Seniors and Families Housing Outreach Program
Homelessness is on the rise across Canada and the most prevalent demographic is seniors. Since 2008 the number of homeless seniors has increased 75%. Hollyburn, in partnership with federal, provincial and municipal governments as well as foundations and private donors, is proud to provide a variety of housing outreach services to seniors on the North Shore.
Hollyburn’s Seniors and Families Housing Outreach Program provides housing and social services support for individuals living on the North Shore who are experiencing homelessness, and those at risk of experiencing homelessness, by assessing client’s needs, assisting with personal goals, and life skills, and connecting individuals and families with housing and appropriate services.
Through the Homeless Prevention Program, we focus on housing loss prevention by assisting individuals and families at risk of experiencing homelessness due to crisis or transition.
Reaching Home, the federally funded program enables us to serve seniors aged 50 and above, who are experiencing homelessness.
The program also provides education on specialized life skills such as budgeting, Simple Tax Preparation, End of Life Planning. As of November 2023, we launched the Canada-British Columbia Housing Benefit (CBCHB), a benefit from BC Housing that helps individuals who are not eligible to receive rental assistance such as Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) or Rental Assistance
The goal of the program is to:
- Prevent senior homelessness on the North Shore.
- Support homeless North Shore seniors in finding and maintaining stable housing and active community participation.
- Improve linkages and communication between seniors’ service provider agencies and increase the capacity to collaboratively support this vulnerable population.
This Program has been recognized across the region including two awards from United Way and the SFU Gerontology Elder Abuse Awareness to Action Award.
Supporting Seniors To Remain Housed
Supporting Seniors to Remain Housed is a critical program in our community’s effort to prevent homelessness and help seniors age in place. This program provides longer term interventions on the North Shore to address seniors with chronic tenancy issues which leaves them at risk of homelessness. These issues are typically due to complex needs which may be related to health, cognitive functioning, isolation, depression, mental health, elder abuse and financial management.
The program offers life and social skill development, financial management, nutrition support, elder abuse awareness, mentorship training and community engagement opportunities.