Partnering with Other Systems
The information and resources here are intended to support your efforts to develop stronger connections between the homelessness response system and other community systems and partners.
Keep checking back here as we will be regularly updating materials and adding further resources.
See sections below for information and resources to connect with many different system partners. Remember, you can also always search on the Homeless Hub and the Homelessness Learning Hub for further information.
- What Works: Institutional Discharge Evidence Notes (UK Centre for Homelessness Impact, 2022) – 16 page brief with additional resources to support next steps:
- Workshop Slides and Speaker Notes
- Worksheets: Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Action Plan
- Making Zero Count: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Development Resources Handbook (COH & Turner Strategies, 2019) – provides strategies and tools for engaging public systems to develop stronger inter-system response, including an MOU example and template.
- See Yourself as a Partner: Guide To Community Partnership Development (Homelessness Partnering Strategy, 2017)
- Best Practices Manual for Discharge Planning (USA, 2008) – includes Mental Health & Substance Abuse Facilities, Hospitals, Foster Care, and Prisons and Jails.
- Enhancing Coordinated Entry through Partnerships with Mainstream Resources and Programs (UISCH, 2017) – guide and accompanying sample housing assessment questions to help communities ensure their coordinated entry processes include mainstream programs and resources.
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A Way Home: Youth Homelessness Community Planning Toolkit (A Way Home Canada, 2017)
- Strengthening Abilities and Journeys of Empowerment (SAJE) (BC – webpage updated April 2024) – a BC program within the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) that supports youth and young adults with lived care experience in making strong transitions to adulthood including pre and post-planning supports, income, housing supports, health and wellness supports, and life-skills, training and cultural connections funding. See also this presentation PDF and Infographic.
- Ready, Set, Go Guide (Ontario, 2023) – a 33-page Guide supporting children aid societies to better support children and youth to prepare for the transition to adulthood as part of the new Ontario Ready, Set, Go Program.
- Foster Youth to Independence Program (US, 2023) – a new voucher program for rent subsidies for youth who are exiting foster care or are experiencing homelessness after being in foster care.
- The Link Between Foster Care and Homelessness (COH Blog, 2021)
- Equitable Standards for Transitions to Adulthood for Youth in Care (Child Welfare League of Canada and the National Council of Youth in Care Advocates)
- Policy Brief (2021) – 12 pages – provides an overview of Canada’s position on transitions to adulthood for youth in care in comparison to other Western countries, and outlines key actions that need to be implemented by Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments in supporting more equitable transitions for youth in care across the country.
- Report (2021) – a 30 page report outlining the 8 transition pillars – housing is pillar #3.
- Youth Homeless Innovations with Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice and Coordinated Entry (Los Angeles, 2018)
- Responding to Homelessness: Police-Mental Health Collaboration (PMHC) Toolkit – a website with information, resources and webinars for law enforcement agencies to partner with service providers, advocates, and individuals with mental illness and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The goal of these partnerships is to ensure the safety of all, to respond effectively, and to improve access to services and supports for people with mental illness and I/DD.
- What Works Evidence Notes: Prison Discharge and Homelessness (Centre for Homelessness Impact, 2024) – a 20 page report with research evidence from across the world of what we know about what works to prevent homelessness when individuals are discharged from prison.
- No Fixed Address: The Intersections of Justice Involvement and Homelessness (2022) – This report from the John Howard Society of Ontario,
Social Research and Demonstration Corporation, and the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness examines the growing number of No Fixed Address admissions into Ontario’s correctional facilities. - More Jail Time or More Housing? (NAEH Blog, July 2022) – by former Seattle Chief of Police
- Homelessness and the Criminal Justice System Blog Series (2021, Homelessness Hub)
- Housing and Justice Report: Improving Supportive Housing for Justice Involved Individuals with Mental Health and Addiction Issues (HSJCC, 2020) – outlines how existing supportive housing could more effectively meet the needs of justice-involved individuals and reduce strain on the health and justice systems. Recaps key themes that emerged from an Ontario housing and justice forum in February 2020 and makes six recommendations for immediate action to improve access, service delivery and provincial ministry-level policy related to supportive housing.
- Homeless Courts: Recognizing Progress and Resolving Legal Issues That Often Accompany Homelessness (USICH Blog, July 2020)
- Strengthening Partnerships Between Law Enforcement and Homeless Serving Systems (USICH & Justice Center, 2019)
- Partnerships Between Homelessness Services and Juvenile Justice Systems (USICH, 2019) – two US case studies for preventing youth homelessness.
