Community Supports

The SOAR Community Services Housing Resource Centre (HRC) is a free community service that helps housed and homeless individuals in Brantford-Brant to ensure that those at risk of homelessness maintain their housing and those experiencing homelessness have access to emergency shelter and support to find permanent housing.

Services include:

• Housing Stability Fund aims to prevent homelessness by supporting individuals with expenses such as utility arrears, utility deposits, housing-related arrears, and last month’s rent.
• Identification Clinic provides financial supports if you need help obtaining a birth certificate, health card, and other forms of ID. HRC staff will help you complete the applications and may help with the cost of renewal or application fees.
• HRC staff can help you search for affordable housing based on your situation. Staff can find and share housing listings, can help connect you with landlords, and resolve issues that may put a tenancy at risk.
• For tenants facing eviction, HRC can support you by attend eviction proceedings with support agencies; connect you with property managers to make arrangements for vacating a unit; and work with you to identify alternative housing options.
• Financial Management Program (previously known as Trustee Program) is an optional program where HRC can support you to manage your finances. HRC staff can help to make sure that your rent and utilities are paid each month, and connect you with budget counseling where you can learn to manage your housing costs on your own.

Brantford Native Housing (BNH) is a non-profit Charitable Corporation whose main objective is to provide safe, secure, and affordable rental homes for Urban Natives living in the City of Brantford. BNH offers housing to Status, Non-Status, Metis and Inuit families of low income. BNH presently has a housing portfolio of 159 homes, which are scattered, throughout the City of Brantford.

The Housing Outreach Worker is responsible for assisting Aboriginal residents/tenants/clients to maintain their existing housing and will assist residents of transitional housing to find their own home in the community. The Housing Outreach Worker will assist clients to access community services and implement programs and services for clients who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness such as an emergency food voucher program, winter coat exchange, etc. The Housing Outreach Worker will also promote Brantford Native Housing programs and services at local community events. 

For more information regarding the services they offer, please visit their website.

The Brantford Public Library’s Social Service Outreach Worker connects with Brantford's community members to help empower them through education, providing hope, connections/referrals, advocacy, social support and responding to the needs of each individual. The library provides a safe, friendly and inclusive space to access services. The Outreach Worker is generally available from Monday to Friday. The office is located on the first floor of the Main Branch. Please visit the Brantford Public Library's website for hours of service.

How They Can Help:

• Community resources - help with finding, food, clothing, showers, mental health resources, substance abuse resources
• Computers - help with using email, housing searches, virtual court, job searches
• Completing applications - help with applying for government ID, health care, Service Canada, employment
• Care kits - PPE supplies, hygiene items, clothes
• Telephone support
• System navigation and a safe space to talk

Brantford Region Indigenous Support Centre (BRISC) offers a wide variety of services including legal, employment, mental health, and cultural services. Regarding their legal services, BRISC has the following:

• Criminal Court Worker who assists accused offenders by providing information regarding their rights, options and responsibilities when appearing before the court. The program is designed to assist adults and youth charged with criminal offences to navigate the court processes. Worker will serve the needs of the Indigenous community of Brantford, Brant County, and Haldimand/Norfolk County.
• Combined Court Worker who assists accused offenders, as well as family court and child services involved families, by providing information regarding their rights, options and responsibilities when appearing before the court. The program is designed to assist Indigenous youth, adults, and families to navigate the court processes. Worker will serve the needs of the Urban Indigenous community of Brantford, Brant County, and Haldimand/Norfolk County.
• Apatisiwin Program is a Swampy Cree word meaning “employment, training, and jobs”. The vision of the Apatisiwin Program is that Indigenous people gain education, experience, and skills to achieve and maintain meaningful employment.
• Indigenous Mental Health Peer Program includes dedicated coordinates engage peer mentors with relevant life experience in the community, forming a network capable of conducting talking and sharing circles at Friendship Centres, leading discussions on their life journeys, and offering one-to-one informal peer counselling supports for program clients. Mentors offer honoraria for their efforts, and are further able to access ongoing supports from the program in their own life journeys.  Coordinators are responsible for assistance to clients in finding housing, employment, medical supports, and advocacy with parole, probation, or other justice system officials as needed. Coordinators also facilitate access to cultural and healing ceremonies on an ongoing basis.

