The Homestead Program:
The Homestead Program provides Rapid Rehousing and Housing related support services to those in the St. John’s metropolitan area. Experiencing homelessness is traumatic. Our goal is to step in as quickly as possible to help acquire a safe, sustainable home. Our Case Managers wear many different hats! They assist with all steps necessary to obtain individualized housing options such as: assistance with booking viewings, landlord relations, transportation, financial and service navigation, life skills, furniture procurement and delivery, etc with emphasis on meaningful engagement. All services provided are determined by the participant- people are their own experts. Our Case Managers spend the majority of their time in the community meeting people at emergency shelters, partnering agencies, or on the street. Our intake process is designed to be short, non-intrusive, and to be conducted anywhere.
Referrals for this program come from the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC) and are accepted on a first come first serve basis. The only criteria for acceptance is that the individual is 18+ and voluntarily engages with our staff regularly. For inquiries related to referrals, please contact Program Coordinator Sarah Brown at sarah@sjhomestead.com.
The Homestead Rural Program:
- Provides low barrier, self-determined services to rural individuals 18+ to help facilitate a sustainable exit from homelessness. This includes virtual/remote support, as well as in person as staff can travel when necessary.
- Foster partnerships with community agencies, governments, landlords and stakeholders. We value each individual's expertise on what works in their own communities.
- Disseminate financial resources to aid in rural shelter diversion. This includes things like damage deposits, rental arrears, home start up kits, etc. and will be provided on a case by case basis.
- Referrals for this program are accepted from any rural community agency. Requests for service can be sent to robert@sjhomestead.com.
The Homestead Rural Program aims to:
- Reduce instances of individuals having to leave their hometowns to access services in St. John's and assist individuals who require support to move back to rural areas.
- Alleviate strain on Emergency Shelter Services through eviction prevention and shelter diversion and decrease shelter stay length for individuals experiencing homelessness in rural communities.