- Calgary Policy Services: Innovative Police Responses to Homelessness (CAEH Conference Presentation, 2018)
- US Department of Justice – National Reentry Resource Center – Housing Page
- Prison Policy Initiative – a new report, “Nowhere to Go: Homelessness Among Formerly Incarcerated People” (USA 2018) explores the link between homelessness and incarceration and includes recommendations for how different sectors can work together to break the link between incarceration and homelessness.
- Reentry Starts Here: A Guide for Youth in Long-Term Juvenile Corrections and Treatment Programs (USA 2018) – this user-friendly guide is designed to help youth in juvenile corrections and treatment programs prepare for reentry and success in their community (housing covered briefly on page 4).
- Restorative Policing Model – City of Santa Barbara (2018). Watch this 5 min video.
- Reintegration in Ontario: Practice, Priorities and Effective Models (John Howard Society of Ontario & University of Guelph, 2016)
- Homelessness, Incarceration, and the Challenge of Effective Discharge Planning: A Canadian Case (2009, Gaetz & 0’Grady, book chapter)
Research demonstrates that 30 to 40 percent of people experiencing homelessness have a cognitive impairment, including traumatic brain injury, learning difficulties, intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, 2020).
- Dealing with Cognitive Impairments and Homelessness (US National Health Care for the Homelessness Council, 2019) – 6 pages with info and practical tips
- Homelessness and Brain Injury Toolkit (UK, Groundswell, 2020) – 10 pages with info, tips, examples and info to access a screening tool
- Brain Injury Canada (website) – find provincial and local brain injury associations available across Canada that provide support, information, education, advocacy, and a variety of programs and services to those affected by acquired brain injury. See also, the Brain Injury and Canada Homelessness page.
- ABI in the Streets – a program of Traverse Independence in Kitchener, ON funded through the Ministry of Health – a low barrier program, supporting those who have triggered a positive HELPS screener (see links on page), are considered homeless or precariously housed. They are assigned a worker who is specialized in brain injury who will team up with other community workers to offer direct support for clients through a brain injury lens.
- ‘Unthinkable’: homelessness hits those with developmental disabilities (Nanaimo BC News Bulletin, 2023)
- Domestic Violence The Homeless HUB
- Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking (website)
- Safe, Inclusive & Culturally Appropriate Coordinated Access Systems (CAEH19 presentation – City of Stratford and VAW Shelter)
- The Intersection of Homelessness and Domestic Violence – Video (US, 2017) (3 min)
- Safe Housing Partnerships the website for the Domestic Violence and Housing Technical Assistance Consortium. Find useful resources and tools that advance your work at the critical intersection of domestic violence, sexual assault, homelessness, and housing. See also the Safe Housing Partnerships YouTube Channel.
- Strengthening Housing Outcomes for Domestic Violence Survivors – Blog (UISCH, 2019) – providing the latest news and resources from the Domestic Violence and Housing Technical Assistance Consortium (DVHTAC).
- Webinar: Housing First and Rapid Re-Housing For Survivors (NASH, 2017) (1.5 hours) is designed for domestic violence programs who participate/want to participate in their Continuum of Care.
- Housing and Domestic Violence – Podcast – Opportunity Starts at Home (2019) (60 minutes) – In this episode, we talk about the intersections between affordable housing and domestic violence with two experts at the National Network to End Domestic Violence: Monica McLaughlin, Director of Public Policy; and Debbie Fox, Senior Housing Policy & Practice Specialist.
- Trauma and Violence Informed Care (TVIC): An Orientation Tool for Service Providers in the Homeless Sector (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2019) – 5 pages
- Re-visioning Our Approach to Stop Violence Against Women in the Movement to Prevent and End Homelessness (System Planning Collective, 2018) – a 1.5 hour webinar describing a new paradigm for domestic violence shelter operations, with a focus on renewing shelter objectives, service models, policies, and practices. Key evaluative and reflective tools provided for participants to take back to their organizations and communities to further explore these concepts in their own work.
- Closing the Gap: Integrating Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence Experiencing Homelessness A toolkit (National Center on Family Violence, 2013)
- Serving Domestic Violence Survivors in the Homelessness Response System (2013) – NAEH pre-conference presentation from NAEH and communities
- Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing for Survivors of Domestic Violence (NAEH, 2011) – an 8 page brief
Coordinated Access Considerations
- Checklist: Incorporating Domestic Violence Providers into a Coordinated Assessment Process (NAEH, 2016)
- Coordinated Entry and Victim Services FAQ (HUD)
- Trust and Collaboration Drive Family Coordinated Entry in Phoenix, Arizona
- Houston Pilots Coordinated Entry for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
- Domestic Violence Providers and Coordinated Assessment (presentation from 3 communities)
Emergency Shelter and Housing Program Considerations
- Emergency Shelter Series – Safely Serving Families and Victims of Domestic Violence (NAEH, 2018) – a 90 min webinar – Download slides
- Safety Planning for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence: A Toolkit for Homelessness/Housing Programs (NASH, 2018)
- Housing, Homelessness and Violence Against Women (Women’s Shelters Canada, 2017)
- Gender Integrated Shelters: Experience and Advice (FORGE, 2016)
- Safety and Privacy Consideration When Using Hotels for Shelter Stays (NNEDV, 2013)
- Prevention of Youth Homelessness In Canada: Revealing and Closing the Gaps in Education Policy (Working Upstream Project, Carleton University, 2024) – an 8 page policy brief that highlights the gaps in Canadian education policies concerning youth homelessness prevention and intervention.
