Homelessness Prevention | North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit

See the person. Be kind. Everyone has a story.

We all have a role to play in reducing stigma related to homelessness and changing the narrative about homelessness to see it as a solvable problem.

Housing is a human right and we all deserve a safe place to call home.

Fostering a compassionate community is part of understanding and, ultimately, ending homelessness. Stigma divides communities, unfairly blames individuals facing homelessness, and detracts attention from the policy issues at play.

The See the Person campaign allows you to hear directly from local people in Nipissing District with lived experience of homelessness. Here are their messages for our communities:

Housing, Health & Human Rights

Safe, adequate and affordable housing lays a foundation for people to grow and reach their potential.

Learn more

Stigma & its Impacts

“The negative comments do nothing but hurt. They perpetuate and keep the stigma going.”

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Homelessness Factors

"Race, gender, education - all of those things have an impact on how people become homeless."

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Local Data

Point-in-Time counts, or homeless counts, offer a snapshot of how many people are experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness within a 24-hour period in a district. These counts are known to be an under representation of the true number of people experiencing homelessness at the given time.

Nipissing District:

Report: Nipissing Counts 2021: A Count and Survey of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in the Nipissing District
Infographic: Nipissing Counts 2021

Parry Sound District:

Infographic: Homelessness Enumeration 2021

Formal Housing Plans

Addressing homelessness requires a broad network of organizations, volunteers, and community members. In the Health Unit region, the District Social Services Administration Boards develop and oversee formal plans to address and prevent homelessness.

Nipissing District:

District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board

A Place to Call Home Nipissing District 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan 2014-2024

Parry Sound District:

District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board

District of Parry Sound Housing and Homelessness Plan Report

Local Services

If you or someone you know needs short-term financial help for things like housing, you can apply for emergency assistance.

District Social Services Administration Boards

The District Social Services Administration Boards in the region are available to help you with income and financial needs.

District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board

How to access emergency shelter services
Learn about a range of housing services in the Nipissing District.
Learn about other supports for people experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness.

Parry Sound District Social Services Administration Board

Learn about a range of housing services in the Parry Sound District.
Learn about other supports for people experiencing homelessness, at-risk of homelessness, and support to obtain and keep housing.

More Services

211 Ontario North provides information on social, community, health, and government services in Northern Ontario.
Mental Health Services

Homelessness Prevention

Nipissing District Homelessness and Housing Partnership (NDHHP) is a collective of health, social, and housing services that develop and advocate for comprehensive sustainable solutions to address, prevent and eliminate homelessness in the District of Nipissing.

The NDHHP is working toward a shift from an emergency response to homelessness to prevention-focused, evidence-based practices to prevent homelessness.

Examples of current action supported by NDHHP:

Implementing a By-Name-List in Nipissing District. This is a real-time list of all people experiencing homelessness in the district. It can be used collaboratively to connect people to a range of housing options and supports.
Exploring frameworks and best practices used in other regions. For example, using the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness’ Homelessness Prevention Framework.

Be part of the solution.

Everyone has a role to play in stopping stigma and preventing homelessness. There are actions you can take today through compassion, education, and advocacy.

Everyday acts of kindness and treating people with respect and dignity reduces stigma.
See the person first, not an illness or other challenge, and be kind.
Use de-stigmatizing language such as person-first language, e.g. “person experiencing homelessness.”
Show your support for the See the Person campaign by sharing the Facebook and Twitter posts.
Reach out to a health or social service in your community and ask how you can help. Your skills, volunteer time, or a donation of goods may be needed.

Organizations or businesses with 20 or more members may request a one-hour presentation with the Nipissing District Homelessness and Housing Partnership Anti-Stigma Work Group by emailing healthyliving@healthunit.ca.

Read more about homelessness and housing:

Learn about Built for Zero Canada, a national movement to end homelessness which Nipissing District is a part of.

Learn how Nipissing District community members in need of housing and other supports are connected to resources through Coordinated Access Nipissing.

Talk to your local MP, MPP, municipal council, or a municipal councillor about:

homelessness and housing issues in your community;
housing as a human right in Canada; and
policy solutions like improved access to housing that is affordable or housing for all, higher social assistance rates, more secure job opportunities with benefits, and a guaranteed basic income.

Vote.

Governments at all levels make decisions that affect housing and income. Learn about party platforms or municipal candidates, and vote for the candidate that best aligns with your values.

See the Person is a relevant and important message to be shared in our communities.

Learn how the campaign has been received by community members so far:

See Campaign Results

Special thanks to the people that shared their stories as part of this initiative.

This campaign was developed by Nipissing District Homelessness and Housing Partnership.

Permission to Adapt: If your organization is interested in adapting this campaign, please contact healthy.living@healthunit.ca.