3 Ways the CRRHHS can Support your Organization and Community with Affordable Housing and Homelessness

As the cost of living and inflation rise in Canada, rural, remote, and Indigenous communities are often overlooked. Facing unique challenges especially in the areas of affordable housing and homelessness, communities are looking for solutions and opportunities for improvement. There is also a need to engage with rural areas across the country, as rural homelessness tends to be more hidden and organizations have limited capacity to respond to these issues. 

To support organizations and communities with tackling these complex challenges, the Rural Development Network and the Rural Ontario Institute are hosting the Canadian Rural and Remote Housing and Homelessness Symposium (CRRHHS) this June 6-8. This conference is an important opportunity to not only gain valuable insights from industry leaders, but also to network with peers and continue those conversations. 

Here are three ways the Symposium can support your organization and community with affordable housing and homelessness:

1. Create strategic partnerships and expand your network to help propel your organization forward.

The CRRHHS provides an opportunity to connect with folks across Canada and engage in the rural perspective, providing thought-provoking dialogue and connections that will last far beyond the Symposium.

“I can say with absolute certainty that it is the strategic partnerships we made at that conference, the advice of those already funded, the resources that continued to be provided post-conference, and the ongoing conversations after we returned home, that are the reasons we are fully funded today.” - Glenn Alexander, Vice-President of the Southwest Youth Emergency Shelter, Inc.

There will be networking opportunities and a virtual exhibit hall for you to make lasting connections. When you attend the networking sessions, you will be speed matched with like-minded individuals to share and learn from each other, while the virtual exhibit hall allows you to experience more from our presenters and sponsors.

2. Learn the latest research and practices to take back to your organization and community. 

At this year’s symposium, you can hear and participate in and gain expertise from 50+ engaging, concurrent sessions that will dive into topics such as: Coordinated access, addressing the housing crisis, ending and preventing rural homelessness, affordable housing strategies and action plans, Indigenous reconciliation, rural youth homelessness, and much more.

“We believe the 2023 CRRHHS will help communities successfully share best practices and innovative responses to housing and homelessness and will leave attendees feeling equipped and empowered to take what they have learned to respond to homelessness and the housing crisis in their own communities,” says Ellen Sinclair, Executive Director of the Rural Ontario Institute.

3. Hear first-hand how a few of our keynote speakers escaped homelessness and how you can support people in your community.

Our keynote speakers this year will help you gain a deeper understanding of the issues that could be impacting your community through their powerful and inspiring stories of resilience, allowing you to grow your knowledge on what resources are available/needed for your community. 

“Our keynote speakers will be engaging and impactful and bring new perspectives,” says Dee Ann Benard, CEO of the Rural Development Network.

One of our keynote speakers, Joe Roberts – the Skid Row CEO, will share how he maximized his second chance in life to create extraordinary business success after overcoming homelessness and drug addiction. Part of Joe’s success story includes how he triumphantly pushed a shopping cart a staggering 9,064 kilometers across Canada in the name of youth homelessness prevention. This very act birthed a national awareness campaign called The Push for Change, inspiring fellow Canadians to create ripple effects of transformation in the lives of at-risk youth throughout the country.

Watch Joe Robert’s personal invitation to this year’s CRRHHS. 

View the full Symposium schedule and register today! 

We have a jam-packed program available on our website so you can create your own custom agenda for the conference. Check out the full program!

‍Register today on the CRRHHS website. Can’t make it June 6-8? No problem! You can still register until June 5 to access all recordings and presentations until August 5, 2023.

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