The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) is working in partnership with COSTI and WoodGreen Community Services (the Management Team), to undertake a research study on mitigating risk of homelessness among immigrant and refugee women. The study aims to provide practical policy options for the settlement services and housing services sectors in the GTA to increase their capacity to help prevent homelessness among newcomers. Research advisors are Valerie Preston - York University and Robert Murdie - University of Toronto. The study is funded by the HRSDC Homelessness Partnership Strategy, and is set to be completed by March 2014.
The research study is intended to assess the benefits of developing intentional service linkages between program areas in agencies providing immigrant settlement services, and between the immigrant and refugee-serving sector and the housing sector.
The study's objectives include:
- Identify examples of agencies in the GTA who are addressing the issue of housing service linkages that work to mitigate newcomer housing problems;
- Identify and assess the benefits and effectiveness of the types and modes of service linkages offered by these agencies in mitigating the risk of homelessness for women immigrants and refugee claimants;
- Identify ways to improve the effectiveness of service linkages between the sectors at both the front-line and management levels;
- Identify and develop tools to help service providers in the immigrant and refugee-service sector and housing sector improve the quality, scope and structure of linkages among services that mitigate risk of homelessness for women newcomers.
Results of the study will be available on www.ocasi.org so watch for it.