What has been funded through Reaching Home?
Last year, United Way funded 28 agencies and 60 programs/activities in Cowichan and Nanaimo thanks to the Government of Canada's Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy and funding for 2021-2022 year has already begun.
All funding is approved by advisory boards from each community (Cowichan and Nanaimo).
*Click on the links for videos and stories!
2021-2022 Funded Agencies
COWICHAN
Designated Stream:
- HelpSeekers
- Coordinated Access
- Cowichan Lake Community Services/Centre
- Wrap Around service
- Ladysmith Resource Centre
- Prevention
NANAIMO
Indigenous Stream:
- Tillicum Lelum
- Navigator program
- Young Mothers Housing program (Click here for a story)
Designated Stream:
- Canadian Mental Health Association
- Coordinated Access
- Nanaimo Region John Howard Society
- Housing First (Click here for a story)
- Support Services
- Idea Camp Communications
- Coordinated Access
- Society for Equity, Inclusion & Advocacy
- Tenant Support
2020-2021 Funded Agencies
COWICHAN
Indigenous Stream:
- Cowichan Housing Association
- Prevention
- Cowichan Women Against Violence
- Prevention
- Hiiye'yu Lelum
- Breakfast program (Click here for a story and video)
- Housing Placement
Designated Stream:
- Canadian Mental Health Association
- Warmland Laundry hand washing station and laundry facility upgrade
- Cowichan Lake Community Services/Centre
- Wrap-around service
- Helpseekers
- Coordinated Access System (CAS) (Click here for info on CAS)
- Ladysmith Resource Centre Association
- Prevention (Click here for a story)
Indigenous Stream:
- Cowichan Housing Association
- Cabin shelter additional electrical funding
- Cowichan Women Against Violence
- COVID basic needs (Click here for a story)
- Emergency Placement
- Hiiye'yu Lelum
- Healthiest Babies program (Click here for a story)
- Breakfast program (Click here for a story and video)
Designated Stream:
- Cowichan Lake Community Services/Centre
- Warming Centre
- Duncan United Church
- Prevention
- Idea Camp Communications
- Cowichan/Duncan Tze Tza Watul Community Advisory Board (CAB)
- Ladysmith Resource Centre Association
- Warming Centre food
Funded through both Streams:
- Cowichan Housing Association
- Cabin shelter program (Click here for a story and video)
NANAIMO
Indigenous Stream:
- Tillicum Lelum
- Navigator program
- Young Mothers Housing program (Click here for a story)
Designated Stream:
- Canadian Mental Health Association
- Coordinated Access System (CAS)
- Helpseekers
- Coordinated Access System
- Nanaimo John Howard Society
- Housing First program (Click here for a story)
- Support Services
- PiT (Point in Time) count
- Idea Camp Communications
- Coordinated Access System (CAS)
- Society for Equity, Inclusion and Advocacy (SEIA)
- Tenant support
- Turner Strategies, consultant
- Coordinated Access System
- Vancouver Island Mental Health Association
- Coordinated Access System
Indigenous Stream:
- Literacy Central Vancouver Island
- Digital literacy for street youth program
- Nanaimo Aboriginal Centre
- My Connections program youth mobile outreach (Click here for a story)
- My Connections with Good Food Boxes
- Snuneymuxw First Nation
- Wrapping Blankets program
- Wrapping Blankets expansion and partnering
- Tillicum Lelum
- Wellness Outreach program
- Wellness Outreach expanded with prevention support
- Plexiglass installation
Designated Stream:
- AIDS Vancouver Island (AVI)
- COVID OAT (Opiate Agonist Treatment) program (Click here for a story and video)
- Canadian Mental Health Association
- Outreach Services Coordination
- Island Crisis Care Society (ICCS)
- Hospital bed and laundry service
- Idea Camp Communications
- Nanaimo Homeless Coalition communications general
- Literacy Central Vancouver Island
- Zoom tutoring
- Nanaimo Brain Injury Society
- Peer Lead community support
- CAT emergency support
- Nanaimo Region John Howard Society
- Oasis House and Balmoral Hotel housing redevelopment consultant
- Research comparing Nanaimo homelessness rates to other communities(Click here for a story)
- Nanaimo Mens' Centre
- PPE
- Nanaimo Unitarian Church
- Free Showers program
- For tarps, tents due to new fire regulations
- Shelter Upgrade basic needs
- Pacifica Housing Advisory Assoc.
- Health and hygiene
- People for a Healthy Community on Gabriola
- Food hampers, ferry cards, hygiene supplies
- Salvation Army Nanaimo Ministries
- Fresh Start program (Click here for a story and video)
- Society for Equity, Inclusion and Advocacy (SEIA)
- Re-opening
- Homeless Interventions outreach program (Click here for a story)
- Warming Centre
- Vancouver Island Mental Health Association
- Trauma training program
- Plexiglass for van
- World Tree Service
- Hearth and Home program
- 7-10 Club
- Warming Centre
Funded through both Streams:
- Nanaimo Region John Howard Society
- Rent Bank funds (Click here for a story)
Terms to know:
The Reaching Home program distributes funding through several streams, each with its own requirements.
And, in 2020-2021, 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 Metis 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.
