REPORTS SSODA 2022 Annual Report View/Download PDF SSODA 2022 Q2 Report View/Download PDF SSODA 2021 Annual Report View/Download PDF SSODA 2022 Q3 Report View/Download PDF SSODA 2022 Q1 Report View/Download PDF

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 390 INDIVIDUALS total number intakes completed 123 HOUSEHOLDS number of households/individuals currently experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity 4 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 MAKE A FINANCIAL DONATION Each month, it costs $8,000 on average to house people in our region. We believe that everyone deserves a safe place to call home. And the work we do helps make that vision a reality. ​ You can help us provide the programs and care that will transform the lives of our citizens today. HOW TO DONATE

DONATE There are many pathways that lead to homelessness, but in all cases, there is only one solution - Housing. Seniors, veterans, families and youth leaving foster care are unable to find safe, adequate, energy efficient, and affordable housing. We are in a housing crisis, and it is getting worse. Lack of housing stock, rising rental rates, declining rates of homeownership, soaring household food and energy costs, and archaic Governmental policies that continue to keep people poor, has led many families, seniors and youth down roads that lead to vulnerable and precarious situations. We believe that everyone deserves a safe place to call home. And the work we do helps make that vision a reality. You can help us provide the programs and care that will transform the lives of our citizens today. Your gift helps folks to achieve their future goals by helping us: ​ Provide wrap around case management support services for those who need it most Provide financial literacy and budget management services Provide assistance with damage deposits or first month rent (when funds are available) Provide assistance with Rent arrears and Power arrears (when funds are available) Gather and collect information to help our partner agencies in their advocacy efforts MAKE A FINANCIAL DONATION TO SSODA We are so grateful to United Way Lunenburg County for accepting financial donations on SSODA's behalf, via their secure donation form. BEFORE DONATING, PLEASE READ! In order for United Way to mark your financial donation for SSODA, be sure to follow these instructions: On Step 3 of the donation form, check "I would like to add instructions for my gift ". Add "DONATION FOR SSODA" note to the instructions message field. DONATE NOW

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

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

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

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* arrow&v Message/Details SEND Thank you for your message. A member of our team will respond soon. Follow us

GET LOCAL HELP 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

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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

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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 ELYSE LEEFE Housing Support Services, Lunenburg County AMANDA PHILLIPS-POOLE Trustee AMANDA PAUGH Housing Support Worker, Queens County SHANNAN CRAGG 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