Preventing, addressing, and working towards reducing chronic homelessness.
Central & Northern Vancouver Island Region
The Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy is a federal program that funds communities to prevent, address, and work towards reducing chronic homelessness. Nanaimo and the Cowichan Region are designated communities with Reaching Home.
Reaching Home aims to prevent and reduce homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding to urban, Indigenous, rural, and remote communities across the Nanaimo region to address homelessness.
Reaching Home supports the goals of the National Housing Strategy, in particular, to support the most vulnerable Canadians in maintaining safe, stable and affordable housing and to reduce chronic homelessness nationally by 50% by fiscal 2027.
Reaching Home and United Way BC
United Way BC (Central and Northern Vancouver Island) is a designated Community Entity (CE) for Reaching Home in Nanaimo and Cowichan.
This role means that we:
Leverage decades of local relationships with service providers and community programs
Provide administrative support to Community Advisory Boards (CABs) in Nanaimo and Cowichan
Hold and administer funding dollars as directed by local CABs
How we’re making a difference
United Way British Columbia has been the CE in Nanaimo for more than five years, and the CE in the Cowichan area for even longer. We’re proud to utilize our existing relationships with local agencies, our knowledge of local programs, and our years of studying local needs to help direct funding to truly impactful initiatives. As part of Reaching Home, we’re not only getting people housing and support but making our communities a better home for everyone.
We’re making a difference by:
Supporting initiatives helping to prevent and reduce homelessness.
Ensuring grants meet local needs by putting funding decisions in the hands of local service providers, residents, and First Nations.
Developing Coordinated Access Systems (CAS) to provide streamlined access to housing and supports.
To learn more about our impact in the community, please see the videos and stories below.
About Funded Programs
Homelessness is a national issue, but the solutions required to address homelessness must be customized in local communities. Locally led and driven initiatives are the ideal way to provide services to those most in need. United Way BC distributes Reaching Home funding to local non-profit organizations and agencies in Nanaimo, Cowichan, and Duncan, including Indigenous and urban communities.
All funding is approved by advisory boards from each community (Cowichan and Nanaimo) through an application and approval process.
The Reaching Home program distributes funding through several streams, each with its own requirements. Additional Reaching Home funding was provided in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 Emergency Funding: Non-recurring funding divided into Indigenous and Designated streams meant to provide additional support to the homeless-serving sector.
Annual Allocations: Recurring funding provided annually for a number of years. These funds can be used to provide multi-year support to a particular service or pay for one-off project expenses. Funds are divided into Indigenous and Designated streams.
Indigenous Stream: Funds organizations that meet the unique needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Intended for Indigenous organizations in urban centres.
Designated Stream: Provides long-term, stable funding to organizations addressing homelessness in the Designated Community.
2024-2025 Funded Agencies
Cowichan Allocations
Canadian Mental Health Association Cowichan Valley Branch – Moving Forward & Warmland Shelter
Provide shelter and diversion services and capital investment in the shelter. Warmland Shelter is 24 years old and requires regular upkeep.
Client support with basic needs: socks, under garments, and toiletries.
Capital investment in Moving Forward units.
Cowichan Green Community Foundation (CGC) – First for Youth
Supporting vulnerable Cowichan youth who are street-entrenched, at risk of homeless, and/or precariously housed. CGC, the Cowichan Health Network, Island Health, the Cowichan Community Action Team, and other organizations have been working on the “First for Youth” Initiative to increase housing, food, and supports for vulnerable youth since 2022.
Cowichan Housing Association – Coordinated Access
A main premise of Coordinated Access is to ensure easy and equitable access to the Coordinated Access System and the ability to respond to any emerging issues. Through consultations with community agencies and those accessing services, we will identify access point to service (”hubs”) and create a community-wide protocol for triage and assessment, prioritization, matching and referrals.
