Homelessness Prevention Initiatives

Tremendous efforts have been made to end chronic homelessness in Guelph-Wellington since 2014.  Our community supports a Housing First approach, has implemented a Coordinated Entry System, achieved a quality By-Name-Data (BND) and is driving policy change to improve outcomes for individuals experiencing  homelessness.

  • 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 Stepping Stone 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 Wellington-Guelph in April 2016, which established a local By-Name-Data (BND).
  • Early 2017: Coordinated Entry System
    • The Wellington-Guelph 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-Data
    • Guelph-Wellington was the fourth community in Canada to achieve a quality By-Name-Data (BND).
  • 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.
Infograph of the Coordinated Entry System

Wellington-Guelph 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-Data (BND)
  • Step Four: Accept referrals to appropriate housing services and supports.

Guelph-Wellington Coordinated Entry System Guide

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 out more, visit the Built for Zero Canada website: Built for Zero Canada - Home

By-Name-Data Dashboard

Wellington-Guelph is a member community that reports our community's data to Built for Zero-Canada (BFZ-C). 

BFZ-C is in the process of updating live progress dashboards for member communities. Once updates are complete we'll link to the new BFZ-C dashboards.