The Society has tried to remain relevant to the needs identified by the community. The services provided began with housing and now include a number of programs that provide practical support to people that try to minimize the health risks that come with poverty and addictions. The Society's overall aim is to improve the quality of life of marginalized residents, to achieve stable housing for low-income residents, to reduce crime, and to improve health in the community. The Society believes that hope, infrastructure, and a wide range of programs will turn the Downtown Eastside into a vibrant and healthy community that can be worked in and enjoyed.
The PHS Community Services Society began with a housing project for adults living with mental illness and addictions called the Portland Hotel. The Portland was unique in Canada, created at a time when there were no other alternatives for this population that is the most at risk of homelessness. To this day, the Portland remains one of very few examples across North America of how to work with people with mental illness and addictions in a purposefully designed space, with a purposeful mandate and staff who are trained and dedicated to providing support specifically for this target population.
Programs include the first supervised injection site in North America, the Community Transitional Care Team (providing IV antibiotics in a medically supervised housing setting), Drug Users Life Skills Centre, Washington Peer to Peer Needle Exchange, Portland Community Dental Clinic, Pigeon Park Savings Credit Union INSERT HYPERLINK, and the Interurban Art Gallery.
The Society's housing programs have expanded to include five residential single room occupancy hotels (350 units for Downtown Eastside residents who are homeless), in addition to two supported independent apartment units (72 units for mentally ill adults and seniors), and an "SIL" program for forty adults recovering from addiction (subsidized market apartments with support).
In 2000, the Potluck Cafe was opened on the first floor of the Portland Hotel. Born out of a youth-at-risk employment program, the Potluck Cafe now employs ten community residents, serves nutritious meals at low cost and also has a downtown catering and lunch delivery service. Since its opening, the Potluck Cafe has served 100,000 meals to those in need.
Statistics of interest:
- Partnerships are essential for the PHS to bring services in to people who don't fit into more mainstream service delivery models.
- In addition to hundreds of volunteers, about 400 people per month participate in low-threshold employment programs
- Full-time staff: approx. 100
Tours: Open to the public
This post was imported from the 'Greater Vancouver Green Guide', it's part of the 'Green Guide Portal' to the Green Building Brain.
