Video Library
The video library provides quick access to all the videos that have been included in the Built for Zero Canada Updater Newsletter. Use these videos to educate your community about homelessness and inspire your community to end it.
Keep checking back here as we will be regularly adding new videos.
Below you will find videos under a number of categories. With the exception of Famous Feature Length Films, all other videos are generally less than 10 minutes long and most are less than 3 minutes – great for showing as part of a presentation or meeting.
- Solving Homelessness with Built for Zero (4 min) – Built for Zero approach overview – Canadian Version – August 2022
- Quality Improvement and Solving Homelessness (6 min) – 2023
- Homelessness is Solvable (1 min) – Community Solutions – October 2021
- This Work is Hard – Never Give Up (2.5 min) – Texas Homelessness Network – 2020 (inspired by Iain De Jong of OrgCode)
- Homelessness is a Solvable Systems Problem (2.5 min) – Community Solutions – October 2022
- Building an Operating System to End Homelessness (5 min) – Community Solutions – March 2022
- What is Functional Zero (3 min) – Community Solutions – December 2021
- Complex Social Challenges – More Like Birds Than Baseballs (1.5 min) – Community Solutions – 2016
- Built for Zero Canada (3.5 min) – Launch Video 2019
- What is the Build for Zero Collaborative – US (3 min) – 2018
- US 100,000 Homes Campaign (4 min)
- US 100,000 Homes Campaign Year 2 (3 min)
- We Can End Homelessness (4.5 min, US)
- What It Takes To End Homelessness (3 min)
- How This Community Ended Homelessness (3 min) – Rockford, Illinois
- CAEH Canadian Functional Zero and By-Name Lists – Veteran (3 min – animated)
- Using and Sharing Data to Improve Outcomes For Homeless Veterans (US) (10 min)
- Niagara Region Veteran Outreach Video (2 min) – Veteran homelessness outreach worker speaks about his role in the community
- Back in Step Video (9 min) – created to help first responders identify and address Veteran homelessness
- Ending Veteran Homelessness – It’s Happening! (2 min)
- Gulf Coast First To End Veterans Homelessness (4 min)
- Veterans on Experiencing Homelessness (3.5 min)
- Ending Veterans Homelessness in Phoenix, AZ (1 min)
- How By-Name Data Help Communities to End Homelessness (Canadian version) (3 min – animated)
- CAEH Canadian Functional Zero and By-Name Lists – Chronic (4 min – animated)
- CAEH Canadian Functional Zero and By-Name Lists – Veteran (3 min – animated)
- Simcoe County By-Name List Overview (2 min – animated)
- Simcoe County Coordinated Access Video (4 min animated)
- Kawartha-Haliburton Homelessness Coordinated Entry System (4 min)
- OrgCode By-Name List, Coordinated Access, and Priority Lists – What the Heck is the Difference? (3 min)
- Adelaide Zero Project By-Name Lists (2.5 min – animated)
- Waterloo Region BNL/CA Privacy and Consent Training Video (5 min)
- Centre for Homelessness Impact Image Library – The library contains hundreds of images and is offered on-line and free of charge to news publishers, public bodies, charities and any organization or individuals writing about, or presenting on, the topic of homelessness. For further information read this blog
- Invisible People – Stories from People Experiencing Homelessness – a website from US based non-profit Invisible People with videos ranging in length – can search by topic and location (including Canadian locations). Invisible people is dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through innovative storytelling, news, and advocacy.
- Community Solutions – Until We’re All Home – a webpage from US based non-profit Community Solutions that includes stories of people, in their own words, in six cities and counties that are part of the Built for Zero movement to solve homelessness.
- Stories of Indigenous Homelessness Video Series (a series of 11 video ranging from 5 min to 15 min each, from the Stories of Indigenous Homelessness Working Group and Lu’ma Native Housing Society, in partnership with the Province and BC Housing. This unique video series explores Indigenous homelessness in British Columbia and is rooted in Indigenous worldviews and experiences. The videos aim to inspire hope, nurture empathy, and spark action on Indigenous-led solutions to Indigenous homelessness – read more here).
