A Homeless Prevention System for London Ontario: A Three Year Implementation Plan

Homelessness begins in a home, in a neighbourhood, in our communities. The lasting or permanent solution to preventing and ending homelessness is housing with support. The City of London is introducing its Homeless Prevention System aimed at the reduction and prevention of homelessness for individuals and families through strong systems and services and based on our vision that the solution to homelessness is housing with support.

The primary goal for the Homeless Prevention System, agencies, programs and funding is to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness to achieve housing stability. This transformation to a housing stability approach builds on the research and evaluation by many countries, communities and non government organizations. This evidence demonstrates that by quickly stabilizing individuals and families in a housing crisis leads to improved long term health outcomes and housing security. By examining the efforts of other communities we know that this shift in practice reduces the pressures on emergency shelters, decreases or eliminates lengthy shelter stays and offers comprehensive supports focussed on the individual or family. Making housing stability the centre of the homeless prevention system, other sectors such as justice and health, and service providers and funders, can together focus on integrating the responsibility of preventing homelessness.

Publication Date: 
2013
Location: 
London, ON, Canada