Are there resources for older / Indigenous homeless?

Seniors Services Society of BC: Phone: 604-520-6621 General email: info@seniorsservicessociety.ca Housing Services email: housing@seniorsservicessociety.ca Address: 750 Carnarvon Street, New Westminster, BC V3M 1E7 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., closed 12:30–1:00 p.m.

Contact them about a senior who is homeless or at immediate risk of homelessness, use housing@seniorsservicessociety.ca or call 604-520-6621. Their housing program specifically provides housing navigation and homeless-outreach assistance for seniors in the Lower Mainland. see: http://seniorsservicessociety.ca

Aboriginal Mother Centre Society (AMCS) in Vancouver: Phone: 604-558-2627 General email: info@aboriginalmothercentre.ca Address: 2019 Dundas Street, Vancouver, BC V5L 1J5 

Services include transformational housing and support for Indigenous mothers and families, including women at risk of homelessness or involvement with the child-welfare system.

For other programs, the Family Wellness Program can be reached at 604-558-2627 ext. 113 or programs@aboriginalmothercentre.ca.

see: http://aboriginalmothercentre.ca

FIRST UNITED Church Community Ministry Society in Vancouver:

Phone: 604-681-8365 General email: info@firstunited.ca Address: 320 E Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1P4 

For someone who is currently homeless and may need shelter, their 24-hour Emergency Shelter intake line is 604-839-6880. The shelter is at 467 Alexander Street, Vancouver.

One important distinction: the former First United Church Social Housing Society was transferred to Lu’ma Native Housing Society in 2023. So if you are specifically looking for their former permanent/social-housing program rather than FIRST UNITED's shelter and community services, Lu’ma is now the organization to contact. see: http://firstunited.ca

Lu’ma Native Housing Society in Vancouver:

Phone: 604-876-0811 General email / housing applications: info@lnhs.ca Address: 2960 Nanaimo Street, Vancouver, BC V5N 5G3 Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. 

For subsidized housing, Lu’ma accepts completed housing applications by email at info@lnhs.ca, by mail, or by fax at 604-876-0999. Their eligibility information says that at least 50% of the applicant’s family must be of Indigenous ancestry, including First Nations, Inuit or Métis, status or non-status.

For someone who is currently homeless or at risk of homelessness, Lu’ma also operates Aboriginal Housing Outreach, which helps Indigenous people access BC Housing’s Homelessness Prevention Program and navigate housing and related services.

Important limitation: Lu’ma does not provide emergency housing, and its subsidized-housing waitlist currently has more than 3,500 individuals and families, with waits potentially lasting years.

For a homeless Indigenous client, I would specifically call 604-876-0811 and ask to speak with Aboriginal Housing Outreach / Housing Services, rather than simply asking to be put on the regular housing waitlist. see: http://lnhs.ca

Helping Spirit Lodge Society (HSLS), specifically the Journey Home Housing First program.

Main office: 604-874-6629 Email: executive_assistant@hsls.ca Address: 3965 Dumfries Street, Vancouver, BC V5N 5R3 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 

For housing, ask specifically for Journey Home Housing First:

Journey Home: 604-874-6629, extension 2 

The Journey Home serves men and women throughout Greater Vancouver, with a particular focus on Urban Indigenous people who are chronically or episodically homeless. It uses a Housing First approach, meaning people do not have to demonstrate that they are “housing ready” before receiving assistance.

Assistance may include one-to-one case management, assessing housing needs, finding and maintaining permanent housing, connecting clients with other community services, landlord/tenant assistance, cultural supports, and—in some circumstances—emergency living expenses and housing-support funds.

Helping Spirit Lodge also operates Spirit Lodge, a 10-bed first-stage transition house for Indigenous women and children fleeing domestic violence, generally for stays up to 30 days, and Spirit Way, a longer-term second-stage program for women and children who have experienced domestic violence. see: http://hsls.ca

PHS Community Services Society (Vancouver) Phone: 604-683-0073 Email: info@phs.ca Address: Unit 90 – 425 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 6E3 Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

PHS operates extensive supportive housing in Vancouver, but its contact page directs people looking for subsidized/supportive housing to BC Housing, rather than taking general housing applications through the PHS head office. see: http://phs.ca

RainCity Housing and Support Society Phone: 604-662-7023 Address: 616 Powell Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1H4 General enquiries: RainCity asks people to use the contact form on its website rather than publishing a general email address. see: https://www.raincityhousing.org/

For housing, RainCity's current website links to its application instructions. For many Vancouver RainCity properties, applications/referrals go through:

1. BC Housing – Orange Hall Phone: 604-648-4270 Email: orangehall@bchousing.org Address: 297 East Hastings Street, Vancouver.
   

RainCity also operates Triage, its first-line Vancouver program for people experiencing homelessness, which connects people with housing, health, mental-health and other supports:

1. RainCity Triage: 604-254-3700.

   For the housing case you're working on, RainCity/Triage is probably one of the contacts I would actually call, along with Lu’ma and Seniors Services Society, rather than just submitting a general inquiry.