PROGRESSIVE HOUSING SOCIETY 7297 Kingsway Burnaby, BC V7E 1G6 Vision Statement of Progressive Housing Housing, Support and Wellness Through Partnerships
Mission Statement of Progressive Housing Society: The Progressive Housing Society is an independent non-profit organization established to promote the wellness of people with a mental illness by providing affordable housing options and support services, based upon the principles of recovery.
Core Values: Respect, Ethics, Partnership, Teamwork and Empathy Organizational
History and Profile
Since its incorporation in 1981, Progressive Housing Society has focused its energies on providing quality, affordable housing and community supports for persons whose goal is to achieve or regain independence within the scope of their abilities.
Progressive Housing Society operates a Supported Independent Living (SIL) Program; Pre-SIL Training Program; Community Living Program; a transition home and 3 Shared Houses, and administers a portfolio of rent supplements in the City of Burnaby with a total portfolio of 150 units.
The Society has demonstrated substantial leadership in the field of Semi-Independent Living; positively affecting a broad range of needy individuals within the communities of Burnaby and Coquitlam. Our program model is highly successful, and is being implemented by other non profit agencies in other communities.
Individuals with serious and persistent mental illness can, through Progressive Housing Society programs, access appropriate, safe, affordable, and secure housing. PHS's long standing and mutually beneficial relationships with a large number of landlords in Burnaby allows the society to facilitate successful tenancies for our clients.
In a stable environment, clients can set individual life skills goals. They work toward those goals gradually with a team of professionals from Mental Health Services and the community. The end goals for all clients are individualized and focus on increased independence. There is a consistent and strong emphasis upon psychosocial rehabilitation principles and recovery models identified in the 1997 Best Practices in Mental Health Reform, published by the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry.
Some of our clients move through our graduated programs and eventually choose to concentrate on employment skills. Working with the Progressive Housing Society, they can be assured continuity in their housing and a match with Health region and Progressive Housing Society staff to coach them in meeting their specific life skills needs. Our programs have been successful in reducing hospitalizations; reducing symptoms; providing increased residential stability; increasing program participant satisfaction, increasing independence and empowerment, and providing gains in goal achievement, leading to community integration. In these times of scarce resources, costs for subsidized housing and support services are drastically lower than those costs associated with other community residential program options.
The Fraser Health Authority funds the operations and programming. BC Housing provides an operating budget for the Society’s three shared houses as well as rent subsidies for clients who require the financial assistance.
Current Programs: All Progressive Housing Society programs are designed to assist persons with serious and persistent mental illnesses to live as independently as possible, in an affordable residential environment of choice, compatible with their individual needs.
A. Shared Housing
- 15 clients who are functioning independently, but benefit from socialization opportunity in group living setting
- Three residential homes, each shared by five adults
- Private bedrooms
- Subsidized rents
- Regular house meetings, minimal support services and property management services provided by one part-time worker
B. Supported Independent Living Program
- 101 clients in Burnaby
- Satellite apartments leased in private market housing
- Subsidized rents
- Highly individualized support services are provided by teams of workers, according to the client rehabilitation plan · Support and subsidy available for an indefinite period
- Focus on assisting clients in developing and maintaining the skills required to live independently
C. Community Living Program
- 15 clients in Burnaby
- Clients have own secured their own accommodation
- No rental subsidy provided
- CSL supports can be time limited i.e. six months
- Focus on assisting clients in developing and maintaining skills and accessing community resources to enhance their ability to live independently
D. Gilmore Transitional House
- 5 clients in Burnaby who require short term transitional accommodation, while receiving psychosocial rehabilitation training and goal setting
E. Pre-SIL Training Program
- two bedroom apartment and flexible support services to meet the needs of those being released from hospital, boarding homes or residential care ; who require assistance bridging the gap to independent living
F. Rent Supplements
- 7 subsidized units for persons who have graduated from needing our support services to needing only the rental subsidy
Eligibility: Currently all program participants must be registered adult clients of Burnaby Mental Health Services having a diagnosed of serious and persistent mental illness requiring ongoing treatment. Our society can assume contracts to provide supported independent living. See listing in this directory under Health.
Current Partners: Simon Fraser Health Region (Burnaby Mental Health Services) BC Housing Management Commission
604 522-9669 FAX 604 522-4081 Website: www.progressivehousing.net E-mail lwood@progressivehousing.net