SSODA (South Shore Open Doors Association) is the living vision of the community’s collaborative approach to addressing the rapidly increasing housing crisis and situations of energy poverty in Lunenburg & Queens County, Nova Scotia. Our website offers info, stats, programs, services and resources. We believe everyone has a right to live in a safe, adequate, accessible, and affordable home. We know that ending homelessness is not simply a matter of serving clients better, but about creating environments in which doing better is easier. SSODA is the living vision of the community’s collaborative approach to addressing the rapidly increasing housing crisis and situations of energy poverty in Lunenburg & Queens County, Nova Scotia. SOMETHING BETTER POTENTIAL FOR CURRENT STATS PROGRAMS & SERVICES ACCESS OUR SERVICES BOOK AN APPOINTMENT Call 902-521-0994 or Email intake@ssoda.org HOW IT WORKS... The Household Navigator will schedule an appointment with you to gather all the information required to better understand your needs. Appointment times are available Monday to Thursday from 10am-12pm, and 1pm-3pm. PLEASE NOTE all intake appointments must be scheduled in advance due to the increase in demand for services. OTHER ASSISTANCE OPTIONS RURAL vs URBAN HOMELESSNESS Homelessness doesn’t always mean sleeping in a tent, or in public spaces. In fact, the vast majority of people experiencing homelessness are not sleeping “rough”, but living in temporary, inadequate and unsafe accommodations. READ MORE 723 INDIVIDUALS total number intakes completed 127 HOUSEHOLDS number of households/individuals currently experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity 5 MONTHS is the average length of homelessness MORE STATISTICS Stats Energize Bridgewater is working towards eliminating energy poverty in Bridgewater. They are working with partners like the South Shore Open Doors Association, Efficiency Nova Scotia, and the Clean Foundation to support Bridgewater residents who are struggling to afford their energy costs. Energize Bridgewater will help renters, landlords, and homeowners complete home energy retrofits. They will help navigate participants through energy financing, rebate, and incentive programs to reduce energy costs and improve the livability and affordability of housing in Bridgewater. The program will be up and running later this fall, and in the meantime you can learn more about energy resources that you might qualify for on their website’s resource page . Energize Bridgewater is a project of the Town of Bridgewater . LATEST REPORT SSODA 2022 Annual Report VIEW/DOWNLOAD VIEW ALL

STAFF & BOARD MEET OUR STAFF South Shore Open Doors Association is a non-profit society incorporated in the province of Nova Scotia. It is composed of a volunteer Board of Directors, coordinated access system staff, and housing support Staff. KRISTI TIBBO Chief Executive Officer ERIKA LANGILLE Housing Support Services, Lunenburg County AMANDA PHILLIPS-POOLE Trustee AMANDA PAUGH Housing Support Worker, Queens County AMELIA SAVORY Housing Support Worker, Lunenburg County KRISTA MILLER Intensive Case Manager COURTNEY CARMICHAEL System Planner BOARD OF DIRECTORS The volunteer Board of Directors is composed of diverse stakeholders and members of the community, including and especially those with lived experiences of homelessness/housing vulnerability. It works towards establishing and maintaining a collaborative system of service providers and community partners working towards common objectives. The Board is also supported by volunteer Resource Advisors with particular expertise in housing issues. The members of the Board of Directors (as of June 30, 2023) are: RACHEL WHYNOT SIOBHAN DOYLE NAOMI ISNER BEN MOGL-MACLEAN MICHAEL GRAVES ANGIE BROWN JEREMY PORTER

CURRENT STATISTICS As of Winter 2025 127 INDIVIDUALS currently experiencing homelessness 5 MONTHS is the average length of homelessness 190 INDIVIDUALS currently identified as experiencing homelessness, including children 55 INDIVIDUALS experiencing chronic homelessness 63 CHILDREN currently experiencing homelessness/housing insecurity 157 HOUSEHOLDS now housed through SSODA HOUSEHOLD BREAKDOWN 212 Seniors 15 Veterans 72 Indigenous 74 Youth (25 and under) 245 Families 13 African Nova Scotians 1 Latin/Hispanic 38 Other SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS 5 sleeping in public spaces 25 sleeping in tents 25 sleeping in vehicles 28 sleeping in transitional housing 31 sleeping in shelter 52 sleeping in hotels 130 couch surfing (safe) 15 couch surfing (unsafe)* 16 sleeping in campground 173 renting pending eviction notices ORIGIN OF HOUSEHOLDS 331 in Bridgewater 196 in Lunenburg County 90 in Queens County 22 in town of Lunenburg 22 in Chester 31 did not disclose/other 19 in Mahone Bay TOP EVICTION TYPES Eviction due to relationship breakdown Leaving home due to domestic violence Building being sold Eviction due to change in income makes up only 23 of all intakes completed.

