Homelessness is often closer to home than we may think.

“There are a lot of people out there who are literally one rent cheque away from being homeless,” says Alan Peretz, Partner at KPMG and Streetohome Board Member.

Streetohome’s homelessness prevention initiatives focus on creating multiple exit pathways out of homelessness, and work to create a flow through within the homelessness housing continuum.

The Vancouver Rent Bank and Streetohome’s employment initiative, WorkWithUs, both help vulnerable individuals at-risk of homelessness or with lived experience of homelessness create economic stability in their lives by providing an interest-free loan to help with rent and/or utility payments, and flexible employment that meets the unique needs and preferences of individuals.

Supporting Tenants, Enabling Pathways (STEP) and Homeward Bound support individuals through the housing continuum in moving on from supportive housing to affordable independent housing of their choice (when they’re ready), and supporting others in their move to a chosen community where they have a verified support system available to them.

Streetohome is also working on a Smart Cities – Life Intentions digital app that promotes a best-fit service match for individuals’ life goals in housing; employment & volunteering; learning, training & skills; health & wellness; legal & advocacy; and community & belonging domains while identifying personal strengths and tracking goal progress.

“If we can help them out with that rent payment, or more solid housing, or employment that has more certainty to it for them, we can bring them from a situation month after month, day after day, feeling as though they’re right on that edge. The feeling as though they have the stability in the life that they want and that they deserve,” says Alan.