For more information please call 519-304-7400, or visit their Facebook page.

The Community Legal Clinic (CLC) is a community based, non-profit organization. This organization is staffed by five lawyers, a community developer, and two support staff.

The CLC provides legal advice, information, and representation to people who live in Brant County, Brantford, Six Nations of the Grand River, Mississaugas of the Credit, Haldimand and Norfolk counties.  Legal information and advice can be provided to anyone contacting the agency. Those requiring representation for legal matters, such as the housing tribunal, must meet the financial eligibility guidelines.

The legal problems that the CLC can help you with are:

• Residential tenancies
• Income maintenance (Ontario Works)
• Disability issues (ODSP, CPP-D)
• Human rights
• Employment issues
• Employment Insurance
• Consumer protection
• Sexual harassment in the workplace
• Some questions relating to immigration issues

Legal education sessions on various legal issues such as Power of Attorney and Tenant Rights and Responsibilities are offered in the community or can be requested by groups and organizations.

For more information, please visit their website.

The Brantford Food Bank provides emergency groceries for individuals and families. I.D. is required. Please bring your own bags.

Address: 1100 Clarence Street South

Hours: Mon-Fri 1:00pm-3:45pm

The Salvation Army Brantford Family Services Food Bank has two different locations. If you require services, please call to make an appointment. 

Brantford Location: 33 Diana Avenue, Call 519-752-7814

Grace Anglican Church provides emergency food cupboard and drop-in meals.

Address: 4 Pearl Street

Hours: Mon-Thurs 9:30am-11:30am

The Friendship House offers a wide variety of services including free lunches between 11:00am-12:00pm, emergency food, clothing, haircuts, foot care, and more.

Address: 452 Grey Street

Hours: Mon-Thurs 8:00am-12pm

Society of Saint Vincent De Paul offers emergency food, clothing, and furniture.

Address: 143 Wellington Street

St. Andrew’s United Church provides a free meal at the Soup for the Soul program.

Address: 95 Darling Street

The Housing Resource Centre (HRC) Identification Clinic provides financial supports if you need help obtaining a birth certificate, health card and other forms of ID. HRC staff will help you complete the applications and may help with the cost of renewal or application fees.

Citizens who require services provided through the HRC can call 226-227-7692 or visit the HRC website.

Grand River Community Health Centre (GRCHC) is an active partner in co-leading a bi-monthly ID clinic operating from 9-12 noon on the first and last Thursdays of each month.  The ID Clinics were held at the Brantford Public Library.  The ID Clinic is a partnership between the following agencies:  GRCHC, Brant Public Library (BPL), Brant County Health Unit (BCHU), Community Legal Clinic (CLC) and Service Canada.

Currently our community ID in person clinic has stopped due to Covid-19 restrictions.  Our ID clinic has transitioned to offering individual appointments to assist clients.  Staff at GRCHC continue to see clients on a one to one basis.  All community members are welcome to access this service.  Prior to the pandemic the clinic typically 10 individuals attended each clinic.  Since the pandemic 2 individuals have accesses individual appointments.

Contact GRCHC at 519-754-0777 or at info@grchc.ca  for the ID Clinic.

Visit their website if you would like more information.

The AIDS Network operates two regional van-based mobile Harm Reduction Distribution programs, offering the delivery of harm reduction supplies, safer sex supplies and naloxone, as well as accepting used needle returns for safe disposal in Haldimand, Norfolk, Six Nations, Brant County and Brantford. Our regional Van programs can be contacted by phone call or text message to arrange a meeting time and location on the days they operate.

