Waterloo Region first community in Canada to pilot 20,000 Homes Campaign

Waterloo Region – Waterloo Region will be the first Canadian community to pilot the 20,000 Homes Campaign, which aims to permanently house 20,000 of our country’s most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness by 2018.

The Region of Waterloo will be working with partners to conduct a community-wide registry to gather data on the majority of our local homeless population. On November 30 and December 1, more than 60 staff and volunteers will canvass shelters and streets to conduct a short health and housing survey with individuals experiencing homelessness. They will gather information from individuals about their history of homelessness, health, use of emergency services and level of risk.

The data will be analyzed and presented at a Community Debrief at Regional Headquarters on December 3. (Media advisory to come.) This information will be used to help ensure the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness are supported to access housing first. The goal for Waterloo Region is to house up to 40 individuals over this winter season.

The 20,000 Homes Campaign is being led by the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, and was inspired by the U.S. 100,000 Homes Campaign (www.100khomes.org).

Get more information on the 20,000 Homes Campaign and Waterloo Region’s community registry here: http://bit.ly/1uEcs7A.

Follow @RegionWaterloo and #20kHomes on Twitter for more information.

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For more information, please contact:

Marie Morrison, Housing Services, Region of Waterloo, 519-575-4757 ext. 5042