Planning & Research

Homeward Trust oversees several community planning initiatives in order to better align efforts and make a greater impact. This includes:

  • A biennial Homeless Count.
  • Development and stewardship of the Community Plan.
  • Supporting planning initiatives for youth, Indigenous peoples, and other groups experiencing homelessness.

Homeward Trust’s ongoing research activities, led by staff and the Research Committee, help reinforce the implementation of plans to end homelessness. The Committee consists of community stakeholders, researchers, and/or interested participants. It serves as an impartial group of stakeholders and partners who are responsible for supporting Homeward Trust’s administration in determining research priorities established through the Community Plan process, as well as developing an annual research agenda.

Homeward Trust issues an annual RFP for community-based research, and also invests in strategic research projects to support its initiatives.

This department manages data collection and analysis for the organization and evaluates whether programs are making a significant difference. With this information, Homeward Trust can ensure that resources are being directed to the most effective places for ending homelessness. As part of these efforts, the department manages the common database used by Housing First and homeless-serving agencies in Edmonton and is also responsible for initiatives such as the Homeless Count, which help us to understand more about the people we are serving.

Edmonton has a locally administered HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) that tracks client data, case management, and trends. The information helps Homeward Trust better serve the needs of clients and work more effectively as a network of housing and service providers.

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LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We recognize we are gathered, in collaboration and with joint purpose, on Treaty 6 territory. This territory is the home and gathering place for diverse Indigenous peoples. The Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, Inuit, and many others. We know the importance of the Treaty and our responsibility to these communities and that only in partnership can we create the social change necessary to end homelessness. It is vital that we meaningfully engage and partner with Indigenous people and communities in this work. It is important to recognize and address the conditions brought forth by colonialism. Displacement from traditional homelands, systemic racism, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and the ongoing overrepresentation of Indigenous people in child welfare, correctional systems, and homelessness are responsibilities we all share.