Could Waterloo Region be the First to End Chronic Homelessness?
on November 23, 2018
If Waterloo Region was able to end chronic homelessness, more than 250 of our community’s most vulnerable people would be off the streets and have a sustainable housing plan to get their lives on track. This may sound like an overly ambitious goal, but thanks to partnerships between local housing agencies (including Lutherwood) and commitment from community groups and leaders, this goal is achievable, and soon!
With the “all in” support from our community, including from leaders such as Chief Bryan Larkin (WRPS), Mike Farwell (570 News) and Rob Way (CEO, Swiftspace), Waterloo Region has the chance to become Ontario’s (and possibly Canada’s) first community to end chronic homelessness through the recent launch of the ALL IN 2020 campaign. Championed by Well Being Waterloo Region (WWR) and the Homelessness Housing Umbrella Group (HHUG), ALL IN 2020 is a community-led plan to help house people who have been homeless the longest and have the most complex needs within two years. ALL IN 2020 Coordinator, Lynn Macaulay is confident that this plan will make a transformative, large-scale change.
“It is unacceptable that people in our community are homeless for years at a time,” Macaulay said to the crowd at the campaign launch. “Now is the time to change that.”
The campaign has a goal of raising $700,000 to provide rent subsidies and unit repair funds for people transitioning from homelessness into housing. To help kick-off the campaign, the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation has generously offered to match the first $25,000 in donations.
ALL IN 2020 also aims to break down the stigma of homelessness and encourages people to be a Housing Hero by helping to mobilize the community by starting conversations about homelessness and spreading the word about ALL IN 2020. In our Summer 2017 issue of InSight, our article “YOU can help end homelessness in 6 simple ways!” offered some suggestions on how you can get involved.
Lutherwood is proud to be one of a number of local partners involved in this exciting campaign and is grateful for the wonderful support and commitment from the community to ending homelessness by 2020. Lutherwood is “all in” and we hope that you will be part of the movement too.
To get involved and learn more, visit www.hhug.ca. You can also track the campaign’s progress of housing all 258 individuals currently on the priority list for housing and supports.
Instagram Feed
Latest from our Blog
Nov 22, 2024Let’s get Realistic About your Job Goal!How do we know that we’ve picked the right job goal? Your goal should meet these 3 criteria: you understand what the job involves, you have or can get the needed credentials, and the job is in demand. Let’s explore how to make sure your job search meets these criteria!
Nov 15, 2024Stand Out on your Housing Application with a Renter Cover LetterAdding a Renter Cover Letter could help give landlords insight into why you’d be a great tenant. This summary of the Renter Cover Letter Toolkit by the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) shows you how to create a strong cover letter while protecting yourself from discrimination.
Nov 5, 2024Is Your Resume Missing These Essential Skills?Have you heard before that your resume should highlight both Hard and Soft skills? Those don’t mean Difficult and Easy skills! Let’s talk about these categories and some ways to recognize the full range of skills you have.
"Upon completion of the YJC program, I've had more focus in designing my ideal career path, as well as the confidence and resources needed in taking steps for achieve my career goals."