l
The State of Homelessness in Canada 2013 is out. Published by The Homeless Hub, this report examines what we know about homelessness, the historical, social and economic context in which it has emerged, demographic features of the problem, and potential solutions.
Life skills training, community development and scheduling support allow these tenants to enjoy the benefits of community in a semi-independent living environment.
lMore Than A Roof Foundation in partnership with More Than A Roof Housing Society’s 18th Street Community Care Division made it possible to purchase Williams House, a group home for adults suffering with mental illness, helping ensure the future sustainability of mental health based supportive housing in Metro Vancouver.
Situated in North Vancouver, Williams House is home to five individuals with chronic or severe mental illness. With the aid of full time support staff each tenant is able to lead an active and meaningful life. Life skills training, community development and scheduling support allow these tenants to enjoy the benefits of community in a semi-independent living environment.
A recent report by Vancouver Coastal Health states that for those living in supported housing, emergency room visits go down by almost one third and days spent in hospital go down by over half during the first year living in a supported housing environment. It also gives the individuals living in supported housing the assistance they need to maintain their housing and reduce or eliminate their risk of homelessness. Tenants enjoy increased residential stability and independence, empowerment and reduction of mental health symptoms.
Tenants can engage in classes from the basics of cooking, which enables them to choose and prepare healthier food and menu options, to entry level instruction in culinary arts giving them some pre-employment training.
lKaris Place is one of More Than A Roof Housing’s buildings for singles located in downtown Vancouver on the edge of Yaletown. Completed in 2011, it has a large commercial kitchen just off the main level common space. Currently used to host a number of major food events, More Than A Roof has a vision for so much more.
Funding from More Than A Roof Foundation will allow them to utilize the kitchen as a training facility. Tenants can engage in classes from the basics of cooking, which enables them to choose and prepare healthier food and menu options, to entry level instruction in culinary arts giving them some pre-employment training.
Once graduated, tenants can then get involved in the More Than A Roof Housing Community Kitchen Social Enterprise giving them the experience they need for their resumes and their futures. The additional funding also helps fuel the future sustainability of the program ensuring tenants from all More Than A Roof Communities and beyond can benefit for years to come.