Hamilton’s Homelessness Ending Strategy

Coordinated Access is the process through which community providers work together to streamline access to resources for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. This process aims to remove barriers individuals experiencing homelessness face when trying to navigate services and programs run by different organizations. Without Coordinated Access, a client must tell their story repeatedly through multiple intakes, applications, and interviews without necessarily landing at the right program or set of resources to meet their needs.

Our vision through Coordinated Access is that an individual experiencing homelessness can access any door to the homeless-serving system (e.g. emergency shelter, outreach, drop-ins, Housing Services Division) in order to access a whole community of supports. Clients are asked to share their story one time through common intake and consent for inclusion in our shared HIFIS database. Common assessment supports a community-wide approach to assessing and triaging clients to effectively connect them with the right range of supports. This helps move from an approach where clients are served by single organizations to one where we take shared responsibility for ensuring everyone accesses their right to housing as equitably and efficiently as possible.

These policies and processes guide our collective efforts in coordinating access to resources within Hamilton’s homeless-serving system and exits from the experience of homelessness.

Housing Help Centre - Provides services to assist individuals who are experiencing homelessness or are on a low income in finding safe and affordable housing. Services include: listing of available rental accommodations, applications for subsidized housing and financial benefits, housing search assistance, information services, community referrals, landlord resources.

Housing Stability Benefit and Rent Ready - Available to people who need financial assistance to maintain their housing. These funds may help cover: last month’s rent, moving costs, furniture replacement, and utility arrears.

Access to Housing - Point of access for people who want to apply for subsidized housing in the Hamilton area. The City maintains a centralized waitlist for more than 12,000 units and works with a network of agencies and housing providers to help applicants find housing. Access to Housing is not a landlord and does not directly offer housing. Waits for offers of housing can be long.

Financial Supports Catalogue  - Offers a variety of information about benefits, tax credits, and programs which provide financial assistance to those who need it.

City of Hamilton Support Programs - A range of programs available to Hamilton residents with low income with the goal to support access to affordable housing, food, transportation, and health resources.

Eviction Prevention

• Good Shepherd Staying Home Program - An eviction prevention program that supports single women and families to help stabilize and locate housing.
• Housing Outreach Preventing Evictions for Seniors (HOPES) - Supports for adults 55+ to secure and maintain housing in safe and stable environments.
• Early Intervention & Diversion for Youth - A partnership between Notre Dame House, Wesley Youth Housing, and Catholic Children’s Aid Society. This program works with youth aged 16-24 to prevent homelessness.
• Tenant Defence Fund Pilot Program - Helps tenant groups facing above guideline rent increases by providing support with education, securing meeting rooms,  printing and photocopying relating to the grant application and covering the cost of hiring a paralegal or lawyer to represent them at the Landlord Tenant Board.

Emergency Shelters and Drop-ins 

Housing-focused sheltering services include: diversion, intake and assessment, case management, a bed, and meals.

• List of Emergency Shelters and Drop-ins

Indigenous-led Housing Support Programs

The Hamilton Regional Indian Centre offers a wholistic range of supports for individuals with Indigenous ancestry. These include:

• Indigenous Drop-in - a culturally safe & appropriate space for Indigenous people to access housing supports and connect with peers in a community-based setting.
  407 King Street West
  Drop-in Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30am to 6:30pm
  Drop-in Services: Light Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner; Access to Traditional Medicines, Connect with Elders/Knowledge Keepers; Identification Supports; Housing Help & Resources.
• Indigenous Housing and Homelessness Supports and Services Program - primarily serves Indigenous men, women, youth, and families, who self-identify as Indigenous and are experiencing housing stability challenges or are at risk of homelessness. The Housing Supports Intake number is 905-869-9593. Further information is available by contacting Program Manager, Sheryl Green by email [email protected] or phone 289-260-9591.
  Supports include:
  • Shelter Intervention: staff work with individuals to identify options for shelter diversion, connect with households that are currently residing in an emergency shelter, and provide culturally specific supports to both clients and shelters.
  • Indigenous Homelessness Support: staff provide supports to those who are recently homeless or at risk of homelessness by providing individualized supports and services to reduce or minimize impact.
  • Intensive Indigenous Homelessness Support: staff work through the Housing First approach by facilitating services and supports that promote housing stability to those who are chronically or episodically homeless.
  • Landlord Liaison: staff strive to develop relationships with landlords and property managers for the purpose of connecting clients into available housing units and focusing on eviction prevention by providing mediation and problem-solving supports to both the client and the landlord to promote housing stability.