Working in the Homelessness Sector: A Memorable Experience

 By Emeka Ezeh, 1st year MDP student

I am currently working on my first placement with the University of Winnipeg in collaboration with End Homelessness Winnipeg. We are working on an Indigenous Focused Pandemic Response Plan for the homelessness sector. By reviewing case study cites around Canada, we were able to look at their roles and involvement in assisting the homeless populace during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am working with a team of 5 researchers who critically applied their knowledge and expertise on different sectors involving homelessness.

I worked on the human rights-based approach to housing and the Reaching Home Strategy enacted by the legislation in 2019. I researched the implementation of the strategy in Canada and Winnipeg in particular, successes, and lessons learned. I also researched the history of rights-based approach to housing and how the rights to housing affect other rights like rights to life, rights to privacy, rights to vote, rights to social security, etc. Canada being a signatory to international conventions that fully support and advocate for the rights to adequate housing signifies its unending commitment to ensuring the eradication of homelessness in Canada.

One of the challenges of working during the COVID-19 pandemic was working outside my comfort zone (interacting with people and working in the fields) as this was an unfamiliar experience for me.

The screen time was also a little challenging as I was looking forward to meeting my team in person and comprehensively discuss complex issues on homelessness in Canada.

Great Experience at End Homelessness Winnipeg Despite COVID-19 Pandemic

By Babatunde Alabi, 1st year MDP student

Finally, my 3-month domestic field placement with End Homelessness Winnipeg came to successful completion. During this placement, I worked on the 2018 Winnipeg Street Health Survey project, where I acquired new technical skills, improved on my research skills, and became more informed and better grounded in the subject of homelessness in Canada, particularly in Winnipeg. I also used both my previously and newly acquired skills and knowledge to contribute my little quota to the understanding of the various pathways to homelessness for people marginalized along multiple social identities and how these identities interact to form complex experiences for them.

My work involved supporting the analysis of the Indigenous and gender-based quantitative data, which I used in developing a draft in-depth report of the research. Other activities that I engaged in included searching and creating a database for funding opportunities for the proposed follow up qualitative study aimed at determining housing needs and preferences of Indigenous people experiencing homelessness. Also, I took minutes of meeting at research team meetings, as well as project advisory committee meetings.

My time with End Homelessness Winnipeg, working on the 2018 Winnipeg Street Health Survey, was indeed an exciting and rewarding one. I am particularly glad because I would be listed as a co-author in the final report, a recognition and gesture of reciprocity from my host organization, which I do not take for granted. I hope that this report would help to enrich the understanding of relevant organizations, community groups, and government, and inform policy and program development capable of addressing systemic issues facilitating homelessness in Winnipeg in a sustainable manner.

Translating Classroom Learning into Field Experience in the Era of COVID 19 Pandemic

By Babatunde Alabi, 1st year MDP student

My ongoing domestic field placement with End Homelessness Winnipeg (EHW) has so far been an exciting learning experience. It serves as an avenue to put into practice some of what I had learned in the classroom, as well as the opportunity to acquire a deeper understanding of one of Canada's most recognizable development challenges; the scourge of homelessness.

EHW is an organization that aims to create lasting solutions that prevent and end homelessness. The four pillars upon which EHW rests include prevention, person-centered supports, housing supply, and measurement. It is no longer news that Indigenous people are over represented in the population experiencing homelessness in Canada. The organization's approach to putting an end to homelessness therefore stems from its core values guided by the fact that housing is not just a human right that must be respected but that must also be protected within the ambits of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), as well as Canada's Truth and Reconciliation effort which the organization considers as an important path to ending homelessness.

Joining EHW at a time when the organization is analyzing the 2018 Street Health Survey (SHS) has allowed me to translate my classroom knowledge of research methodologies and statistics into actual practice. My roles and responsibilities during this placement include supporting Indigenous and gender-specific data analysis and writing of final research reports.

One of the most exciting aspects of my placement, occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, is working remotely from the comfort of my home to deliver on tasks and maintaining seamless virtual connections with teammates through video conferencing platforms. I have particularly enjoyed the remote working experience as it has increased my self-confidence and my ability to work independently while at the same time delivering on tasks without compromising on quality.

Kia ora whānau!

By Erika Vas, 2nd year MDP student

As mentioned in my last blog post, I cam completing my international field placement interning at The Lifewise Trust, focusing on areas of housing and homelessness, mental health and addiction, community and land development, and infrastructure. My placement has provided me with diverse opportunities to take my learnings from the office, to the streets, and to be welcomed by whānau into their communities. The time I’ve spent with whānau has been impactful, and has been a personal journey as much as an academic one for me.

