Our Impact – Lookout Housing + Health Society

Since 1971, Lookout Housing and Health Society has been successfully offering services that meet the needs of the most vulnerable citizens in our community. We house the most difficult to house. Since its early beginnings Lookout has been a leader and an innovator, adapting itself so it can better serve those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Lookout has a long history of successfully meeting the needs of people living in extreme poverty. We offer a variety of programs (shelter, housing, outreach, health, community recourse centres). Our staff are creative, dynamic, flexible, willing to take on the challenge and accept those who have had their doors closed too many times.

The effectiveness and capacity of Lookout’s programs continues to broaden as we expand and diversify our health services, mental health housing options, peer programs and employment opportunities, shelters, resource centres and residences.

2017 has seen Lookout rise to meet many health and housing challenges across the Lower Mainland. During this opioid overdose crisis many of our staff and clients have taken on the role of first responders, able to take life saving measures well before the arrival of paramedics. By providing safe areas with increased availability of naloxone, trained staff and monitoring, fewer people have been using alone. These critical steps are saving lives and reducing the risks to vulnerable people.

By merging with Mood Disorders Association of BC, Lookout is now able to offer additional clinical care services for guests and tenants challenged with mental health or addictions. Lookout will also open its first mixed income social housing program in late 2017, offering 70 units of housing for people living on low to moderate incomes.

Harm Reduction

In 2016-17, Lookout collected 422,743 needles, hosted 144 Narcan training sessions, distributed 751 Narcan kits or refills, and made 466 referrals to recovery, food banks, shelters, and other related resources. Lookout also opened two Health Canada-approved Safe Consumption Sites where staff see the highest number of overdoses – in Surrey and Downtown Vancouver. January to March 2017, Lookout staff recorded 284 overdose reversals – almost three times as many during the same period in the previous year.

Harm Reduction

In 2016-17, Lookout collected 422,743 needles, hosted 144 Narcan training sessions, distributed 751 Narcan kits or refills, and made 466 referrals to recovery, food banks, shelters, and other related resources. Lookout also opened two Health Canada-approved Safe Consumption Sites where staff see the highest number of overdoses – in Surrey and Downtown Vancouver. January to March 2017, Lookout staff recorded 284 overdose reversals – almost three times as many during the same period in the previous year.

Our impact in 2016-17 across the 11 Metro Vancouver communities we serve:

Shelters

Serving 241,815 meals in our Shelters
Providing 117,432 bednights in our shelters & had a 1.6% vacancy rate
Helping 2,797 shelter guests develop case plans

Residences

Having 824 residential units occupied
Helping 805 tenants of our housing programs develop case plans
Providing abstinence based supportive housing to 85 tenants

Outreach

Helping 1711 individuals through Outreach
Housing 357 individuals through outreach
Making 9,706 referrals related to case planning through outreach
Helping people access funding 662 times through outreach

Health Services

Having 6,295 medical and dental appointments
Providing 1,175 HIV/AIDS counselling sessions
Making 1,573 connections with women in the sex trade
Serving 1,891 harm reduction clients at the Surrey clinic

Resources

Having 7,049 individuals visited our resource centres
Totaling 103,893 total visits to our resource centres
Serving 357,358 meals in our resource centres