Agenda Package - City of Vernon

Evaluation of Homelessness Strategy for the North Okanagan
The four guiding principles (core principles) prescribed within the Strategy included: (1)
understanding; (2) respect; (3) inclusivity; and (a) awareness. Other key elements of the
Strategic Plan included the following:
Visionls: ,' The North Okanagon vision consists of a community where there are
sufficient emergency services such os shelter ond Íood; sufficient supportive, tronsitionol
and low cost housing units; sulficient support services in place for those needing help
before or after they are homeless; and occessible income øssístonce models for fomilies
ønd individuols in need."
pursuant to stakeholder interviews, focus group discussions and strategy sessions a
number of implementation recommendations were drafted'to
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Eme rgency SuPPort Seruices:
Shelter ønd Transitional Housina - there is o need for ø permonent women's shelter, on
expons¡on of the men's shelter ot Howard House, and stabilization of funding for the
downtown shelter run by the Friendship Centre and housed by Sølvøtion Army. ln
addition, service providers see the need for tronsitionol housing to be integrated into
shelter services.
Drop ln proqrom - it is importont thqt the homeless populotion have somewhere to go
during the doy for access to toilets, showers, laundry ond telephones.
Downtown Health Centre - Addictions counseling should be occessible in the downtown
core. Agoin, the heotth centre should be onother gateway for someone who is homeless
to access permanent housing and support programs'
Supported and Permonent Housing:
Supported Hous¡na for People with Addictions/Mental Health- recommendotions were
mode for OAlVtp and/or WET housing (tow borrier housing for individuals octively using)
and other types of supportive housing'
Housina Outreach Worker - similor to the Judy Groves model where øn outreoch worker
can connect himetess people with income assistonce support and housing' In oddition,
this worker con assist tenonts ond londlords to work out disputes, thereby preventing
homelessness.
tt Whil" within the document the stated vision is as described, throughout the text there is reference to a broad goal
or aspiration of ,.ending homelessness" and another of "reducing homelessness"; which beyond the matter of
confusing at least one of which (eliminating homelessness) conflicts with the stated vision'
,o Notabìy absent from this list was a recommendation for greater integration/cooperat¡on amongst the various
service agencies implying that a more cohesive effort was already in place, i.e. participation in the strategic planning
exercise or that it was inherent within the strategy recommendations, i.e. identification of challenges/champions.
This is an important observation in that many of the service providers who were interviewed pursuantto this project
¡nvestigation noted as one of the Strategy's more significant successes was that it build greater cooperation within
the community.
Lochaven Management Consultants Ltd.
November 2010
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