The Greater Vancouver Shelter Strategy (GVSS) is: - A unique initiative, bringing together shelter providers, all levels of government, and other organizations collaborating to address homelessness.
- Working toward a vision of accessible, high quality temporary shelter and outreach services connecting people with appropriate housing and supports.
The GVSS upholds the following six core values:
- The Greater Vancouver Shelter Strategy upholds six core values:
- All people should have access to permanent, appropriate housing.
- When people become homeless, rapid re-housing is a priority.
- People should be able to be sheltered or housed in the community of their choice.
- When required, people should have supports to maintain their housing.
- When needed, people should have access to temporary shelter that is safe and healthy.
- People using shelters deserve respect and dignity, including choice.
The Greater Vancouver Shelter Strategy achieves results in five key areas:
- Co-operative planning – maintains a responsive, effective and accountable partnership.
- Emerging issues management – identifies emerging issues and facilitates a coordinated response.
- Communication – communicates service availability to the homeless and the larger community.
- Sustainability – gathers evidence of need to support coordinated funding and service delivery.
- Service development – promotes coordination and enhancement of services.
- Prepared and monitored initial implementation of the 2010-2012 Service Plan, with input from GVSS member agencies.
- Completed a youth-focused round of Including Homeless Voices, generating timely, policy-relevant input from people who have personally experienced homelessness.
- Continued to support extreme weather response in 8 sub-regions, providing coordination of additional facilities made available during critical weather conditions - providing 4,166 bed nights of service in Metro Vancouver 2010-11.
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