Lookout Housing and Health Society pioneered full-service, minimal-barrier shelters including case planning/management, beginning in 1971 by offering 3-beds to homeless men. As the demand grew, Lookout rented space in different locations until the organization opened its first shelter in downtown Vancouver in 1981. Lookout’s shelters operate 24 hours a day and provide a range of services and support, including crisis interventions, access to a phone and Internet, laundry, a change of clothing and showering facilities.
Lookout’s shelters serve Vancouver (both the Downtown Eastside and Central Vancouver), Surrey, the North Shore, Abbotsford and New Westminster. Lookout staff focus on case plans and work with guests to find suitable housing options – a challenge given the lack of affordable housing in the Lower Mainland.