Cowichan Lake Community Services (CLCSS) – Homelessness Prevention & Support Program
This project is aimed at supporting vulnerable community members who are experiencing homelessness and/or who are at imminent risk of becoming homeless. This project includes the continued funding for the Community Navigator position, who works directly with clients and helps them address issues impacting their ability meet their basic needs. It also includes project funding to continue supporting Prevention Activities and Client Support Services, including regular mental health counselling. Resource packages will provide information to the outreach workers who deliver the youth meals. Youth will also gain access to workshops and programming to learn new skills at our 2 teaching farms, retails store, food recovery program, cob oven and commercial kitchen.
Cowichan Tribes – Tl’l’to’mukw’ mustimuhw (Each Person is Important)
Providing post-treatment supportive housing.
Cultural gatherings and community gatherings for at-risk members.
Distribution of essential goods and supplies as part of outreach and cultural support efforts.
Indigenous Peers Street Smart Program.
Outreach van and mobile medical van for Outreach Team.
Cowichan Women Against Violence – Cedar Branches and Homelessness Prevention Program
Furnishing and finishing items for Cedar Branches.
Providing emergency intervention to prevent eviction or loss of home to individuals/families in the Cowichan Valley, as well as offering education and capacity-building skills to those accessing the program.
Ladysmith Resources Centre Association – Housing Support Services Program
Supporting community members in Ladysmith in core housing need by building capacity and providing support for individuals and families to secure and sustain healthy and appropriate housing.
Case Management services and providing a stable address to receive important government correspondence.
Other supports available to families and individuals include access to clothing, bedding, laundry services and shower services. In emergencies we can provide shelters through our 24/7 Shelter. The LRCA will continue to work with CHA to engage other organizations and service agencies in the Ladysmith area.
Malahat Nation – Malahat Nation Housing Supports
Supporting stable and safe access to housing for the members of Malahat Nation both on and off reserve.
Supporting building capacity and cultivating cultural practices and sensitivities in the implementation and delivery of Malahat housing services and programs/ support waitlists/Housing set ups.
Cowichan Women Against Violence (CWAV) – Homelessness Prevention Program
The program mandate is to first provide emergency intervention to prevent eviction or loss of home to individuals (identifying as female or gender diverse)/families in the Cowichan Valley. Secondly, it is to offer education and capacity-building skills to those accessing the program.
Cowichan Tribes – New Foundations
In partnership with Cowichan Housing Association, purchase land to which housing for unsheltered/temporarily sheltered people can be permanently located.
Hiiye’yu Lelum House of Friendship – Homelessness Breakfast Program
Provides client support services addressing basic needs: breakfast, lunch, access to shower and laundry facility, clothing depot, personal care items, cultural supports, referrals for counselling, health care, shelter, outreach, extreme weather extend hours (heat, cold). To provide support services that meet basic essential needs and are a cultural connection that build a sense of belonging.
Outreach helps builds connection to community and support services aid the client in working toward social integration. The Program Elder shares traditional knowledge/teachings and the other. Elder is able to provide cultural healing ceremony. Our Addictions Counsellor also attends the breakfast program regularly to build relationships and if the Homelessness staff make a referral for Addictions counseling, it is an easier process if the client knows the counsellor.
Canadian Mental Health Association – Warmland Shelter
Funding to open and upgrade some of the closed rooms not currently being accessed.
Cowichan Green Community – Cob Oven
Capital investment for metal, sustainable shed to support the Cob Oven in Centennial Park.
Additional support for secure/lock-up storage space to hold a small fridge, wood, workshop materials, tents, and other program-related supplies.
Cowichan Housing Association – Housing Loss Prevention
Rent, Utilities, and other supports to keep people who are precariously housed, housed.
Cowichan Women Against Violence – Outreach
Outreach, warm food and support.
Ladysmith Resource Society – Housing and Basic Needs
Support for the LRCA shelter shortfall due to increased demand, and additional support to supply persons living rough with coats, blankets, generator gas, tarps, and assorted supports.
