This research is an examination of the conception of the national Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) demonstration project, “At Home/Chez Soi.” The purpose is to uncover the origins of this demonstration project. This research should be valuable in elucidating how innovative, large-scale demonstration projects come into being. No previous research has examined the origins of Housing First research projects in different jurisdictions, even though it is being taken up in many different locales. The main research question driving this study was: how was the MHCC At Home/Chez Soi demonstration project in Canada conceived and created?

This report also includes a Key Messages document and an Executive Summary at the beginning.