Capacity Building

The Challenge

The main objective of the Capacity Building project has been to increase the ability of the social support sector to better meet the needs of homeless and at-risk individuals, as well as to prevent and reduce the risk of homelessness through collaborative partnerships. The Capacity Building Working Group narrowed down this objective to focus on housing, outreach, and transitional support (HOTS).  This decision was based on the observation that the nature of housing, outreach, and transitional support encourages staff to support their clients on a very fragmented and individual basis, which can leave staff to feel isolated in their work.

Our Solution

Funding for this project was received for 2008-2009 through the Homelessness Partnering Initiatives (HPI) based on the 2008 York Region Community Plan to Address Homelessness (PDF). During this year, six training and networking events were held. Five of these events (PDF) specifically targeted HOTS workers and the sixth event (PDF) was held in partnership with the Harm Reduction Coalition of York Region. The Capacity Building Working Group also began developing an online HOTS network to encourage further collaboration and sharing of resources.

HPI funding was renewed from 2009-2011 to further develop the online network, as well as core competencies in Housing, Outreach, and Transitional Support in York Region. During this time, seven more training or networking events will be held to build capacity among HOTS workers.