Housing First Program
The Housing First Program is a service that functions within the John Howard Society of Fredericton. This program is a progressive alternative to other services such as transitional housing or emergency shelters. Its main concern is to move people experiencing homelessness right away, from the streets or shelters into their own apartments.
The team collaborates with individuals to assist them in finding housing, as well as maintaining their housing. The team also connects individuals with organizations that can provide support outside of housing (i.e., Social Development, Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, Mental Health and Addictions.)
The program has a multi-disciplinary team that services individuals based on intensive case management and assertive outreach.
Housing First has 5 main core principles:
- Immediate Access to Permanent Housing with no Housing Readiness.
- Consumer Choice and Self-Determination.
- Recovery Oriented.
- Individualized and Client Driven.
- Social and Community Integration.
Fredericton Housing First Services uses two assessment tools to assist in prioritizing the
housing needs of service users and to determine areas for additional supports:
- Level 1: Vulnerable Index-Service Prioritization and Decision Assessment Tool (VI- SPDAT) is a triage or pre-screen.
- Level 2: Service Prioritization and Decision Assessment Tool (SPDAT) is the full assessment to pinpoint potential areas where the service user may need support.
Referrals may be made by government and non-government organizations, or by self-referral.
Referrals received are prioritized by the level of need of the individuals accessing services using the VI-SPDAT and SPDAT tools.
New referrals contact the Outreach Coordinator at (506) 478-8443.
The Housing First program is also excited to announce that our new Housing Diversion position will become effective November 2023. Shelter diversion is a strategy targeting homeless youth that refers to the provision of alternative temporary housing options, supports and interventions designed to reduce the likelihood that young people in particular will wind up relying on the emergency shelter system.
For more information about our Housing First Program, please contact the John Howard Society of Fredericton at (506) 450-2750.