- Youth Reconnect: Building School-Based Early Intervention Capacity (a Way Home Canada, 2022) – information about Youth Reconnect and training and technical assistance. See also the Youth Reconnect Program Guide (2020) and on-line training.
- Homeless Services and Education System Linkages (USA 2018)
- The Benefits of Housing and Education Cross-Systems Collaboration (USICH)
- Coordinated Entry Processes: Building Mutual Engagement Between Schools and Continuums of Care is a brief developed by ED’s National Center for Homeless Education.
- Supporting Whole Family Approaches to Housing Stability – (2 pagers from USICH 2018):
- Teacher Resources on the Homelessness Hub – includes lesson plans and curriculum for both primary and secondary as well as resources for teaching children experiencing homelessness
Employment
- Heartland National Alliance:
- Pathways Forward Challenge – a website for the two and a half year project with five communities to increase employment among homeless job seekers with a focus on those not typically prioritized for housing resources.
- How and Why to Integrate Income & Employment-Related Questions Into Coordinated Entry Assessments (Heartland Alliance) provides a set of sample questions communities can use to assess the employment needs and interests of people experiencing homelessness.
- Systems Work Better Together: Strengthening Public Workforce and Homeless Serving Systems Collaboration (March 2018)
- Connections Project The Connections Project is a three-year (2015-2018), place-based, systems-level collaboration and capacity-building project aimed at increasing employment and economic opportunity for homeless job seekers.
- Workforce and Homeless Serving System Reports.
- Partnerships for Opening Doors: A Summit on Integrating Employment and Housing Strategies to Prevent and End Homelessness (USICH, DOL, HUD, 2015)
- Youth Employment Toolkit (COH, 2015)
- Street Cleaning Does Not End Homelessness (OrgCode, Feb 2019) – A caution about being “employment first” rather than “housing first” and offering “practice jobs”.
- Sample of Canadian Employment and Social Enterprise projects aimed at preventing and ending homelessness:
- HireUp, an online platform that connects job seekers who face barriers in finding employment, apply to jobs with employers who practice impact hiring. Read about the evaluation conducted through Hub Solutions here.
- Construct social enterprise through BlueDoor in York Region – providing residential and commercial construction and property services to clients from across the public and private sectors in the Greater Toronto Area. Our company recruits, trains and employs motivated individuals to learn and work on-site with qualified trades people to prepare for a career in the construction industry.
- Train for Trades program at Choices for Youth in St. John’s, NL works directly with local trade unions to enable young people to learn on the job, gain credentials and work on a personal plan towards long-term sustainable and viable employment
- Eva’s Phoenix Print Shop is a social enterprise that offers a job training program for homeless and at-risk youth.
- Argus’ Uptown Thrift is a social enterprise offering job training and experience for youth
- Friend’s Restaurant through Fred Victor offers low-cost meals while serving as a training component of their Career Directions in Hospitality Program.
Financial Empowerment
- Prosper Canada – resources and tools for financial empowerment – works with partners in all sectors to develop and promote financial policies, programs and resources that transform lives and help Canadians to prosper
- Integrating Financial Empowerment into Housing and Homelessness Prevention Programs (CFED – now Prosperity Now, 2012)
- Canadian Network for Health and Housing of People Experiencing Homelessness – website
- Integrated Health and Social Care for People Experiencing Homelessness – Guideline 214 (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in partnership with the Centre for Homelessness Impact, 2022) – UK evidence based guidance for the health care sector – includes guidelines and tools and resources for implementation including a baseline assessment tool, an implementation manual, and a series of short films.
- Health Care Systems: Actions to Measurably End Homelessness (Community Solutions, website) – includes action steps to take and case studies.
- Health Care and Homelessness Pilot Project – Community Solutions and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement are leading an initiative exploring how health care systems can help reduce and end chronic homelessness in five communities.
- Five Key Learnings from the State Public Health & Homelessness Playbook (July, 2024) – The playbook includes a myriad of examples showcasing innovative, dynamic partnerships between state public health departments and the homeless response system to improve the health and well-being of people experiencing homelessness.