- Dufferin County 2023 Housing Forum (10 min) -personal stories of homelessness to housing, available programs, and how the local housing system works
- See the Person (Campaign by the Nipissing District Homelessness and Housing Partnership)
- See the Person 1 (1 min)
- See the Person 2 (1 min)
- The Will to Change (Cranbrook) (17 min) – three residents share their story of falling into homelessness, and bouncing back
- Displaced: Living in the Shadows (Penticton 100 More Homes)
- Dorothy’s Story (8 mins)
- Christopher’s Story (8 mins)
- Tim’s Story (7 mins)
- Recovery for All videos:
- I’m Living Proof We can End Homelessness (1.5 mins)
- I’m Living Proof: Randy (2 mins)
- I’m Living Proof: Theresa (2 mins)
- Dana’s Story (1 min)
- Call to Action: The Time to End Homelessness is Now! (1.5 mins)
- Its Time to Think Big: We Have the Ability to End Homelessness (3 min)
- Why is Housing in Canada so Unaffordable? (1.4 mins) (2021)
- You Are Pretty Much On Your Own: The Disasters of Homelessness and the Pandemic (2021, animated, 8 mins) – narratives from two communities in Nova Scotia
- If Our Streets Could Speak (2 min) – Spoken Word from CAEH16 in London
- What’s the Line Between Homelessness and Housing – Two Women Share Their Stories (3 min)
- Rethink Homelessness – Cardboard Stories (1.5 min) – Orlando, set to music “Royals”
- York Region Videos:
- I Count – Glen’s Story (1 min) (single adult homelessness)
- I Count – Kaite’s Story (1 min) (family homelessness)
- I Count – Tristan’s Story (1 min) (youth homelessness)
- A Question of Care (Peterborough) – treating people with respect and making a connection:
- One Word (shelter and panhandling) (1 min)
- Too Bad, Not Today (receptionist) (1 min)
- You Stepped Up (1.5 min)
- Making the Connection (1 min)
- It Matters (1 min)
- Sesame Street on family and child homelessness – find videos, printables and more HERE. Examples:
- A Rainbow Kind of Day (3.5 mins)
- Connect the Dots (3.5 mins)
- Ribbons of Hope (2 min)
- PointSource Youth – Media and Visual Storytelling Library – over 12 short videos with youth stories from the US – includes racialized and LGBTQ+ focused stories.
- OrgCode YouTube Channel – all of OrgCode’s most recent videos. To learn more about the channel, watch this 2 minute Welcome to the Channel video.
- Low-Barrier Housing-Focused Shelter Series (four 2 min videos – animated)
- NAEH Homeless Street Outreach Video Series (2023)
- The Challenge of Outreach (2 min)
- First Contact and Establishing Trust (3 min)
- Safety for the Street Outreach Team (3 min)
- What Peers Bring to the Work (3 min)
- Involving People with Lived Experience (14 min)
- Niagara Region Veteran Outreach Video (2 min) – Veteran homelessness outreach worker speaks about his role in the community
- What is Rapid Re-Housing? (3 min) (NAEH, 2017)
- Setting the Record Straight on Housing First (2 min, NAEH)
- Pathways Housing First (13 different videos)
RainCity Housing – Housing First
- Housing First Principles into Practice Overview (4 min)
- Principle #1 Immediate Access to Housing with No Readiness Preconditions (10 min)
- Principle #2 Consumer Choice and Self-Determination (8.5 min)
- Principle #3 Recovery Orientation (10.5 min)
- Principle #4 Individualized and Person-Driven Support (8.5 min)
- Principle #5 Social and Community Integration (8 min)
- Also see the Workbook or the Facilitators Guide
FEANTSA Housing First
- What is Housing First (3.5 min)
- Core Principles of Housing First (8 min)
- Supporting People in Housing First – Part 1 (7 min)
- Supporting People in Housing First – Part 2 (10 min)
- Supporting People in Housing First – Part 3 (9 min)
- Team Working in Housing First (8 min)
- Community Working in Housing First (6.5 min)
- Delivering Housing – Part 1 (7 min)
- Delivering Housing – Part 2 (8.5 min)
- Evaluating Housing First (10.5 min)
- Why is Housing First Strategically Important (5.5 min)
- Scaling Up Housing First (8 min)
Other Housing First
- The Daily Show Investigates Where The Homeless Have Gone in Utah (5.5 min)
- Why Housing First? (2.5 min) – from the European End Street Homelessness Campaign
- Housing First in Amsterdam (7.5 min)
- Finland and Housing First – World Economic Forum (1 min) – posted on Facebook
- Landlords Like That (5 min – From At Home/Chez Soi)
- 100,000 Homes Campaign – Registry Weeks (4 min)
- 100,000 Homes Campaign Year 2 (3 min)
- 100,000 Homes Wrap-Up – We Can End Homelessness (4.5 min)
- Chatham-Kent 2018 Registry Week (4 min)
- Fredericton’s 2016 Registry Week (7 min)
- Hamilton’s 2016 Registry Week (3.5 min)
- Waterloo’s 2014 Registry Week – Short Version (2.5 min) Long Version (5.5 min)
- What is a Connections Week? (2.5 min) – from the European End Street Homelessness Campaign
- The Right to Housing in Canada (2.5 mins) (2021) – from the Canadian Human Rights Commission
- Raising the Roof Humans for Humans – Mean Tweets – Let’s Change the Conversation (1 min)
- Crisis UK:
- Everyone In: End Homelessness UK (1.5 min) and a one-year progress update (2 min) on Everyone In
- If Everybody is In (1 min) – Crisis teamed up with a host of celebrities including Tom Hardy, Emma Thompson, Ellie Goulding, Jodie Whittaker and Richard Gere to call for an end to homelessness in Great Britain.
