Huron Heart to Home
Working together to prevent and address homelessness in Huron County.
People experiencing homelessness and those at high risk of becoming homeless are individual people, each with unique experiences and challenges that require an individualized response. Responding to homelessness is not just about providing housing, it requires relationship and trust building and often means addressing complex issues including past traumas, mental illness or substance use.
For these reasons, addressing homelessness requires an integrated system of support and care strategies that are provided by multiple organizations and agencies working together using a Housing First strategy, the primary goal of Huron Heart to Home
Be Part of the Solution
Click here to find out what you can do to Be Part of the Solution to end homelessness in Huron County.
Who is Huron Heart to Home?
Huron Heart to Home is comprised of County of Huron staff who are focused on preventing and addressing homelessness in Huron County. These staff connect people to community, local organizations, and resources that can help a person access long term housing. Together with community partners, Huron Heart to Home manages the Out of the Cold emergency shelter, and are working on developing a Housing First strategy for Huron County that would reduce, or eliminate, the County’s dependency on costly emergency solutions in the future.
What is Housing First?
A Housing First approach puts a primary focus on helping people who are experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness, to quickly access safe, affordable and stable housing, combining the immediate provision of permanent housing with wrap-around support services.
It is the goal of Huron Heart to home to transition to a housing first model that eliminates the need for emergency shelter.
The 5 principles of Housing First are:
- Immediate access to permanent housing with no housing readiness requirements.
- Participant choice and self-determination.
- Recovery orientation.
- Individualized and participant driven support.
- Social and community integration.
Developing a Housing First Model in Huron County requires:
Construction of supportive housing
Coordinated actions of multiple service agencies
Further development of wrap-around services and programs
What is a dispersed model of Supportive Housing?
In a dispersed or ‘scattered-site’ model of Supportive Housing, a smaller number of units are spread among multiple buildings or properties in multiple communities. This method of supportive housing offers significant integration opportunities within the broader community and allows individuals greater opportunity to remain in their own community.
Learning Resources
Huron County Housing
huroncounty.ca/social-services/housing/#homelessness
2020 Housing and Homelessness Annual Report
huroncounty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2020-Housing-Homelessness-Annual-Report.pdf
Take the Cringe Test
huroncounty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CringeTest.pdf
Huron is a Caring Community
huroncounty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/HC-is-a-Caring-Community.pdf
2018 Enumeration Report
huroncounty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Enumeration-Report.pdf
2021 Report to the Community on Homelessness Infographic
huroncounty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Report-to-the-Community.pdf
Perth-Huron United Way: Unignorable
perthhuron.unitedway.ca/unignorable-issues/#unignorable-homelessness
Ontario Housing Strategy
The Homelessness Hub
Homelessness 101
homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/causes-homelessness
The Corporation of the County of Huron is dedicated to enhancing the social and economic well-being of Huron County through the creation and preservation of affordable housing.
The County supports an individual’s fundamental right to housing without discrimination as protected under Ontario’s Human Rights Code.