Homelessness and Housing Stability

Emergency Shelters

The County of Wellington has entered into Purchase of Service Agreements with community non-profit organizations to provide Emergency Shelter and assistance to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. 

Emergency Shelters are an important part of our homelessness serving system in Guelph-Wellington and provide necessary crisis support to adults, youth, and families experiencing homelessness. 

Guelph-Wellington supports a Housing First philosophy and works closely with community agencies to rehouse individuals as quickly as possible and to prevent homelessness, where possible.

The County of Wellington funds Stepping Stone (formerly the Drop In) and Wyndham House to support homelessness prevention, crisis response and housing stability. 

If you are in need of emergency shelter, please call HERE 24/7 1.844.437.3247 or reach out to an emergency shelter listed below. 

The County of Wellington Housing Stability team administers funding and monitors compliance for the Housing Stability Programme, the Rent Bank, Emergency Energy Fund (EEF), and Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP).  

To find out more information about programme eligibility, please contact 519.837.2670 x3712 

Housing with Related Supports - Retirement Home Subsidy

The County of Wellington currently has formal service agreements with Housing with Related Supports providers in the City of Guelph and throughout Wellington County.

The Housing with Related Support providers support eligible tenants of the Retirement Homes, Wyndham House Youth Homes and the Pregnancy Care Centres that require assistance with daily living. Support services include 24-hour supervision, medication administration, life skills, parenting supports and community integration.

A Housing Stability Caseworker will meet with any client applying for financial support in order to determine initial and ongoing eligibility.

Guelph-Wellington Coordinated Entry System-Homelessness Prevention-Built for Zero

Guelph-Wellington Coordinated Entry System

Coordinated Entry System is a shared and standardized method for connecting people experiencing homelessness to the resources available.  The Coordinated Entry System assess people’s housing-related needs, prioritizes them for resources, and links those in need to a range of types of assistance.

The graphic illustrates how a individual or family experiencing homeless can access supports through the Coordinated Entry System:

Step One: Go to a Door Agency

Step Two: Complete an assessment

Step Three: Consent to be added to the By-Name-List (BNL)

Step Four: Accept referrals to appropriate housing services and supports.

Homelessness Prevention

Tremendous efforts have been made to end chronic homelessness in Guelph-Wellington since the introduction of the 10-year Housing and Homelessness Plan.

To find out more about Homelessness Prevention Initiatives in Guelph-Wellington, please refer to our Homelessness Prevention Initiatives.

• 2014
  • The County commissioned an implementation strategy to establish more specific plans to address homelessness, with a focus on Housing First.
• 2015: Housing First
  • A new Housing First programme was established. The programme is delivered by Welcome In Drop In Centre and Wyndham House who together support about 45 youth and adult households.
• 2016: 20,000 Homes Campaign
  • The County of Wellington and the Guelph and Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination signed on to co-lead the 20,000 Homes Campaign and undertook the first ever Registry Week in Guelph-Wellington in April 2016, which established a local By-Name-List (BNL).
• Early 2017: Coordinated Entry System
  • The Guelph-Wellington 20,000 Homes Campaign implemented a Coordinated Entry System (CES) to standardize the process, assessment and housing prioritization for households experiencing homelessness.
• Late 2017: By-Name List
  • Guelph-Wellington was the fourth community in Canada to achieve a quality By-Name-List (BNL).
• Early 2018: PiT Count/Registry Week
  • A PiT Count/Registry Week was conducted with a specialized outreach strategy to connect with Indigenous peoples experiencing homelessness.
• Late 2018: 20KHomes Collaborative
  • The County of Wellington Signed on to the 20KHomes Collaborative that is based on the Community Solutions Built for Zero Campaign.

Built for Zero-Canada (BFZ-C)

Building on the success of the 20,000 Homes Campaign, the County of Wellington joined the Built for Zero Canada (BFZ-C), a national change movement to end chronic homelessness.

Through BFZ-C, we are improving our homelessness service system through coordinated community actions and evidence-based decision-making.

“Homelessness is a complex issue but together with a common goal and a coordinated community response, we can make significant impact. We believe ending chronic homelessness is possible in our community”

To find our more, review our Built for Zero data and resources.