- Pilot Learning Brief – Data Sharing Between Homelessness and Health Systems (September 2023)
- National Health Care for the Homeless Council – a US organization website that includes a learning hub, training and resources, and implementation research
- Housing and Services Resource Centre – a web-based US toolkit to foster collaboration and cross-sector partnerships between housing and health services for people with disabilities and seniors.
- Public Health and Homelessness Toolkit (US, CDC Foundation, 2023) – The Centers of Excellence in Public Health and Homelessness Toolkit for State and Local Health Departments is designed to assist health departments and other public health organizations in their efforts to support public health for people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in their jurisdictions. Includes tools, templates, program blueprints and strategies.
- London, ON
- Developing a system response to health and homelessness: The important role of health leaders (Healthcare Management Forum Journal, 2024) – an overview of the role of health leaders in the early stages of the whole of community system response.
- No Fixed Address: Evaluation of a Strategy to Prevent Discharge to Homelessness from Medical Units, (2019) – This project from London, ON represents a potential best practice model of discharge that can be adopted throughout Canada.
- Complex Care Start-Up Toolkit (National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs) – an online resource including information and resources on program design, program operations, data and process improvement, team and leadership development, community mapping and collaboration, and communication and growth of success
- Case Studies: Connecting Supportive Housing and Health Systems to End Chronic Homelessness (USICH, 2019) – lessons from Portland, Chicago and Asheville
- Better Health Through Housing Program – Chicago
- Housing as a Hub for Health, Community Services, and Upward Mobility (Economic Studies at Brookings, 2018)
- Developing Housing and Health Collaborations: Opportunities and Challenges (Urban Institute, 2016)
- Health & Housing Partnerships Guide (Corporation of Supportive Housing, 2015) – Overview of Challenges and Opportunities.
- Solutions: Discharge Planning for Hospitals and Mental Health Facilities (Homeless Hub Blog, 2014)
- Hospital Discharge: Safe and Effective Models for People Experiencing Homelessness (Waterloo Region, 2013) – program overviews from the UK and US.
- See also Emergency Shelter page – Health in Shelters
- Business Leaders: Actions to Measurably End Homelessness (Community Solutions, website) – includes questions to ask and actions to take
- OBIAA’s Homelessness Response Toolkit for Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) (OBIAA and OrgCode, 2022) – a 30-page Toolkit. Also a PowerPoint outlining the toolkit
- Collaborating with the Business Sector to End Homelessness in Toronto (Tamarack, 2019) – a 50-page guide including case studies
- What Can Businesses Do to Stop Homelessness (Council of Community Homelessness Tables Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley) – a list and fact sheet of suggested activities
- Local Government Levers for Housing Affordability (Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria, 2023) – this comprehensive toolkit outlines “every tool in the municipal toolbox” to accelerate housing solutions at the local level.
- Local Government Levers – Accelerating solutions (Tamarack blog, Nov 2023) – summarizes the report above and offers a rural and urban example.
- BC Local Government Housing Initiatives – includes policy and planning tools, housing targets, housing resources, and local government housing initiatives (including new levers through updated legislation and case examples)
- The Municipal Role in Housing (Canadian – Institute for Municipal Finance and Governance, April 2022)
- What Can Municipalities Do About Homelessness (Nick Falvo Consulting Blog, April 2022) – 10 things to know
- Role of Mayors – blogs from Community Solutions:
- Elected Officials: Actions to Measurably End Homelessness (website) – questions to ask, list of actions, and further information
- Mayors Discuss How They Can Help Their Cities Solve Homelessness (July 2022)
- A Mayor’s Role in Reducing and Ending Homelessness In Rockford (Jan 2022)
- Mayors Discuss How Their Cities are Ending Homelessness (Feb 2021)
- Librarians Guide to Homelessness – a book and website offering information and education to assist librarians working with patrons experiencing homelessness
- Libraries and Homelessness (webinar, UK, 2023) (1 hour)
- Strengthening Communities: The Role of Public Libraries As A Site of Connection (COH Blog, February 2020)
- Libraries Putting Social Workers on Staff (Sun Journal, August 10, 2019)
- How Our Libraries Can Help The Homeless (Sun, September 19, 2018) – highlighting the work of the Toronto Public Library
- The Public Trailer (2019) a feature length film starring Emilio Estevez and Alec Baldwin. What begins as an act of civil disobedience becomes a stand-off with police and library officials when a conscientious librarian turns the Cincinnati Public Library into an impromptu homeless shelter for one night during the most brutal cold snap in recent Cincinnati history.
Program Areas
Emergency Shelter | Diversion | Outreach | Housing Help & Landlords | Housing with Support | Prevention | Partnering with Other Systems | Peers & Lived Experience | Indigenous Resources