Our housing stability program helps individuals secure and maintain stable, permanent housing through a trauma-informed approach, intensive case management, and a mantra of “whatever it takes.”

Building trust, the goal of the Housing Stability Program is to stabilize, maintain, and sustain housing through wrap-around support to rebuild skills such as preparing a basic budget, activities of daily living, and personal empowerment.

Coming from years of chronic homelessness, people enter our housing stability program in survival mode. The goal is to not only have them survive in housing, but thrive. We work alongside participants to identify and hone-in on individual strengths, while building in additional coping strategies to have them become comfortable again at home and connect to their community.

Our team includes two housing selection workers who find private market housing and manage landlord relations for up to 100 units. A large part of finding private market housing is the management and provision of the housing allowance program.

London Cares operates an annual housing allowance program which allows people on a fixed income to receive a financial supplement so they can afford the current private market rental rate. Currently, over 40 people on our caseload receive a rental supplement monthly.

Our housing stability team of nine case management workers provide wrap-around support for people once they are housed to help them experience housing stability, including support with financial management, linkage to health services, maintaining their unit, and connection to community. Housing stability workers will connect individuals to services and supports such as health care, mental health supports, and food security without judgement and using a person-centered approach. The supports provided do not reflect a “one size fits all” model – connections are intentionally made based on the unique needs of the individual. As people stabilize in their housing and skills grow, the work continues to become integrated into community and find meaningful connection and a sense of belonging.

Beyond the basic outcomes of having a place to call home, better food security, increased mental and physical health, and support with substance use through a harm reduction approach, the best outcomes are when people graduate from our program and can maintain their home, build community connection, and shift from survival on the streets to thriving in their own home.

Through connection to health services, individuals have access to health care to identify all of their health needs, including primary care, medication management, physical and mental health support, and treatment of infectious diseases. Participants’ health outcomes are greatly improved with participation in our housing stability program through connection to treatment for such serious health concerns as Hepatitis C and treatment and medication management for HIV, which assists in their social determinants of health. With values based on dignity, respect, no judgement, and a compassionate approach, deep human connections are made, which may be the first time in a long time a participant has felt human connection. Hope becomes possible again.