A homelessness report card for Victoria, British Columbia: establishing the process and baseline measures to enable annual homelessness reporting

Abstract

Systems-level homelessness report cards are an intricate part of managing and resolving homelessness within a community. Homelessness report cards can be used to both educate communities around the complexities of homelessness and capture pertinent data required to formulate evidence-based strategies towards ending (rather than managing) homelessness. The process of developing and implementing homelessness report cards can be fraught with challenges relating to: limited resources; fragmented information; and political roadblocks. To help reduce the potential of these roadblocks, a system-level Homelessness Outcome Reporting Normative framework (the “HORN Framework”) was developed. The HORN Framework is based on a literature review and synthesis of the best-practice, systems-level homelessness report card development and implementation methods. The framework was then tested in a case study with the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness (GVCEH), through the creation of their 2010 Greater Victoria Homelessness Report Card. The framework and case study results are presented in this thesis.