Earth: Basic & Safety Needs

Safety is the foundation for healing and growth. When basic needs are met, a person has the space to begin rebuilding.

 

Focus:

• Safe housing

• Food and nutrition

• Clothing and personal care

• Healthcare access

• Safety from violence or exploitation

• Identification documents

• Financial assistance

• Daily routines and stability

 

Practical Steps:

• Find safe shelter or housing support

• Replace important documents

• Access community resources

• Create a plan for income and expenses

 

Accessing Coordinated Entry Systems

Coordinated Entry connects people experiencing homelessness to local Access Point Centres across Canada and the United States, where trained helping professionals can help assess your needs and connect you with available housing programs, services, and support. Instead of visiting multiple agencies and telling your story over and over, Coordinated Entry connects you to all available resources through one assessment.

 

How it works:

• You visit an access point — this could be a shelter, outreach team, or drop-in center.

• A trained worker completes a common assessment to understand your needs

• You are prioritized based on vulnerability and connected to appropriate housing and services

• The system handles matching and referral to programs you qualify for 

 

This process is designed to remove barriers and make sure the most vulnerable people get support first. It is not always perfect, there can be long waitlists due to housing shortages, but it is often the best place to start.

 

 

Mailing Address Support While Experiencing Homelessness

Not having a permanent address can create barriers when applying for employment, accessing services, receiving important documents, or staying connected with community support.

 

Some shelters, outreach programs, and nonprofit organizations provide mailing address services for individuals experiencing homelessness. These programs may allow individuals to receive mail, important documents, and employment-related correspondence through a trusted community location.

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Depending on the organization and location, additional supports may include:

• Identification assistance

• Document replacement support

• Employment resources

• Phone or computer access

• Housing navigation

 

A mailing address service is different from a residential address. Always confirm with the organization how their address may be used before listing it on applications or official documents.

 

Where Can You Find These Services?

 

Mailing address services may be available through:

• Homeless shelters

• Drop-in centres

• Outreach organizations

• Community resource centres

• Indigenous service organizations

• Women’s support organizations

 

Availability varies by location. Some programs may require you to be a client of the organization or complete an intake process.

 

Canada

• FIRST UNITED — Vancouver, British Columbia

  • Provides a Mail and Phone Program for people who do not have a permanent address. The program allows individuals to receive mail and access services that often require a fixed mailing address, including employment-related needs, identification, and government documents.

  • Website: https://firstunited.ca/how-we-help/mail-and-phone-program

 

United States

 

• Coalition for the Homeless — New York, New York

  • Provides an Emergency Mail Program that gives people experiencing homelessness a secure mailing address to receive personal mail, government correspondence, and employment-related documents. Their program specifically notes that people can use the address when applying for benefits and seeking employment.

  • Website: https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/our-programs/crisis-services/emergency-mail-program/

 

• Brother Benno Foundation — Oceanside, California

  • Provides mail services for people experiencing homelessness. Individuals can use the organization as a mailing address to receive important correspondence, including documents related to benefits and employment.

  • Website: https://brotherbenno.org/services/mail-services/

 

• HOPE South Florida — Fort Lauderdale, Florida

  • Provides a mailroom service for individuals and families experiencing homelessness who need a reliable mailing address for important correspondence.

  • Website: https://hopesouthflorida.org/help/mail/

  • Broad Street Ministry — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Provides a mailing address service for people experiencing homelessness and helps individuals access identification, employment opportunities, and benefits.

  • Website: https://broadstreetlove.org/our-services/mail/

 

• Care Complex — Las Vegas, Nevada

  • Provides mail services for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability, including receiving important correspondence such as employment-related documents and government mail.

  • Website: https://carecomplex.org/services/

 

Interview Clothing & Employment Clothing Support

Having appropriate clothing for a job interview can be a barrier when experiencing homelessness, financial hardship, or housing instability. Some nonprofit organizations provide free professional clothing and employment support to help individuals feel prepared and confident when applying for work.

Professional Clothing Programs May Provide:

• Interview-ready outfits

• Business or business-casual clothing

• Shoes and accessories (when available)

• Resume and interview preparation

• Career support and employment resources

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Canada:

 

• Dress for Success Toronto — provides free suiting/styling services for women and non-binary individuals preparing for interviews or employment in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.​

• Dress for Success Montréal — provides free styling experiences and professional attire support for women preparing for employment.

• ClothingWorks by Goodwill — provides donated professional clothing and interview outfits for people facing barriers to employment

 

America: 

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• Dress for Success (Multiple U.S. Locations)

  • Best for: Women preparing for job interviews, returning to work, or seeking economic independence.​

• Dress for Success provides professional clothing, styling support, and employment resources. Local affiliates operate independently, so services, eligibility, and appointment requirements vary by location.​​

• The Wardrobe — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Best for: People needing professional clothing for interviews, work, or career transitions.

