Homeless-Experienced Advocacy & Leadership Network

Establish a feedback mechanism for voices of lived experience to provide honest and accurate input, without fear of consequences or retaliation

Person-centered approach to providing support (rather than by merit)

Keep families with children together

Feedback tool on services to increase accountability to provide adequate services

Legal services accompanied by case management

Improving the structure of prioritizing who receives services and resources

Adopting an evidence-based approach to improving outcomes

Provide shelter for homeless individuals and homeless veterans exiting the hospital and treatment centers to continue to recover

Increase shelter beds in North County

Invest in programs and services, such as

• Rapid rehousing

• Rental assistance program

• Hotel and motel voucher

• Job training programs

• System for evaluating programs and services

• Mental health services

Reduce barriers in accessing benefits (e.g. general relief & SNAP) and housing

• Reform discriminatory practices within programs and services provided (e.g. by age, race, relationship status, etc.)

• Allow the option of combining benefits with partner

• Address needs of those who have been on the waitlist for a long time, as newly eligible persons get prioritized on the list

• Close the gaps between programs to create realistic pathways towards upward mobility

• Support clients in maintaining sustainable income before ending welfare programs and placing them at risk of homelessness

Coordinated outreach & crisis response team

Homeless outreach supported by social service providers, case workers, addiction counselors

• Move away from law enforcement, to more trauma-informed and person-centered approach by social service providers

• Peer to peer training between individuals with lived experience of homelessness and social workers—building capacity of individuals who have experienced homelessness to serve on outreach teams

Real case-management with comprehensive intake and person-centered approach. Provide counselling and trauma-informed care to address causes of homelessness and removing challenges at individual level

Programs should have clear pathways to housing, vouchers, and other services in a centralized and consolidated way that is accessible to individual clients

Clients should have the ability to submit evaluation/review on services they received

Streamline affordable housing financing and development

Streamlining access to housing and making it easier to maintain housing

Shorten wait-time for rapid re-housing and emergency homeless assistance

Extend the period of time for voucher-holders to find housing in a competitive rental market

Verify sustainable income before rental assistance ends

Increase services and resources for affordable and supportive housing residents