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At Home
In 2008, the Government of Canada allocated $110 million to the MHCC to undertake a research demonstration project on mental health and homelessness. The result? At Home/Chez Soi, a four-year project in five cities that aimed to provide practical, meaningful support to Canadians experiencing homelessness and mental health problems.
At Home/Chez Soi, demonstrated and evaluated the effectiveness of the “housing first” approach, where people are provided with a place to live and then receive recovery-oriented services and supports that best meet their individual needs.
Housing First can be successfully implemented across Canada
At Home/Chez Soi showed that the housing first approach works in Canada and gives us information about how it works by looking at who it works for, and at what cost. It also helps us understand how Housing First can be adapted across Canada since it was implemented in five cities, each with a particular area of focus:
National
| NEW: | The At Home/ Chez Soi Project: |
| Description: | Cross- Site Report on the Sustainability of Housing and Support Programs Implemented |
| Document: | The At Home/ Chez Soi Project: Moving Evidence into Policy |
| Description: | The Story of the At Home/Chez Soi Initiative’s Impact on Federal Homelessness Policy in Canada. |
| Document: | National At Home/Chez Soi Final Report |
| Description: | This report documents the final results of the At Home/Chez Soi research demonstration project, which examined Housing First as a means of ending homelessness for people living with mental illness in Canada. The project followed more than 2,000 participants for two years, and was the world’s largest trial of Housing First, with demonstration sites in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montréal, and Moncton. |
| Document: | Summary: Correlates of Veteran Status and Impact of At Home/Chez Soi on Homeless Veterans with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness |
| Description: | This document contains one and three-page summaries of analyses of data collected from veterans in the At Home/Chez Soi project: correlates of veteran status in At Home, and the effects of Housing First on mental health and social adjustment, service use, and housing outcomes for self-identified veterans. |
| Document: | The At Home / Chez Soi Research Project Methodology |
| Document: | At Home Interim Report |
| Description: | Released in September 2012, At Home/Chez Soi Interim Report presents preliminary research findings to explore the impact the project had after one year on service use, housing outcomes and costs. The Interim Report shows that Housing First improves the lives of those who are homeless and have mental health issues and makes better use of public dollars, especially for those who have high health and social service use. It also shows that Housing First can be implemented across Canada through a cross-ministry approach that combines health, housing and social services with not-for-profit and private sector partnerships. |
| Document: | At Home Early Findings Report – Volume 1 – April 2011 |
| Document: | At Home Early Findings Report – Volume 2 – January 2012 |
| Document: | At Home Early Findings Report – Volume 3 – September 2012 |
| Description: | Published in 2012, this third volume in the Early Findings series describes activities that illustrate the potential of Housing First and At Home/Chez Soi project to have a positive impact on people with histories of homelessness and mental health issues, our service systems and communities. It explores how housing is only the first step, with secure, quality housing often being a catalyst to achieve other goals. This report also profiles activities in local At Home/Chez Soi sites to support the engagement of participants in public speaking, public education, vocational supports and peer support. It describes the involvement of people with lived experience in the project and highlights some of the qualitative research findings about participants’ experiences with homelessness. |
Vancouver
People also experiencing problematic substance use
| Document: | Vancouver Final Report: At Home/Chez Soi project |
| Description: | This report documents the final results of the At Home/Chez Soi Vancouver site’s research demonstration project, which examined Housing First as a means of ending homelessness for people who are living with mental illness, with a particular focus on those who also had challenges with substance use. The project followed 497 participants for two years and compared Housing First to available local services. |
| Document: | Vancouver Peer Reference Group Report on Peer Support for Homelessness and Mental Health |
| Description: | This report was written by a working group of people with lived experience of mental health issues, addiction, and/or homelessness. It identifies the role of the Vancouver Peer Reference Group, describes what peer support is, examines existing formal peer support worker training in Vancouver and other Vancouver agencies offering peer support, and provides recommendations with respect to peer support training for people experiencing mental health issues, homelessness and/or transitioning from homelessness, and/or addiction. |
Winnipeg
Urban Aboriginal population
| Document: | Winnipeg Final Report: At Home/Chez Soi project |
| Description: | This report documents the final results of the At Home/Chez Soi Winnipeg site’s research demonstration project, which examined Housing First as a means of ending homelessness for people who are First Nations, Inuit and Metis and living with mental illness in urban settings. The project followed 513 participants for two years and compared Housing First to available local services. |
Toronto
Ethno-racialized populations, including immigrants who do not speak English
| Document: | Toronto Final Report: At Home/Chez Soi project |
| Description: | This report documents the final results of the At Home/Chez Soi Toronto site’s research demonstration project, which examined Housing First as a means of ending homelessness for people who are living with mental illness with a particular focus on those from ethnoracial backgrounds. The project followed 575 participants for two years and compared Housing First to available local services. |
Montreal
| NEW : | The At Home/Chez Soi Project: |
| Description: |
Sustainability of Housing and Support Programs Implemented at the Montreal Site
|
| Document: | Montreal Final Report: At Home/Chez Soi project |
| Description: | This report documents the final results of the At Home/Chez Soi Montréal site’s research demonstration project, which examined Housing First as a means of ending homelessness for people living with mental illness. The project followed 469 participants for two years and compared Housing First to available local services. |
Moncton
| NEW : | The At Home/Chez Soi Project: |
| Description: |
Sustainability of Housing and Support Programs Implemented at the Moncton Site
|
| Document: | Moncton Final Report: At Home/Chez Soi project |
| Description: | This report documents the final results of the At Home/Chez Soi Moncton site’s research demonstration project, which examined Housing First as a means of ending homelessness for people living with mental illness in the context of a small city and a rural region. The project followed 201 participants for two years and compared Housing First to available local services. |