  • ​The Wardrobe provides free professional clothing for job searches, interviews, and employment needs. They also support individuals rebuilding after major life challenges.​​

• Career Gear — New York City (and partner programs)

  • Best for: Men seeking professional clothing for interviews and employment.

  • Career Gear has historically provided professional attire and career support for men facing barriers to employment.

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Understanding Housing Options When Experiencing Homelessness

Finding housing can feel overwhelming, especially when there are many different programs with different names. Understanding the difference between housing options can help you identify what type of support may fit your current situation.

Housing availability, eligibility, wait times, and application processes vary by location.

 

Emergency Shelter

What it means: A safe place to stay when you do not have somewhere to sleep or you need immediate safety.

Emergency shelters provide short-term accommodation and may offer:

• A bed or safe sleeping space

• Meals or basic necessities

• Hygiene supplies

• Referrals to housing and community services

Some shelters are specifically for women, families, youth, or survivors of domestic violence.

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Transitional Housing

What it means: Temporary housing that gives you time and support to move toward permanent housing.

Transitional housing is usually longer than an emergency shelter stay. It may provide:

• A stable place to live while you rebuild

• Support from housing workers or case managers

• Help finding permanent housing

• Employment, education, or life-skills support

It is not meant to be permanent housing but acts as a bridge between homelessness and longer-term stability.

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Second-Stage Housing

What it means: Longer-term temporary housing for people leaving unsafe relationships or domestic violence.

Second-stage housing provides a safer environment where survivors can:

• Recover from trauma

• Create a safety plan

• Rebuild independence

• Work toward permanent housing

These programs may offer counselling, advocacy, and other supports.

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Supportive Housing

What it means: Housing with ongoing support services to help someone maintain stable housing.

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Supportive housing may be helpful for people who need additional support with:

• Mental health

• Disabilities

• Substance use recovery

• Daily living needs

• Accessing community services

 

The housing is often longer-term, and support is available while the person lives there.

 

Permanent Supportive Housing

What it means: Long-term housing combined with ongoing support.

Unlike transitional housing, permanent supportive housing is not designed as a short-term step. Residents can remain housed while receiving supports that help them maintain stability.

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Housing First Programs

What it means: A program approach that helps people move into permanent housing first, then provides support based on their needs.

The idea is that you do not need to solve every challenge before having a safe place to live. Once housed, you can receive support with areas such as:

• Health

• Employment

• Relationships

• Recovery

• Community connections

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Affordable or Subsidized Housing

What it means: Housing where rent is reduced or adjusted based on income.

These programs may include:

• Income-based housing

• Rent-geared-to-income housing

• Government-supported housing programs

 

Availability and waitlists vary depending on the community.

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Medical Respite Care

Imagine being discharged from a hospital after surgery, with fresh wounds and strict recovery instructions—but nowhere safe to go. No quiet room to rest. No one to help manage medications or check if a wound is healing .

For people experiencing homelessness, this is not imagination. This is reality.

Medical respite care, sometimes called recuperative care helps provide a short-term, safe place to stay for people who are experiencing homelessness and recovering from surgery

 

What Medical Respite Offers

Medical respite programs provides the following:

• A safe, secure environment to rest and heal 

• Medical monitoring from nurses and healthcare providers 

• Medication management—help taking the right pills at the right time 

• Case management to connect you with housing and ongoing care 

• Meals and support with daily needs 

• Help transitioning to community housing after recovery 

 

Who Qualifies?

Eligibility varies by program, but generally:

• You must be experiencing homelessness or housing instability 

• You must have a medical need i.e., recovery from surgery, illness, or injury 

• You must be referred by a healthcare provider or hospital 

• You must be able to manage basic daily activities independently or with some support 

 

Some programs also offer pre-procedure respite: a safe place to prepare for things like a colonoscopy, and recover afterward .

 

How to Access Medical Respite

Medical Respite care is done via referral by hospital staff upon being discharged from the hospital. If you are in the hospital and do not have stable housing, let your nurse or discharge planner know. They may be able to refer you to a medical respite program. In some communities, outreach teams or shelters can also connect you to respite programs.

 

How Lula Helpline Can Help

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LULA Helpline can help you understand different housing pathways and locate community resources based on your situation and location.

We can help you explore options such as:

• Emergency shelters

• Transitional housing

• Domestic violence housing supports

• Supportive housing

• Affordable housing resources

• Housing access programs

 

Housing eligibility, approvals, and placements are determined by individual housing providers and local housing systems.