To help people who are at imminent risk of homelessness maintain their housing, Risebridge Society can provide short-term financial assistance in the form of paying rental arrears, damage deposits and/or utility bills.  Through this funding we were able to assist people that had recently become unhoused to acquire housing.  These people had been living in their vehicle for a few months due to some recent financial difficulty.  Both were employed and had enough money to afford first month’s rent however; they struggled to acquire enough for damage deposit and were in need of some landlord advocacy.  With the financial assistance and support from our agency, these clients were able to secure housing again.  A family of 4 moved to BC with the promise of a good job, however the contract was pushed back for a period of a few months, leaving them stranded once their savings ran out.  One parent was able to find some temporary work, and we were able to support them in their move from a house into an apartment, provide groceries, and gas for them to get to and from work and prevent further homelessness for the family until they received their first paycheck.

A single parent who was struggling to maintain their finances living in their current apartment made the decision to relocate somewhere more affordable with accessible family and Indigenous community support.  We were able to assist with their move-out cleaning which eased financial and mental burden during a hectic and stressful time.  On several occasions, we were also able to support newly unsheltered clients by booking a local campsite where they were able to set up and have access to water, bathrooms, and electricity, as well as provide any additional camping/survival gear they may not have already had.  We were able to set up an account with a local laundromat where unsheltered community members can do their laundry on the Risebridge tab using a coupon received during our drop-in appointments which assists with health and hygiene concerns.  We are also able to offer clients taxi vouchers to get to the medical clinic when treatment is needed, housing appointments and/or shelter access.