About Us
Notice Of Closure
Doorways closed March 31, 2022. End Homelessness Winnipeg is moving to a new Coordinated Access system. This is a new system for housing, housing programs, and other supports with multiple Access Points in Winnipeg.
Constituents who are hoping to to receive services after April 1st can connect with Access Points in the community:
Doorways
Doorways is an innovative initiative that will help end homelessness for the most vulnerable youth, individuals and families in Winnipeg:
- Doorways is the centralized/coordinated service intake and assessment for the Housing First agencies in Winnipeg.
- Doorways also provides referral services if you do not qualify for a Housing First program.
- Doorways serves Indigenous people, as well as newcomers and non-Indigenous people (all nations are welcome).
Doorways
Doorways matches people in need to the housing program or service that is right for them.
Doorways supports a more efficient system by providing centralized/coordinated access to resources.
Doorways provides the most vulnerable individuals and families with intake, assessment and referral to housing with support programs, like Housing First.
What is Housing First?
Housing First is a supportive tenancy program that provides participants with access to permanent housing and flexible services to help them find and keep a home. Participants are applying to be accepted into a housing and case management program—not just housing. Housing First programs match participants with a supportive case manager who will help the participant find a home, and then make regular home visits to help the participant implement an individualized plan to keep their home.
What should participants expect?
People can visit the Doorways Hub or other participating agencies if they are:
- An individual or family experiencing homelessness.
- Youth who are close to aging out of CFS care into homelessness.
When someone visits the Doorways hub, they will talk to a worker about their current housing needs and determine their eligibility for various housing programs and services. After the initial 20-minute intake survey (the VI-SPDAT and an initial conversation), the worker will either:
- recommend or refer participants to programs that meet their level of need, or
- ask them to participate in a more in-depth assessment (the SPDAT).
In-depth assessments are conducted by Doorways’ Community Access Navigators (CAN Workers) at the Doorways Hub or elsewhere in the community, wherever the participant feels more comfortable.
The in-depth assessment takes 45 to 90 minutes sometimes longer to complete. Once it is completed, the Placement Committee will review it. Based on what the Placement Committee learns from the in-depth assessments and Community Access Navigators, they will place participants in the most suitable Housing First Agency.
Are all participants who complete the SPDAT guaranteed placement in a housing with supports program, like Housing First?
No. Some participants who complete the SPDAT will not meet eligibility criteria (i.e. their needs are too complex and/or they cannot live independently with supports) or individual program requirements. Doorways will recommend or refer these participants to a housing program or service that better suits their
needs.