Postdoctoral fellow
Anika Mifsud, PhD is a Post-doctoral Fellow at the COH, where her research activities focuses on community-based evaluation and content development for the Systems Planning Collective. She completed her PhD in Social Psychology at Macquarie University, in Sydney, Australia, where she received advanced training on qualitative and quantitative analyses. Prior to this role, Anika was responsible for coordinating a joint Point-in-Time Count and Registry Week for the Region of Durham, among other community-based research initiatives. In her free time, Anika enjoys reading, playing board games and painting.
Answers from Anika Mifsud
There are so many ways communities can begin engaging in systems planning that doesn't require using a lot of resources. Remember, the whole idea of systems planning is to leverage the resources that already exist in your community so you can begin streamlining and closing the gaps that exist. Community engagement is one of the best ways to begin systems planning. Think about who the lead Systems Planning Organization (SPO) will be. Who will champion this work? What are their roles? Who's missing from this conversation? Systems mapping is another example of an easy, low cost way to engage in systems planning. Systems Mapping ensures that we understand what the full service ecosystem looks like and what's missing. Check out HelpSeeker, which has low cost options for communities looking to begin systems mapping. Ensuring your community is trained and up-to-date on systems planning, including having the right language and knowing its core tenets, is another example. Did you know the Systems Planning Collective, a joint collaborative between the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, A Way Home Canada, HelpSeeker and Turner Strategies, has developed some core courses for free? Engaging in this curriculum is a great place to begin for communities and we encourage you to take a look at the resources available on the Homelessness Learning Hub. Get in touch with us if you need more support!
Thanks for your question! Here's a literature review on costing for housing interventions that may help.
The Calgary Homelessness Foundation also has a chapter outlining how much it costs for ACT & Housing, ICM & Housing, and supportive housing. These costs are not broken down any further, however.