| Recipient: | The Mustard Seed |
|---|---|
| Project: | Homes for Heroes Veterans’ Village – Transitioning Veterans Out of Homelessness |
| Province: | Alberta |
| Period: | Fiscal year 2019-2020 |
| Funding: | $172, 000 |
Overview:
With funding from the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund, the Mustard Seed partnered with Homes for Heroes to provide services in a village of self-contained tiny homes in the Calgary area for homeless Veterans. The program helps these Veterans transition out of homelessness and gain independence to secure permanent housing.
Project goals:
The project’s goals were to
- Provide safe, affordable transitional housing for Veterans,
- Help Veterans work towards independence and self-sufficiency, and
- Assist them with the transition to appropriate housing within two years of entering the program.
Project activities:
While the Homes for Heroes Foundation was responsible for providing the bricks and mortar, the Mustard Seed was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the properties, service provision, and programming. The Mustard Seed’s activities included the following:
- Recruited Veterans through referrals from Veteran-serving agencies and elsewhere;
- Facilitated the integration of residents and built a sense of community;
- Created individualized care plans with transitional timelines to ensure positive exits out of the program;
- Provided guidance and support to help Veterans acquire the life skills needed to achieve their highest level of independence;
- Referred to resources to meet their individual needs such as OSI clinics, mental health supports, the Mustard Seed’s wrap-around services and other external agencies, and;
- Assisted resident Veterans with navigating and coordinating needed supports and services.
Project results:
The program helped many clients in their transition off the streets and into more stable, appropriate living situations. In preparation for independent living, Veterans received ongoing advocacy support, which included help coordinating and accessing supports and services. A total of 34 Veterans were housed. Of those, 26 transitioned into sustainable housing and eight transitioned into permanent supportive housing.