Program aims to get 200 homeless people into affordable Hamilton homes by 2021

Mission Services is launching a housing program that it says will put at least 200 homeless people in affordable Hamilton units by next year.

The program, dubbed Housing UP!, will operate on a long-term model that emphasizes quickly rehousing homeless men and subsequently providing them ongoing community resources to sustain their housing status.

Each client will be paired with a case manager who will oversee their file for up to two years following their housing placement. The managers act as a bridge between both tenants and landlords, while also serving as a contact-point for clients seeking ancillary support or services.

We're looking to help homeless individuals rebuild their capacity - not just to obtain housing placements, but to sustain them permanently," said Shawn MacKeigan, director of men's services at Mission Services.

The City of Hamilton, which hopes to eradicate homelessness by 2025, committed $1.3 million annually over three years to fund the program in January.

Of note with the initiative - and what separates it from other housing solutions - is its pledge to cater housing plans to the needs and wants of specific clients.

The first apartment you get isn't always where you want to spend the rest of your life," said MacKeigan. So choice is very important and autonomy is very important."

The catch, though, is that clients have to be realistic, MacKeigan said.

Most people experiencing homelessness don't have rental history, and that presents challenges in finding the right place from the outset because most landlords require rent referrals.

But the way Housing UP! is structured - such that clients' long-term sustainability is just as important as quickly getting them off the streets - helps combat that.

Places that might not be available today, might be available after they've been housed for six months. So, we work with individuals to ensure they're able to establish that positive rental history," MacKeigan said.

By doing that, they're also able to stabilize in terms of income and staying connected to ancillary support they require to be successful long-term."

The program will work with both housed and homeless people across the city, not just those who access Mission Services. For more information, email smackeigan@mission-services.com or call 905-538-7635, ext. 4208.

Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com