World Homeless Day 2020

Housing with supports is key to recovery for many people living with mental health or addictions issues. This is one of the main messages that Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) is sharing with the community to mark World Homeless Day this October 10.

Evidence indicates that having a place to call home means a better quality of life and success in education and work. And housing with appropriate supports is shown to improve outcomes from even severe mental health and addictions problems.

CMHA supports the ‘Housing First’ model, a person-centred approach that provides immediate access to permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness, without requiring psychiatric treatment or sobriety as determinants of ‘housing readiness.’ Research on this approach shows that it reduces hospitalization and increases housing stability significantly more than treatment alone.

In partnership with other stakeholders, CMHAs continue their efforts to promote the need for housing in general and supportive housing in particular for people with lived experience of mental illness. CMHAs have called for increased investments in housing, as well as the need to reduce barriers to housing as one way to reduce the overall costs to health care, police and justice, and social services sectors.

Locally, CMHA HKPR is pleased to offer housing assistance through the Supportive Housing program. The program provides flexible strengths-based and barrier free supportive housing for persons with a serious mental illness or dual diagnosis, based on respect, dignity, hope and collaboration. The goals of supportive housing include:

• Support people to live as independently as possible
• Support people to participate in the community, accessing community resources and assistance
• Provide supports to minimize stress, provide illness management and prevent crisis and hospitalization
• Provide education and support to people to enable them to develop and maintain skills and relationships

To learn more about Supportive Housing, click here.

For more information on World Homeless Day, visit their website.