LEAD IDENTIFIED FOR HOMELESSNESS INTERVENTION PROJECT

KELOWNA – The Province is officially launching the Homelessness Intervention Project, making a single government ministry responsible for co-ordinating provincial and community social housing and support services, including health and income assistance for the chronically homeless in five communities.

Premier Gordon Campbell has appointed Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman to take the lead role to ensure that services for homeless individuals with severe mental illness and/or addictions are delivered in an organized, fiscally responsible and timely manner to reduce chronic homelessness and integrate service delivery.

“As we work with communities to address homelessness, we must co-ordinate our resources and use them as effectively as possible so that homeless British Columbians obtain the full benefit,” said Coleman. “Through greater collaboration, we can ensure our efforts go further and work faster to target assistance where it is needed most.”

“We are committed to ensuring access to quality health care for every British Columbian,” said Health Services Minister George Abbott. “The Homelessness Intervention Project is an important step towards ensuring homeless people can get support to lead a healthier and safer life.”

The goal of this project is to reduce chronic homelessness. The Homelessness Intervention Project will align several government ministries, health authorities, the non-profit sector and other agencies that address chronic homelessness and establish an immediate integrated homelessness intervention project, which will include:

· Priority access to health and social services for the chronically homeless in five communities (Vancouver, Surrey, Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George).

· The deputy minister of housing and social development, as the executive lead for the cross-ministry integrated project.

· A performance and management plan, including performance targets so we can measure our progress across the province in dealing with homelessness.

Integrated, cross-agency teams will find housing and support services for chronically homeless people through co-ordinating resources, data, policy and client information. The project will improve the information base for existing services and service gaps and enable resources to be focused where they will be most effective. As well, it will improve information on outcomes and provide for enhanced reporting. Meetings in the communities have already been initiated and program frameworks are being put in place. The Ministry of Housing and Social Development will have the lead accountability.

“This project means that Kelowna can begin work immediately by taking an aggressive and collaborative approach to ending homelessness in our province,” said Al Horning, MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country. “Every British Columbian deserves a place to live and I am proud to see the action our government is taking on this issue.”

Initially, the outreach teams will be tasked with two basic goals: to immediately reduce homelessness in these communities and to create a more integrated, synchronized approach to the delivery of services to the homeless.

“It takes the collective efforts of every level of government working with local organizations and community members to address homelessness in our city,” said Sindi Hawkins, MLA for Kelowna-Mission. “This Homelessness Intervention Project is an excellent first step to help those most in need get off the streets and into appropriate housing.”

Over time, the government will put in place a management system with enhanced reporting that will enable communities to maximize and prioritize outreach, housing and support services for the chronically homeless. Through this approach, the communities will be in a better position to address the client population that is the most difficult to house: chronically homeless with severe mental health and addictions complications.

“We are pleased to see this integrated approach to the issue, something the City of Kelowna urged as one of the communities that participated in the Premier’s Task Force on Homelessness,” said Kelowna Mayor Sharon Shepherd. “This integrated approach will help the most vulnerable in our community and we are pleased with 30 new rent supplements which will help individuals find housing. This is an essential part our city’s goal of ending homelessness within 10 years.”

The targeted client population is estimated at approximately 2,000 for the five communities. To kick start the project, BC Housing has made 250 units of housing available immediately, with approximately 30 of those available immediately in Kelowna.

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1 backgrounder(s) attached.
Media contact:	Paul Woolley Communications Director Ministry of Housing and Social Development 250 387-6489

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