RESEARCH & INFORMATION Information on Coordinated Access Built for Zero Canada Information on Reaching Home: Canada's National Housing Strategy Infrastructure Canada Information on research regarding homelessness Homeless Hub Information on local data SSHAC National partners & homelessness conferences CAEH

SSODA hosts Lunenburg County’s Coordinated Access System, bringing consistency to the process by which people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and energy poverty access housing and related services within our geographic area. Welcome to SSODA.org. We are working on our new website and are so excited to be launching soon. In the meantime, please feel free to connect with us below. WHO WE ARE South Shore Open Doors Association (SSODA), established in 2021, is the living vision of the community’s collaborative approach to addressing the rapidly increasing housing crisis and situations of energy poverty in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. SSODA hosts Lunenburg County’s Coordinated Access System, bringing consistency to the process by which people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and energy poverty access housing and related services within our geographic area. We do this by: Defining our work through a Housing First approach Gathering real-time data about the supply of and demand for housing resources; Implementing a service delivery approach with community agencies acting as referral access points to service, a standardized workflow for triage and assessment; prioritization; and vacancy matching and referral Providing housing support services for individuals and families who may need additional resources and wrap around supports to maintain their housing Providing access to financial management services through our voluntary Trustee program. WHAT DRIVES US We believe everyone has a right to live in a safe, adequate, accessible, and affordable home. We know that ending homelessness is not simply a matter of serving clients better, but about creating environments in which doing better is easier. CONNECT WITH US First Name Last Name Email Phone Reason for Connecting *select* Message/Details SEND Thank you for your message. A member of our team will respond soon. Follow us

PRIVACY POLICY Effective date: 7th day of March, 2023 ssoda.org (the "Site") is owned and operated by South Shore Open Doors Association (SSODA). SSODA can be contacted at: PO Box 564 Bridgewater, NS Canada B4V 2X6 T 902-521-0994 info@ssoda.org Purpose The purpose of this privacy policy (this "Privacy Policy") is to inform users of our Site of the following: The personal data we will collect; Use of collected data; Who has access to the data collected; The rights of Site users; and The Site's cookie policy. This Privacy Policy applies in addition to the terms and conditions of our Site. Consent By using our Site users agree that they consent to: The conditions set out in this Privacy Policy; and The collection, use, and retention of the data listed in this Privacy Policy. Personal Data Collected We only collect data that helps us achieve the purpose set out in this Privacy Policy. We will not collect any additional data beyond the data listed below without notifying you first. Data Collected Automatically When you visit and use this Site, we may automatically collect and store the following information: IP address; Location; Hardware and software details; Clicked links; and Content viewed. Data Collected in a Non-Automatic Way We may also collect the following data when you perform certain functions on this Site: First and last name; Email address; and Phone number. How We Use Personal Data Data collected on our Site will only be used for the purposes specified in this Privacy Policy or indicated on the relevant pages of our Site. We will not use your data beyond what we disclose in this Privacy Policy. Who We Share Personal Data With We will not sell or share your data with other third parties, except in the following cases: If the law requires it; If it is required for any legal proceeding; To prove or protect our legal rights; and To buyers or potential buyers of this company in the event that we seek to sell the company. If you follow hyperlinks from our Site to another Site, please note that we are not responsible for and have no control over their privacy policies and practices. How Long We Store Personal Data User data will be stored until the purpose the data was collected for has been achieved. You will be notified if your data is kept for longer than this period. How We Protect Your Personal Data In order to protect your security, we use the strongest available browser encryption and store all of our data on servers in secure facilities. While we take all reasonable precautions to ensure that user data is secure and that users are protected, there always remains the risk of harm. The Internet as a whole can be insecure at times and therefore we are unable to guarantee the security of user data beyond what is reasonably practical. Children We do not knowingly collect or use personal data from children under 13 years of age. If we learn that we have collected personal data from a child under 13 years of age, the personal data will be deleted as soon as possible. If a child under 13 years of age has provided us with personal data their parent or guardian may contact our privacy officer. How to Access, Modify, Delete, or Challenge the Data Collected If you would like to know if we have collected your personal data, how we have used your personal data, if we have disclosed your personal data and to who we disclosed your personal data, or if you would like your data to be deleted or modified in any way, please contact SSODA at: PO Box 564 Bridgewater, NS Canada B4V 2X6 T 902-521-0994 info@ssoda.org Cookie Policy A cookie is a small file, stored on a user's hard drive by a website. Its purpose is to collect data relating to the user's browsing habits. You can choose to be notified each time a cookie is transmitted. You can also choose to disable cookies entirely in your internet browser, but this may decrease the quality of your user experience. Modifications This Privacy Policy may be amended from time to time in order to maintain compliance with the law and to reflect any changes to our data collection process. When we amend this Privacy Policy we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this Privacy Policy. We recommend that our users periodically review our Privacy Policy to ensure that they are notified of any updates. If necessary, we may notify users by email of changes to this Privacy Policy. Contact Information If you have any questions, concerns or complaints, you can contact SSODA at: PO Box 564 Bridgewater, NS Canada B4V 2X6 T 902-521-0994 info@ssoda.org