Support for several people living on their boats in the local marina struggling with dampness, generator gas, and warm clothing.
Cowichan Women Against Violence – Warming Space
Commercial grade heaters to create a warming and outreach area during the day with a focus on unhoused women.
Hiiye’yu Lelum Society House of Friendship – Community Outreach
Purchase of a van to bring people to the centre and provide outreach supplies to people who are not close to House of Friendship.
Malahat Nation – Outreach
Tarps, coats, gloves, blankets, sleeping bags, and assorted supplies.
Nanaimo Allocations
7-10 Club – Food/Basic Needs
Provision of food, the equivalent of 2 meals/person, through distribution to Nanaimo and Area Resource Services for Families (NARSF) for delivery to various locations through outreach. A total of 120-150 2 meal bags are delivered. Surplus food pickups are distributed to other meal programs and some supportive housing.
AVI – Harm Reduction/Food/Basic Needs
Our Indigenous led Outreach team strives to supply our current and future clients with the basic necessities they require to maintain stability on the path to less precarious housing. We supply support around groceries, food cards, immediate consumables.
Connective – Housing First
Facilitating the procurement and maintenance of safe and secure permanent housing for individuals within our most vulnerable population experiencing chronic and episodic homelessness.
Island Crisis Care Society (ICCS) – Rise Program/Education & Employment
Connections4Hope aims to deliver essential life skills, employment skills training, and work placement opportunities to people who have experienced homelessness but are now ready to re-integrate more fully into independence and community life.
Nanaimo Family Life Association (NFLA) – Shine Program (Seniors)
The SHNPP will provide one-to-one assistance to eligible seniors who are actively unhoused or at high risk of losing their current housing. The SHNPP will continue the work and objectives of the current Seniors Housing Information and Navigation Ease program (SHINE) currently in operation until March 31, 2023.
Nanaimo Brain Injury Society (NBIS) – Peer Support Program
NBIS offers peer support to brain injury survivors and families at Nanaimo Hospital. Peer volunteers visit patients & families 3 days/week on the rehab units providing connection and care, while reducing the negative impacts of life after brain injury.
Pacifica Housing Advisory Association – Community Connections
The Community Connections Program (CCP) is a client-centred homeless prevention program designed to meet the needs of vulnerable, marginalized residents of PHAA’s portfolio of 167 subsidized and affordable permanent independent living housing units in Nanaimo.
Since 2018, the Nanaimo Unitarian Shelter (NUS) has operated the Caledonia Shower program on behalf of the City of Nanaimo. The program operates five days a week, 260 days a year and serves the unhoused population in Nanaimo.
Snuneymuxw First Nation (SFN) – Wrapping Blankets
Housing navigation, community outreach, cultural supports, basic needs.
Kw’umut Lelum – Kwumut Lelum Supported Housing Program
Support individuals with market searches, viewings, budgeting, communication, dispute resolution, and other applications, with the goal to secure housing.
Snuneymuxw First Nation – Wrapping Blankets
From a harm-reduction, trauma-informed framework, we endeavor to provide the indigenous population with low barrier access to a Social Worker, Peer support, and cultural supports. These supports will enhance our capabilities to advocate and connect indigenous people to the appropriate resources. Further, we will be able to provide harm reduction supplies and education delivered by peers and properly trained professionals. We will also be able to create stronger working relationships while collaborating with other organizations.
Tillicum Lelum – Young Mom’s House & Housing Navigator
Staff will provide individualized support helping Indigenous young mom clients develop a plan to address barriers in maintaining and sustaining permanent housing.
Facilitated delivery of culturally competent homelessness programming, in keeping with the Indigenous homelessness definition document.
Canadian Mental Health Association Mid-Island – Out Shop
Supplies such as tents, sleeping bags, tarps, first aid kits, flashlights, socks and underwear, snacks, water, and personal hygiene.
