A Home for the Holidays

An emergency campaign is being launched today by the Housing Locator for Guelph & Wellington County called “A Home for the Holidays” – the aim of the campaign is to source 20 market-rent units (a combination of rooms, studios, bachelors, multi-bedrooms) that will house the region’s homeless and at-risk.  

The campaign seeks to engage with landlords who have units available in what has increasingly become an expensive and impenetrable rental landscape, keeping housing out of the reach of many – especially those who have fallen into homelessness. In fact, Guelph recently moved from the 12th to the 7th most expensive rental market in Canada, surpassing many provincial and territorial capitals, with the average price of a 1-bedroom unit approaching $1800 and a vacancy rate of 1.4%.  

Landlords who choose to engage with us and rent to our clients receive numerous benefits: first and foremost, they remove a name from the “By-Name List” (BNL).  The By-Name List is a real-time list of all known people experiencing homelessness in our community, a strategy adopted by many Canadian and US jurisdictions and a part of the “Built for Zero” organization and movement, from the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.

In addition, landlords will receive their rent by direct deposit, have potential tenants – whether they are single or families – thoughtfully matched to available units, are eligible to receive 3 months of rent in advance, and will have ongoing support for their tenants through dedicated workers for the tenants. In addition, they receive the services of the Housing Locator as a consultant, mediator and resource.

Our aim is to acquire 20 new units during the coldest months of the year, because everyone deserves a home for the holidays.

To read more about the campaign from CTV, click here.