Finding Home - Collaborative Response to Housing Unit Takeovers - 2025-11-05

Описание: Finding Home is an innovative community action initiative currently active in Peterborough that was designed to address a rise of unit takeovers, both hostile and housing. Three unique and distinct agencies have joined with one another in response, creating an allied network of service delivery, knowledge, resources, and values. Direct service delivery and resources are shared between One City Peterborough, Community Counselling and Resource Centre, and Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge. This evolving community approach streamlines a supportive response to tenancy preservation by optimizing resources and focusing on community connectedness.

Housing Unit Takeover (HUT) interventions are complex, requiring incredible confidence in teammates to address safety, risk mitigation, rapid rapport and resource delivery. During interventions, system navigation, survival gear and advocacy are most commonly provided to both tenant and guest within the dynamic. It is imperative to the Finding Home Program that the guest involved in the HUT is offered as much support as the tenant being affected. Most times, a HUT has occurred due to unmet needs from either the guest or tenant and the connected agencies aim to address those needs during and after the intervention has occurred.

As a collaborative community-based program, our objective is to share our learning and development over the past few years through case studies and review of our service provider handbook. HUTs are an ever-growing risk in Ontario which have prompted responses in various communities who continue to build upon one another in effort to seek efficient, effective responses.

Presenters:

Melissa O’Donohue | Finding Home Case Manager, CMHA Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge

Melissa has worked across various sectors within social services including law and justice, child welfare, addictions and mental health. Advocacy is a point of passion for Melissa who openly seeks to bring a voice when others feel overwhelmed or overshadowed. Being strong in community connectedness with an outgoing and grateful approach, Melissa strives to join agencies locally with hope of easing barriers to service in community. Personally, Melissa enjoys being outdoors and all types of cats!

William Bartley | Outreach Coordinator, One City Peterborough

William Bartley is the outreach coordinator at One City Peterborough and works to create coordinated responses for folks living rough without access to shelter. He acquired a dual diploma from Fleming College for Social Work and Mental Health and Addictions Work and aims to provide effective supports that bridge the gap between the clinical and relational work with the community at large. William has also worked at consumption and treatment sites, overnight shelter spaces, daytime drop-in spaces, for the Unity Project, and case manager before moving into his current role.

Presented by the Provincial Human Services and Justice Coordinating Committee on November 5, 2025.

https://hsjcc.on.ca/finding-home-coll...