Category Archives: Notable Research
Housing First – Mental Health
Housing First was always in a way designed with people experiencing mental health challenges in mind. This is because the model was originally focused on ending chronic homelessness, and both chronic homelessness and homelessness in general occur most often in … Continue reading
Some Gains on Poverty Reduction
In this blog post from last year on the 2012 annual report on Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, I sounded the alarm that we were falling behind. Early gains were not being followed through in terms of increases to child benefits, … Continue reading
Poverty and Food Security
The latest report on household food insecurity in Canada offers some key insight into what exactly food insecurity looks like in our communities. I was pleased to discover that this national report paralleled exactly the findings of the work I … Continue reading
A Success Story
Change can be a difficult process. London is currently in a transition with our homelessness programs to move more resources from managing people while they are homeless, to prevention or rapid re-housing with supports. This is difficult as it means … Continue reading
The Nuance in the Numbers
Who gets stuck in shelter? How many are chronically homeless? Are all the same people using all the same shelter beds? Is shelter becoming housing? These are just some of the questions that come up in discussions of refinishing our … Continue reading
Housing as Health Intervention
As a nurse, health professional, and health educator, I spend a lot of time talking about housing. Working with people experiencing homelessness, there is no shortage of traditional health concerns to be worried about: mental illness, addictions, wounds, communicable diseases, … Continue reading
The Role Staff Play in Housing
In reviewing the Homes for the Hard to House report by St Leonard’s Society of Canada, what struck me was the role that staff play in terms of housing those who have experienced homelessness. The transition in homelessness services through 2000-2010 was … Continue reading
Health and Homelessness Summary
I’ve finally gotten around to putting together an accessible summary for our health and homelessness project from late 2011:
Mixed Up About Markets
London’s Anti-Poverty Strategy: Literature Review is one of the documents that led to the creation in London of the Child and Youth Network. The purpose of the Child and Youth Network is to eliminate poverty through strategies focused on children. … Continue reading
Mental Health Care: Filling in the Gaps
Building all the social housing in the world won’t be enough to end homelessness if we don’t also provide supports in the community for those who need them. In the context of homelessness, this has much to do with people … Continue reading