In choosing my field placement, I wanted to pursue my passions, and continue to learn and grow in the field of housing and homelessness. Having focused my Major Research Project on on-reserve housing in Canada, and through my involvement with the Institute for Urban Studies (IUS) at the UW, my Supervisor, Dr. Jino Distasio was pivotal in supporting me to pursue my placement in Tamaki, and in connecting me with the Lifewise Trust. The IUS and Lifewise share a common thread of Housing First (HF), as Lifewise has modelled their program after that of Winnipeg’s and looks to Canada as a leader in HF, especially given Winnipeg’s Indigenous focus.

As mentioned by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, “HF was launched in Auckland with Government and Auckland Council funding in March 2017, and expanded to Christchurch, Tauranga and Hamilton in 2018”. HF is offered in multiple cities and areas in Aotearoa, including and Rotorua (where I completed my placement). HF is an international approach to solve social issues of housing and homelessness, recognizing that if we are to solve the issue of homelessness, we need to put people first. This approach supports individuals with multiple, high, and complex needs, knowing that when people are housed, they can be supported to address their complex needs.

During my placement, I had the chance to learn from HF whānau, Peer Support Leaders, Key Workers and Senior Practitioners in both Tamaki (Auckland) and Rotorua. I’m grateful to have been included in home visits, tenant lease agreements, home inspections, housing workshops & meetings, radio and tv interviews, and days spent shadowing these wonderful teams.

It was very interesting for me to note the similarities and differences in HF delivery internationally (between Canada and Aotearoa) and also within Aotearoa. The strength of HF comes from its ability to be localized and adapted to meet the needs of the people. For example, in Canada, the city of Toronto implemented an Anti-racism/Anti-oppression intervention, whereas there was an Indigenous-focused, trauma-informed intervention. I was able to see the differences in localization of HF in Tamaki and Rotorua (which are considerably closer than Winnipeg and Toronto), and because of the history, community ties, geography, and the ways in which relationships were present in these cities, their deliveries were also diverse. Rotorua HF is a partnership between Lifewise, Te Taumata O Ngāti Whakaue Iho Ake Trust and LinkPeople, making it the first Iwi-led Housing First Collective in Aotearoa, grounded in a kaupapa Māori approach.

As I reach the end of my placement, I am looking forward to returning to Rotorua to return to friends, help with preparations for The Big Sleep Out, and participate in this great event. I’ve spent quality time with Housing First Rotorua and I’ve seen firsthand how they are changing lives - beyond meeting immediate needs, but letting whānau lead & giving them a chance to thrive. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this time here than spending a night with whānau, coming together over kai and stories, and raising awareness and funds for this community, supporting them in their community-driven work.

Aroha nui.

My placement with LIFEWISE, Aotearoa

By Erika Vas, 2nd year MDP student

From June to September 2019, I am fortunate to be completing my international field placement with the Lifewise Trust in Tamaki, Aotearoa. The Lifewise Trust (LIFEWISE), Airedale Property Trust (APT), and Methodist Mission Northern (MMN) operate interpedently in order to work towards the vision of connected, just, and inclusive communities. Each Trust is dedicated to family and community resilience, from working with people and families directly, to providing financing and infrastructure which makes this work possible.

In choosing my international placement, I wanted to continue to learn and grow in the fields of housing and homelessness, community and land development, and infrastructure. Based out of the University of Otago building, Airedale Property Trust, Methodist Mission Trust (Splice), and Lifewise share one main office. This office is a busy, but united hub of activity, from property management, community building, youth homelessness initiatives, fundraising, research, development and practice and much more. I am working among many individuals who are committed to making homelessness rare, brief, and non-reoccurring and are keen on sharing their work and experience with me.

I have been welcomed into the Lifewise Practice & Development Team and have focused on Housing First (HF) projects. I have analyzed and interpreted documents to create briefing documents for government officials, I am currently working on collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data gathered by the HF program in Auckland, with the goal of reporting how the program might be improved or developed, informing community service providers on the wants and needs of whānau, and reporting on the realities of the health and wellness of whānau to external stakeholders, I have completed research on IPS Supported Employment (Individual Placement Support), and documenting the Kaupapa Māori / iwi-led model that is being used for the delivery of HF in Rotorua. While simultaneously working on these projects, I’ve been a part of the Tamaki community, going on home visits with the HF Team, attending community events such as the Piki Toi Artist Exhibition, standing in solidarity with whānau to protect Ihumatao , celebrating the opening of the Pitt Street residence (a HF home, but also an artists’ collective), attending symposiums related to Marae housing and HF, and participating in The Big Sleep Out in Rotorua, for one night, coming together with community and business leaders and to experience what it’s like sleeping rough, getting a taste of life on the streets, and raising critical funds to prevent homelessness.

I would like to say a BIG Tēnā Koutou to all my whānau Aotearoa. Learning about Maori culture, sharing stories, and experiencing the beauty of the people, language, and land has been a life-changing journey that I’m grateful to have shared with all of you.

Ka kite anō au i a koutou.