PROGRAMS & SERVICES COORDINATED ACCESS Coordinated Access is a system that brings consistency to the process by which individuals experiencing housing insecurity, energy poverty or homelessness access resources and services throughout Lunenburg County. COORDINATED ACCESS HOUSING SUPPORT TRUSTEE PROGRAM HOUSING SPECIALIST coordinated-access HOUSING SUPPORT SERVICES SSODA’s Housing Support Services helps potential tenants find and maintain their housing through weekly home visits, case management and goal setting sessions. housing-support TRUSTEE PROGRAM SSODA’s Trustee program offers financial literacy and basic money management services for individuals and families who may be struggling to maintain their housing costs, create and/or keep a budget, or pay bills in a timely manner. trustee-program System Planner The Affordable Housing Specialist engages multiple partners, agencies, rental providers and stakeholders in the implementation of the Coordinated Access System, and is responsible for the following: Leads the operations of the Coordinated Access System Establishes quality control for data Provides regular maintenance and updates within the Coordinated Access System Guide Manages data entered into Homeless individuals & Families information System (HlFlS) database Supports community organizations interested in the adoption of HIFIS Champions data driven community response by providing real time data reports to stakeholders, funders and community partners affordable-housing-specialist

Stay up-to-date with what's happening via SSODA's Facebook feed. NEWS Follow us Stay up-to-date with what's happening via SSODA's Facebook feed below.

STATE OF HOMELESSNESS RURAL vs URBAN HOMELESSNESS Homelessness doesn’t always mean sleeping in a tent, or in public spaces. In fact, the vast majority of people experiencing homelessness are not sleeping “rough”, but living in temporary, inadequate and unsafe accommodations. For some, homelessness can look like couch surfing, staying in emergency shelters, motels, hotels, campgrounds, and any other setting that is not secure. In urban settings, homelessness can be very easy to identify, especially in cities that have agencies and resources offering assistance or services to folks who find themselves unhoused. In rural settings, homelessness is harder to identify, and harder to characterize. A study completed by the Canada Observatory on Homelessness outlines a few key points on how rural homelessness differs from Urban homelessness: 1 The majority of interviewed individuals experiencing homelessness were very reluctant to self-identify as “homeless,” even if they were living in a car or couch surfing because of community stigma. 3 Lack of recognition for homelessness in rural communities contributes to the lack of funding and development in rural settings. 2 Homelessness in rural settings continues to go under the radar and is misunderstood as a social issue affecting only big cities. 4 Many rural residents are reluctant to access emergency shelters in the city. Whether you are experiencing homelessness in a rural or urban setting, one thing is certain: homelessness can be solved , and the solution is safe, adequate and affordable housing suitable for all citizens. CURRENT STATISTICS

