Homeless Outreach Program
Every month Seniors Services Society,
responds to over 200 requests for information about seniors housing
in the Lower Mainland. These inquires include calls from citizens
and professionals concerned about their neighbour's or client's
housing situation. Our experienced team of intake and outreach
workers are involved in supporting older adults with housing issues
throughout the Greater Vancouver region, except in the Downtown
Eastside.
Often the calls are urgent as out of
the group of 200, more than 10% are homeless or at risk of becoming
homeless. Finding appropriate housing takes time and there are
no emergency shelters for older adults. Each older adult's situation
is assessed on an individual basis. An outreach worker meets with
the older adult either at the Seniors Services office or, if the
adult is unable to come to the office, in their current home.
In each instance the outreach worker works one on one with the
older adult to ensure the older adult has access to safe housing.
This one on one approach also allows the outreach workers to find
out if the adult has any health, income, or other concerns.
Seniors Services provides outreach
services to seniors who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
by: Ensuring that the senior has access to immediate safe accommodation,
assessing their short and long term housing and services needs,
assisting them in locating long term stable housing and working
with landlords to prevent eviction.
How do older adults end up homeless?
A minor stroke can go unnoticed, but result in an older adult
forgetting to pay their rent or file their taxes. This can lead
to eviction or the loss of income tax related benefits. The outreach
workers make referrals to solve these problems. If caught in time,
homelessness can sometimes be prevented. Outreach services include
a comprehensive assessment of an individuals housing situation.
This includes looking at the individuals current housing situation,
health issues, income issues.
For more information contact our office at 604-520-6621
or Email.
