Last sample is a single woman on Disability Welfare moves into a one bedroom
costing $700 including utilities. She usually gets $930 a month and since she
does not want to share the space, she agrees that ODSP will pay that amount cutting into
her basic living expense. But she still has $230 for other expenses.
Her anti-depressant and asthma medication are free.
The utilities are included with the rent, so she has no bills to worry about
except for the phone. She is classified unemployable until she gets better.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

There are several organizations that target the homeless groups and provide
assistance. We are networking with: shelters, street drop-ins, food banks, job
clubs, immigrant and refugee agencies, churches, furniture and clothing banks,
legal aid clinics, counseling centers and we hope that our tenant placement
agency will fit in somehow to help those who need our services in the
communities where we have apartments allotted to our project by the
participating properties. We exist for those who have problems getting approvals
to rent units from property management or government. We help those who
want to move on from shelters and want to be independent again. After all, it is
easier to apply for work if they have a home address, rather than a shelter's. Also,
the need for privacy and stability becomes more important than the dependence
on institutionalized lifestyles where shelters provide a bed and free meals, but
minimal privacy, stability and independence.

OUR FUNDING & FUTURE

Currently, we have a special arrangement with the participating properties
wherein we get paid a listing and placement fee per unit. The listing is on our
website with the specifications of the units such as price, number of tenants
allowed in the space, utilities included, location, etc. After the payment of the first
and last months rents, which we arrange with the government case workers to be
paid to the property offices, our placement fee of 100% of
one month's rent, is payable per unit filled.

Eventually, we will apply for government funding for an annual grant to cover
operational costs and wage subsidies. We intend to hire those on welfare either
on a part-time, on-call or full-time basis. In British Columbia, some businesses
that hire those on welfare, get subsidies for training and wages per employee.
These are the positions, which we need wage subsidies for: accountant, agents,
and mediators. We also hope to have home offices for all with phone lines for
calls and faxes and Internet connection to our agency and the homeless network.

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