See our list of local resources for food, financial assistance, family support, addiction services and more. GET LOCAL HELP HOUSING SUPPORT ROOF 25 SHELTER St. Paul's Lutheran Church 25 Phoenix Street, Bridgewater 902-530-3198 Open nightly from 8:00pm - 8:00am Intake closes at 11:00pm It is serviced on a first come first serve basis with a 15 bed capacity. Beds can not be held in advance. All guests must be 19 years or older. FOOD SUPPORT MEALS Bridgewater Interchurch 150 Churchill Rd 902-543-1915 Tuesdays & Fridays Souls Harbour 136 Pleasant St. Monday - Friday St Paul's Lutheran 25 Phoenix St 902-543-4106 Wednesdays FOOD BANKS Lighthouse Food Bank Society 101 Valley Rd. Chester, NS 902-275-5304 Wednesdays 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM Mahone Bay Food Bank Association 45 School Rd, Mahone Bay, NS 902-624-0890 Tuesdays - 2nd and 4th of each month 09:00 AM - 11:00 AM Lunenburg Interchurch Food Bank 283 Lincoln St, Lunenburg NS 902-930-3050 Tuesdays - alternate weeks 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Call ahead to confirm which week it's open Bridgewater Interchurch Food Bank 150 Churchill St, Bridgewater, NS 902-543-1915 Tuesdays & Fridays 12:30 PM - 3:15 PM OTHER ASSISTANCE FINANCIAL HELP Salvation Army Bridgewater 902-543-0356 Income Assistance 877-424-1177 St. Vincent de Paul 902-527-6431 Employment Assistance 800-206-7218 FAMILY & YOUTH SUPPORTS Better Together Family Resource Centre 902-543-3119 Employment Solutions Society/Nova Scotia Works 902-543-2479 YMCA Youth Outreach & Drop in Centre 902-530-3352 SEXUAL HEALTH, VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT Sexual Health Centre 902-527-2868 Child Protection 902-543-4554 Adult Protection Services 800-225-7225 Harbour House 902-543-3999 Senior Safety 902-543-3567 Second Story Women's Centre 902-640-3044 ADDICTIONS & TREATMENT SERVICES Alcoholics Anonymous 902-466-7077 Narcotics Anonymous 902-789-8323 Mental Health & Addictions 902-543-5400 Opioid Treatment at Fishermans Memorial 855-273-7110 Mainline Needle Exchange 877-904-4555 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 211 Call to find community supports 411 Call to access Directory Assistance 511 Call to access NS Road Conditions 711 Message relay service for individuals with hearing/speech impairment 811 Telecare Non-Urgent Care Concerns 911- Emergency

PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS PARTNERS Schools Plus YMCA of Lunenburg County Community Health Board of Lunenburg County United Way of Lunenburg County Town of Bridgewater Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia YMCA King Street Youth Centre Province of Nova Scotia Second Story Women's Centre Seniors' Safety Program South Shore Housing Action Coalition Souls Harbour Rescue Mission Harbour House Women's Shelter Energize Bridgewater Society of Saint Vincent De Paul FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS Province of Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia Government of Canada Town of Bridgewater

South Shore Open Doors Association (SSODA) is here because we care about improving the lives of everyone, especially our most vulnerable community members. We believe everyone has a right to live in a safe, adequate, accessible, and affordable home... ABOUT SSODA WHO WE ARE GUIDING PRINCIPLES MISSION & VISION OBJECTIVES WHO WE ARE South Shore Open Doors Association (SSODA) is here because we care about improving the lives of everyone, especially our most vulnerable community members. We believe everyone has a right to live in a safe, adequate, accessible, and affordable home. Each of us brings a different set of experiences and opinions. Every voice is valued, and all perspectives are needed. Together, we create solutions that would not be possible alone. We know that ending homelessness is not simply a matter of serving clients better, but about creating environments in which doing better is easier. This is the task to which we continually commit ourselves, and we hold our relationships in trust. We believe that housing is a human right. We are equity-driven, evidence-based, empathetic, and collaborative. We are client focused. We value diversity and ensure the community is represented at all levels of the organization. We include and support all peoples in need of housing or housing support services regardless of background, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion and spirituality, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity, age, and ability. We strive to be strengths-based, trauma- informed, and restorative in our approach. We are accountable to those we serve, to each other, to our community, and to our funders. We align our work to our vision and mission. who-we-are GUIDING PRINCIPLES We are a system provider and a service provider. We work in collaboration with community service providers who are supporting clients experiencing homelessness/ housing vulnerability. We follow the principles of collective impact to influence systems’ change. We maintain a Housing First philosophy/approach. We follow federal (Reaching Home/Built for Zero) and provincial guidelines. guiding-principles OUR VISION A healthy, vibrant, diverse, and inclusive community without homelessness, housing vulnerability, or energy poverty. MISSION STATEMENT To open doors to safe, appropriate, energy-efficient, and affordable housing for everyone in Lunenburg and Queens County. vision-mission OBJECTIVES To provide a coordinated access system in Lunenburg County that is a collaborative community process by which individuals and families experiencing homelessness/housing vulnerability and energy poverty are directed to access points in the community where trained workers use a common assessment tool to evaluate, prioritize need, and to refer them to housing resources and support. To host a housing support program that assists clients in their efforts towards independence and dignity. To coordinate a collaborative process that enables the community to advocate for change, to work towards the elimination of homelessness To make data-driven decisions that facilitate accessibility to safe, adequate, affordable, energy-efficient housing, and to housing support services. objectives