The following programs have been approved to deliver services starting October 1. All applications were carefully evaluated by the City’s Housing Secretariat through a comprehensive review process.
Street outreach programs support individuals who are experiencing homelessness and living outside or spending a significant amount of time on the streets by helping them move into permanent housing. Projects under these guidelines provide services to individuals who are currently experiencing street homelessness. Many of these individuals will require specialized supports and most will face multiple barriers in securing and maintaining housing and require significant support in the transition to living indoors. Services are provided with a Housing First approach.
For the purpose of this funding opportunity, the types of services for street outreach include:
- street outreach services
- Indigenous-specific street outreach
- specialized, multi-disciplinary street outreach
If you are interested in learning more about the services that will be offered or if your organization would like to collaborate by initiating a formal or informal partnership, please contact the organizations above directly. Contact information for each organization can be found on the organization’s website.
Eligibility Requirements
Successful applicants engage with people who are experiencing street homelessness to facilitate their move into permanent housing and support the goal of ending chronic homelessness in the City of Toronto.
Service Delivery Requirements
Street outreach staff members must have:
- extensive knowledge of and experience in housing work, conflict resolution and mediation
- a strong understanding of community resources and referral pathways
Street outreach programs must:
- provide responsive and person-centered case management services that meet each person’s unique needs and/or complex challenges
- provide non-judgemental, trauma-informed and anti-oppressive services rooted in harm reduction and Housing First approaches
- deliver services in person, including travelling to meet with people in their housing units, accompanying people to other service providers and conducting services after hours and on weekends as needed
- work directly with the City-operated Streets to Homes (S2H) program;
- respond to calls for service in collaboration with Streets to Homes (S2H), which includes responding to encampment sites and to individuals who require assistance and participation in all meetings and case conferencing processes established by S2H
- conduct intentional street outreach for a specific population group and/or within a specified geographic area of the City of Toronto, including in parks, under bridges and in ravines
- offer support to find and secure housing
- connect people to medical supports
- develop housing case plans with people, including preparing documents required and working with landlords to secure housing
- refer people who have been housed to the Coordinated Access Follow-Up Support Program and participate in client transfer meetings with the assigned follow-up worker
- provide housing support and follow-up while waiting for transfer completion
- participate in new and ongoing processes to move people to permanent housing, such as the Rapid Re-housing Initiative and Priority Access to Housing and Supports (PATHS) process
- build and maintain relationships with housing providers in communities across Toronto, including landlord outreach and engagement
- participate in City committees and working groups, if or as required
- compile, maintain and provide program statistics and submitting activity data and program outcomes as required
- advance the City’s funding priorities, including:
- strengthening our relationship with Indigenous communities and advancing reconciliation
- focusing on equity
- delivering high quality services
- reducing chronic homelessness;
- developing integrated system responses
- strengthening and modernizing the sector
