Community Care: Housing Help

who we are...

MISSION: Every human being has the right to safe, secure and affordable housing. We believe direct service should be based on the principles of empowerment.

In 2005 Community Care, St. Catharines & Thorold and Housing Help merged as one. The vital purpose of Housing Help is to provide information and service which focuses on enabling individuals or families who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, to obtain and maintain permanent housing which is available, (or potentially available), in the St. Catharines and Thorold community.

those we serve...

Housing Help

In 2012, Housing Help worked with 1,155 youth, 16-24 years of age, who were either homeless or at imminent risk of being homeless. 60% were female.

In 2012, 11, 248 people came through the doors of Housing Help, without appointments and 13,367 phone calls were received. Assitance ranged from housing issues to landlord/tenant concerns to the navigation of vital systems amongst other struggles and issues listed below...

those that are homeless
the underemployed
those with physical, mental, emotional and developmental disabilities some from birth
seniors on fixed incomes, living below the poverty line or alone
youth without families, family support or estranged from family
youth living with family discourse and breakdown
those experiencing economic hardships for the first time
the hardest to house
those in imminent risk of being homelessness (within 30 days)
those in need of Identification
those that need help filling out applications ex. Niagara Regional Housing or Ontario Disability
those looking for furnishings, seeking replacement beds and bedding due to bed bugs
an unexpected death, a devastating accident or illness
lack of work and/or education
living on social assistance-unable to get out of a hole

how we respond...

Housing Help assists with affordable housing, rental applications and documents, landlord disputes, emergency shelter, Regional trusteeships (including youth, 16-24), money management, utility assistance, Niagara for Access and Identification (NAID), access to the weekly Health Bus and referrals to other local applicable agencies/services.
The staff collectively, and with other agencies, strives to stabilize each case, in hopes of preventing evictions, preventing homelessness, preventing incarcerations, preventing misuse of costly community resources such as walk in clinics or community shelters, and preventing overuse of OW/ODSP program benefits such as Community Start Up monies and repetitive replacement client drug and dental cards.
Housing Help navigates the system to ensure each person is connected to the appropriate secondary or tertiary resource (mental health, substance use, acquired brain injury, developmental services).
Housing Help works directly with landlords and posts weekly housing lists.
A youth must remain in school to be eligible for the Youth Trusteeship Program. This ensures that they stay in school, with many youth completing their essential secondary education and the ability to go onto higher education and training, leading to better, secure employment.
As a result of this program, high risk youth are integrated back into the community and into the mainstream of society, equipped with the skills necessary for money management.
Their self esteem is improved, along with an actualization of what they can accomplish leading to independence and self sufficiency. In turn, they also become a positive influence and role model for their peers.
Housing Help works hand in hand with each individual coming through our doors, addressing their special needs and unique challenges.