- Would You Rather… Pay the Rent of Feed the Kids? (2 min)
- Cover the Costs (2 min) for campaign to Increase Housing Allowances (2 min)
- Australia’s Everybody’s Home Campaign (2 min – animated)
- Toronto – What Does Ending Homelessness Mean to You (3 min)
- World Homelessness Day (5 min) – short dance film highlighting critical issue of youth homelessness in Australia
- OrgCode – Do What You Say You Are Going to Do Rant (2.5 min)
- Hockey Helps the Homeless (3.5 min)
- LGBTQ2S Toolkit Introduction (3 min – animated) (Away Home Canada, 2015)
- The Intersection of Homelessness and Domestic Violence (3 min) (National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, 2017)
- A New Direction: A Framework for Homeless Prevention (1.5 min) (COH, 2017)
The following films are fictional but often based on true stories.
- The Public – Trailer (2019) – starring Emilio Estevez and Alec Baldwin
- The Florida Project – Trailer (2017) – starring William Defoe
- Same Kind of Different As Me – Trailer (2017) – starring Greg Kinnear, Rene Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou
- The Lady in the Van – Trailer (2015) – starring Maggie Smith
- Time Out of Mind – Trailer (2015) – starring Richard Gere, Ben Vereen, Jena Malone
- The Soloist – Trailer (2009) – starring Robert Downie Jr. and Jaime Foxx
- The Pursuit of Happiness – Trailer (2006) – starring Will Smith
- Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story – Full TV Movie (2003)
- Monster – Trailer (2003) with Charlize Theron
- Where the Heart Is – Trailer (2000) with Natalie Portman, Stockard Channing, Ashley Judd
Documentary Films
- Push (2019) – follows Leilani Farha, the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, as she travelling the globe, trying to understand who’s being pushed out of the city and why. To book a screening contact film@wgfilm.com.
- US and THEM (2017) – spans 10 years as filmmaker Krista Loughton attempts to help four homeless people who end up helping her. Includes candid conversations and interviews with addiction expert Dr Gabor Mate book a screening contact Krista Loughton, 250-889-1232, krista@usandthemthefilm.ca.
While not homeless-specific, these videos speak to key mindsets and strategies that are essential to support the transformational change necessary to end homelessness in your community.
- Quality Improvement (11 min – animated)
- Collective Impact (2 min – animated from the Collective Impact Forum)
- Leadership Lessons – Dancing Guy (3 min)
- Growth Mindset (3 min – animated)
- Cat Herding (1 min) (a funny video that can be used to lighten the mood around change management)
- Never Give Up Race (3 min)
- Never Give Up Pig (3.5 min – animated) (a funny video illustrating never giving up)
- Famous Failures (4 min – animated) & Famous Failures Part 2 (4 min – animated)
- Start with “Why” (Simon Sinek) Short Version (5 min) and Long Version (18 min)
- Equity and Equality (3 min – animated)
- How to Increase Your Grit (2.5 min – animated)
- Diffusion of Innovation: Part 1 – The Adoption Curve (3.5 min – animated) & Part 2 – The “S” Curve (3.5 min – animated)
- Brainstorming – Observe IDEO Experts in Action (2 min)
- How to Make Toast – TED Talk on Process Mapping with Ted Wujec (9 min)
- Leading Change (from Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard – by Chip and Dan Heath):
- Video Review for Switch (7 min – animated)
- Elephant, Rider and Path – A Tale of Behavior Change (2 min – animated)
- Finding Bright Spots (3.5 min)
- Why Change is So Hard (4 min)
- Its the Situation Not the Person (3.5 min)
- Shrink the Change with 1 Minute Praisings (3 min)