reaching Home funding is available in the Cowichan Region (including Duncan) and in the City of Nanaimo. There are Designated and Indigenous streams in each of the locations.
Indigenous Homelessness
Providing funding to organizations that help support Indigenous people living off Nation (Reserve) and who are experiencing homelessness and/ or who are at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Projects
Reaching Home projects address the following challenges:
Housing Services: Services that lead to an individual or family transitioning into more stable housing that has been deemed appropriate and safe.
Coordination of Resources & Data Collection: Activities that enhance understanding of local homelessness issues and help support decision-making and longer-term planning.
Client Support Services: Individualized services to help improve integration and connectedness to support structures, such as the provision of basic needs and clinical or other treatment services, as well as economic, social, and community integration services.
Prevention and Shelter Diversion: Activities aimed at preventing homelessness by supporting individuals and families at imminent risk of homelessness before a crisis occurs.
A safe place for many who lived on the street, this complex is a thriving community that embraces the artistic natures and green thumbs of its residents.
Tina’s journey has led to many places and adventures. Facing life in a tent-city, she now has a safe place to call home where she can focus on improving her skills and spending time with family.
