Welcome Housing Services
Welcome Housing & Support Services (WHSS) has an array of services aimed at providing support to those experiencing homelessness in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). Our services include Trustee, Housing Support (Including Intimate Partner Violence), Shelter Diversion, and Tenant support.
Housing Support
- Housing support workers aim to collaboratively assist individuals experiencing homelessness in finding and maintaining safe and affordable housing within the HRM.
- Housing support workers can assist clients in completing and submitting application forms such as provincial public housing applications, rent supplement applications and diversion applications and navigating housing options.
- Housing support workers can assist in navigating community resources such as legal aid, food resources, and health and mental health resources.
- Housing support caseloads are assigned through the By-Names Database, coordinated by AHANS (Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia).
- AHANS (Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia) coordinates the By-Names Database (BND) and community agencies/programs that “pull” from the list to address housing needs, triaging individuals based on needs and available spaces, excluding those waiting for Nova Scotia Provincial Housing.
- “A BND holds all the information necessary to assess, prioritize, refer, and match people to housing resources as part of a community’s Coordinated Access system. Communities are to use their By-Name Database (BND) to identify those eligible for housing resources.”
Welcome Housing offers drop in housing support clinics within the community. They can help with a variety of housing needs including:
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- Housing Subsidy Applications (bring proof of income, lease, direct deposit form)
- BND and VI
- SPDAT (for those experiencing homelessness)
- NS Provincial Housing Applications (bring proof of income)
Drop in Clinics
Tuesday’s Halifax North Memorial Library 9:30am-12pm
2285 Gottingen St., Halifax, NS
Thursday’s Alderney Gate Library 9:30am – 12pm 60 Alderney Drive Dartmouth, NS
Intimate Partner Violence Housing Support
Partner violence can feel scary and isolating, especially during a housing crisis. Welcome Housings’ Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Intensive Case Management (ICM) program supports individuals (of all genders) and individuals & their families with:
- Both Intensive Case Management (ICM) and Housing Support Worker (HSW) services
- Safety Planning
- Halifax By Name’s Database (BND) paperwork & referrals through Coordinated Access
- Support with the Canada Nova Scotia Targeted Housing Benefit (CNSTHB) & Gender Based Violence Subsidy (SGBV) (for clients on direct caseloads)
- Support with the Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Authority (NSPHA) & Priority Access (Homelessness & Family Violence) application forms & processes
- Support with information and advocacy related to housing navigation & community resources. (IPV, housing, food, domestic violence leave, counselling, diversion, community outreach, moving – support related to IPV)
- Accompanying clients to housing & court related appointments
- Help with housing search & applications, rent supplement applications, NSPHA applications, etc.
- The IPV ICM team does not have access to emergency housing or supports
Application Process
To get connected with the IPV ICM team, a referral can be made by the individual experiencing violence or a worker in the community. These referrals can be emailed to Ipvprogram@welcomehousing.ca.
In addition to this, the program also is assigned caseloads through Coordinated Access (BND). We ask that clients/ service providers indicate that there is a need for IPV related housing support when completing the BND.
For General Inquiries, please call: 902-466-3483
Deeply Affordable Housing
Welcome Housing & Support Services owns and operates six buildings in North Halifax and Dartmouth. We support roughly 75 tenants consisting of single men and women. Our Halifax properties are offered at far below market rent, and our Dartmouth properties are offered at 25% of our tenants’ income. Numerous tenants have been with us for over 15 years. Our tenant support team works closely with our tenants to provide exceptional care and individualized services, as needed. Services can include filing taxes and applying for subsidies. We do not take direct applications for our properties, all tenants come from the by-names-database (BND) through Coordinated Access.
Diversion Program
The Diversion program is intended to support housed individuals who have rental or utility arrears and are seeking help to get back on track. If you are interested in applying to Diversion, please reach out via email to diversionandoutreach@welcomehousing.ca. You will be asked to fill out an application and send it back along with a copy of your lease and proof of all monthly income for the household. Please note that the program is intended for folks who have a net monthly income of $1500 or less.
How to Apply:
- Complete all housing support paperwork with the housing support worker at one of our housing clinics: Tuesdays from 9:30am-12pm at The Halifax North Library on Gottingen St and Thursdays from 9:30am-12pm at The Alderney Library.
- Ask the housing support worker to do a referral for the diversion program.
- To contact The Diversion Program you can email diversionandoutreach@welcomehousing.ca
Trusteeship
- Our trustee program supports over 250 people each month. Our Trustee Service is voluntary, and clients may withdraw at any time. We receive our client’s income, ensure their rent and bills are paid on time, and work with the client on their income left-over. The goal of our trustee program is to assist our clients in gaining confidence over their finances and to grow their financial potential through our programming and individualized care.
Impactful Engagement
- Impactful engagement refers to our InReach services.
- inReach services include housing clinics available at libraries
- Providing networking with other community partners and agencies.
211 Nova Scotia is your 24/7 connection to the programs and services in your community that matter most to you. Through information and referrals, we help connect you to local community groups, nonprofit and government organizations. Help starts here with 211.
Our Community Resource Navigators are trained to deal with the most complex and sensitive questions. As a result of your contact, we can help connect you, a family member, a friend, neighbour, or a client with organizations able to meet your needs. The 211 service is free and confidential. So, whether you want to talk, text, email or use our online search tool, we are here to help. In addition, we also use a translation service that is available in over 240 languages.
In short, 211 Nova Scotia is for all people from all walks of life. It is for those who are seeking information about community and social services in their community or throughout the province, either for themselves or for someone else.
So whether you are seeking homecare support for an older adult in your life; a teenager looking for job-seeking skills; you’re in need of food; looking for shelter/housing; or, new to the province/country and you’re looking for language or employment training—among many other scenarios, we can help.
Call 211 Toll-Free 1-855-466-4994 website ns.211.ca
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have Housing clinics in the HRM?
Do you have immediate shelters available?
If you require immediate emergency shelter, please reach out to our immediate shelter resources on the Contact Us page.
What is the best way to contact us?
You can call our office located in Dartmouth or Halifax, or email us at inreach@welcomehousing.ca
Do you accept non-perishable foods?
We collect non-perishable food items, gift cards, and cash to help support any community experiencing food insecurity.
Are you Hiring?
Welcome Housing is an innovative approach responding to at-risk and difficult to house individuals who have significant challenges in obtaining and retaining housing stability. The project aims to promote housing retention and improved health and social functioning among individuals who experience housing instability. Check out our Facebook page to apply!
Partner With Us
Our organization always appreciates the generosity and involvement of people like you, with every contribution going towards making Welcome Housing an even better Non-Profit Organization than it already is. We want to provide you with the correct and appropriate information pertaining to your mode of support, so don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions.
Donation Information
charitable #132671066
Want to join our efforts but not sure where to start? Make a Donation and take advantage of this incredible opportunity to lend your support. It’s a great way to contribute to our cause, and every little bit counts towards paving the path for a better tomorrow. Select a one time or ongoing donation through Canada Orgs.