Lookout Housing and Health Society outreach workers assist individuals experiencing absolute or chronic homelessness to navigate complex systems, helping gain access to income assistance, health supports, and safe, affordable housing. Outreach workers use a combination of resources and experience to network with housing providers and other community agencies.
Our Teams
Since 1971, Lookout’s outreach programs have provided short-term bridging and follow-up services to a growing number of at risk people. These individuals are often chronically homeless who experience repeated emergency life crises. By providing support and intervention, outreach workers help individuals achieve and maintain greater stability and better health outcomes. Outreach workers liaise closely with other Lookout services, community partners and community health professionals to provide immediate and ongoing treatment and support.
In 2016, our outreach teams worked with 2,212 clients collaborating on individual case plans. Of these we successfully housed 533 people, while another 841 received rent supplements to help them maintain or secure housing.
Support & Strategy
Lookout outreach workers engage people in their community, recognizing that every individual requires their own strategy. Working with each individual to develop a case management plan, Outreach teams connect guests to required external supports including housing, finance, health, addiction, and other services. Many Lookout guests are able to maintain independent living because of the support received from our outreach teams.
The lack of affordable housing throughout the region is challenging our outreach teams, especially with the limited supply of affordable, supportive, permanent non-market rental housing. Despite the high demand for housing, our goal is to house people appropriately.
To provide these options to our guests, Lookout is working closely with municipalities, provincial and federal governments and local foundations to identify development opportunities of both new and existing housing developments.
Our Outreach Programs
Mobile Harm Reduction Outreach
Lookout Society’s Mobile Harm Reduction Outreach Teams consist of outreach workers who deliver harm reduction supplies to groups, individuals and organizations throughout Langley, Aldergrove, Delta and White Rock. The goal is simple – build rapport with individuals, foster community partnerships and provide education with people who would not normally attend our services. By listening and […]
STOP Outreach – Vancouver
STOP outreach has a specialized role in supporting individuals living with chronic health conditions including HIV/AIDS and Hep-C, helping connect them with necessary community health supports. Funded by Vancouver Coastal Health, Lookout Society’s Vancouver STOP Outreach team assists guests in locating housing in addition to wraparound health supports. Additionally, this team works with each guest’s new landlords […]
Homeless Prevention Program
The Homeless Prevention Program (HPP) helps individuals who are at high risk of homelessness such as people leaving institutions, job or rental loss, illness, aging out of care, or living in unsafe accommodations. Outreach supports guests in searching for safe, affordable housing as well as making connections to community services. For more information, please contact […]
Homeless Outreach Program
The Homeless Outreach Program (HOP) provides outreach services to individuals who are experiencing homelessness and need assistance in locating housing or shelter space. In addition to housing, Lookout helps connect guests to necessary community resources including financial, health, addictions and pre-employment skill building. For more information, please contact Surrey Outreach at (604) 589-4746.
Housing First Outreach
The Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS), or Housing First, is a federally funded program that believes that housing is the first step in breaking the cycle of homelessness. The key principle of Housing First is to access permanent housing without restrictions. Once housed, the Housing First Outreach team works with the tenant to develop a case management […]
Integrated Offender Management
The Integrated Offender Management (IOM) program in Surrey works with BC Corrections Services Community Corrections, offering outreach services to assist recently released men who are at risk of homelessness. Faced with multiple challenges, IOM Outreach assists in locating and maintaining housing and helps to connect with necessary community resources. For more information, please contact Surrey […]
Outreach Downtown Vancouver
Community outreach workers on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver assist homeless individuals living in the parks and alleys to become housed and then provide wrap around support services ensuring stability. Whether housed or not, Outreach works with each individual ensuring they receive necessary supports. This work ranges from moving guests between shelters and Single Resident […]
Outreach New Westminster
Outreach workers in New Westminster assist homeless individuals living in the parks and alleys to become housed, then provide the necessary wrap around support services that provide stability. Whether housed or not, Outreach works with each individual to ensure they receive necessary supports; offering warm drinks or cold water, harm reduction supplies, socks and blankets. For […]
Outreach North Shore
Outreach workers on the North Shore assist homeless individuals living on the streets and in the woods to become housed, while then providing wrap around support services that provide stability. Whether housed or not, Outreach works with each individual to ensure they receive necessary supports. This work ranges range from moving guests between shelters and SROs, to […]
Outreach Yukon
Outreach workers in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood assist homeless individuals living on the streets and in parks to become housed. Outreach also provides wrap-around support services to provide stability. Whether housed or not, Outreach works with each individual to ensure they receive necessary supports. This work ranges range from moving guests between shelters and SROs, […]
STOP Outreach – Surrey
STOP outreach has a specialized role in supporting individuals living with chronic health conditions including HIV/AIDS and Hep-C, helping them connect them to necessary community health supports. Funded by Fraser Health Authority, Lookout Society’s Surrey STOP Outreach team connects with guests with necessary health supports and links them with Lookout’s health services, including Positive Haven, the Djaef […]
Surrey Street Youth Services
Lookout’s Surrey Street Youth Services (SSYS) is a combined outreach and storefront program catering to the needs of street entrenched youth between the ages of 15-21 in Surrey. Youth participation in the Lookout’s Surrey programs continues to rise. SSYS works in partnership with other Surrey-based youth agencies helping to reduce youth poverty and youth homelessness […]
CKNW Orphans’ Fund Counseling Initiative
The CKNW Orphans’ Fund Counseling Program works with children K-12 in a variety of inner-city designated schools throughout Surrey-North. All of the children referred to our program possess extreme behavioural challenges that gravely impact classroom, family and peer interactions. Working collaboratively with educators, health care professionals and community support staff, our counselors develop an holistic […]
Rig Riders
Rig Riders is a peer based team who provides mobile needle recovery, overdose response, and harm reduction supplies on their bicycles in Surrey and Langley. It is a community-based service to facilitate the proper collection and disposal of discarded needles, while providing support and fostering positive relationships with local businesses and residents in the communities. […]