Connective Support Society Nanaimo – Housing First
Place participants in hotels during cold weather.
Assist in the retention of housing for precariously housed participants, transportation to emergency housing options
First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo – Unitarian Shelter
Shelter Repairs & Upgrades.
Island Crisis Care Society – Warming Centre
Extension of operation through to April 30th.
Nanaimo Family Life Association
Supplies: Cots, Blankets, Sheets and Food.
Mid Island Metis Nation
Supplies: Food, Gas Cards (for those living unhoused in vehicles), Cold Weather items.
Outreach workers.
Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Society
Young Mom’s House: Building Repairs & Upgrades.
Supplies: Food, Gas Cards (for those living unhoused in vehicles), Cold Weather items.
All Reaching Home funding recipients are required to submit reporting documents to their Community Entity (CE). These reports are shared with the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy to track spending, measure impact and efficacy, and inform future policies and programs.
In addition, Reaching Home operates on a reimbursement model, where recipients submit program expenses in accordance with their approved budget.
Please refer to your Reaching Home contract for your specific reporting requirements.
Please review our Reaching Home Reporting Toolkit prior to completing documents. Depending on your contract, you may be required to submit monthly and/or quarterly Payment Claims and Quarterly Activity Reports.
Tze Tza Watul receives funding from Reaching Home to invest in solutions to end homelessness for Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the community.
The Nanaimo Community Advisory Board (CAB) on Homelessness was formed to align leadership, who together, oversee investments made in the Nanaimo region to prevent and address homelessness through the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.
Thank you for your interest. The 2023-2024 Reaching Home request for proposals (RFP) are now closed. The 2025-2026 funding call is expected to open in later Summer 2024.
2024/25 Application Guide – Cowichan
2024/25 Application Guide – Nanaimo
Would you like to know more about Reaching Home funding, eligibility, what makes a strong application, and how to use the online portal? There are two webinar opportunities being offered.
Tuesday, August 22nd from 10 – 11 am Monday, August 28th from 1 – 2 pm
To register, email jennys@uwbc.ca with your preferred webinar date and the names and emails of those who would like to attend.
About Reaching Home Funding
Reaching Home funding is available in the Cowichan Region (including Duncan) and in the City of Nanaimo. There are Designated and Indigenous streams in each of the locations.
Indigenous Homelessness
Providing funding to organizations that help support Indigenous people living off Nation (Reserve) and who are experiencing homelessness and/ or who are at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Projects
Reaching Home projects address the following challenges:
Housing Services: Services that lead to an individual or family transitioning into more stable housing that has been deemed appropriate and safe.
Coordination of Resources & Data Collection: Activities that enhance understanding of local homelessness issues and help support decision-making and longer-term planning.
Client Support Services: Individualized services to help improve integration and connectedness to support structures, such as the provision of basic needs and clinical or other treatment services, as well as economic, social, and community integration services.
Prevention and Shelter Diversion: Activities aimed at preventing homelessness by supporting individuals and families at imminent risk of homelessness before a crisis occurs.
As part of Reaching Home funding requirements, both Nanaimo and Cowichan will develop a Coordinated Access System (CAS) to streamline the way individuals and families experiencing (or at risk of) homelessness can access services.
What is Coordinated Access?
Coordinated Access Systems are a process through which people are provided access to housing and support based on a standardized intake process and needs assessment. CAS will improve efficiency, and connect people in need to support and referrals sooner.
The Government of Canada has identified 4 key objectives of Coordinated Access:
Help communities ensure fairness and prioritize people most in need of assistance.
Help more people move through the system faster.
Reduce the number of new people entering into homelessness.
Improve data collection and quality to inform services and support.
A safe place for many who lived on the street, this complex is a thriving community that embraces the artistic natures and green thumbs of its residents.
Tina’s journey has led to many places and adventures. Facing life in a tent-city, she now has a safe place to call home where she can focus on improving her skills and spending time with family.
