OTTAWA – The At Home/Chez Soi pilot project was started in 2008 with $110 million in five-year funding, through the Mental Health Commission. Here is how it works:
What: Traditional help for the homeless aims to resolve their underlying issues first. At Home/Chez Soi provides a home first.
Where: Moncton, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver.
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Who: Mentally ill homeless people, with emphasis on rural migrants in Moncton, visible minorities in Toronto, aboriginals in Winnipeg and people with addictions in Vancouver.
How: Clients are divided into two groups, one group acting as a control, receiving treatment as usual. The housing-first group gets choice of housing, usually an apartment or a residence. Usually, it’s market housing, not social housing.
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Subsidies: Participants pay about 30 per cent of the rent, the rest is covered by the program.
Treatment: Participants choose what kind of treatment they want, and how it will be delivered. Professionals visit at least once a week, to help with physical and mental health as well as life skills.
Why: Researchers hope the massive pilot project will prove housing-first is cost-efficient and can be carefully tailored to suit the needs of the most vulnerable populations in Canada.
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