Hours: Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays 11:00am-3:00pm

The Brantford Downtown Outreach Team (BDOT) meets people in community to provide harm reduction, connections to services that address substance use disorders and mental health needs, and basic medical services that provide intervention and proactive diversion from Hospital. BDOT is a confidential service that operates through community outreach (parks, encampments, streets) and in-reach (shelters, meal programs); BDOT is not an emergency response team.

You can refer people to BDOT by calling the team voicemail 226-227-9928 or emailing bdot@st-leonards.com to provide referral information, including description or known locations that are frequented by a person.

Brantford Region Indigenous Support Centre (BRISC) offers a wide variety of services including legal, employment, mental health, and cultural services. Regarding their legal services, BRISC has the following:

• Indigenous Healing and Wellness Program is responsible for the implementation of Indigenous Healing and Wellness Strategy at a local level. This program focusses on reducing family violence through culturally appropriate sercices for those most at risk, notably women, children, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people to address prevention, aftercare, and the concurrent impacts of family violence on health. Specialized workers promote healing from a holistic and traditional Indigenous perspective.
• Indigenous Mental Health and Wellness Program aims to strengthen a Good Mind and promote mental health and well-being for clients. This program provides a holistic and positive approach to support the needs of mental health and addictions for Indigenous people and their families. Staff implement programs to improve the physical, mental, and emotional well-being for both clients and their families. Programs are culturally based and foster the learning of self-respect and identity.
• Cultural Resource Program coordinates and facilitates increased access to culture for Urban Indigenous children, youth, and families. This program aims to promote positive Indigenous identity and healthy relationships while fostering connections and cultural understanding between the Friendship Centre and the broader community.
• Indigenous Mental Health Peer Program includes dedicated coordinates engage peer mentors with relevant life experience in the community, forming a network capable of conducting talking and sharing circles at Friendship Centres, leading discussions on their life journeys, and offering one-to-one informal peer counselling supports for program clients. Mentors offer honoraria for their efforts, and are further able to access ongoing supports from the program in their own life journeys.  Coordinators are responsible for assistance to clients in finding housing, employment, medical supports, and advocacy with parole, probation, or other justice system officials as needed. Coordinators also facilitate access to cultural and healing ceremonies on an ongoing basis.

For more information please call 519-304-7400, or visit their Facebook page.

Grand River Community Health Centre (GRCHC) is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of the homelessness within our community. GRCHC offers a Shelter Health program which focuses on providing a full range of primary care services supported by our Nurse Practitioner (NP) and Registered Nurse (RN). 

These services include physical and mental health assessment, Covid-19 health support, management of chronic conditions, referral to specialists, connection with community resources, wound care, and other responsive/urgent primary care support, as needed.  For more information, please contact Lynda Kohler at 519 754-0777 ext 301.

The Shelter Health outreach team provide services in the following locations:

• Rosewood House Shelter
• Lucy Marco Residence
• Youth Resource Centre
• Marlene Ave supportive housing
• Winston Court supportive housing
• Rapid Access Addiction Clinic

Grand River Community Health Centre  (GRCHC) offers a daily refreshment cart that provides a snack, beverages and necessary supplies such as socks, hats, sunscreen and other necessities. 

The refreshment cart operates (weather permitting) in the GRCHC parking lot on Monday to Friday 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

The shower station at GRCHC has re-opened and offers appointments daily from Monday to Friday 8:30 – 4:30. To book a shower please call Simone at 519 754-0777 ext 473.

Grand River Community Health Centre  (GRCHC) Primary Health Care is a client centered approach. It focuses on meeting the physical, mental and social needs of a person throughout their entire lifespan. This may include support for the prevention of illness, treatments and promoting good health practices.

It also takes into consideration contributing factors and barriers that may impact a person’s health and well-being. The ultimate goal of primary care is that all people receive the right care, right in their community.  At Grand River Community Health Centre we know that care needs to be accessible to our clients. We take into consideration that everyone has different needs, and we deliver care and programming in many ways that may include:

• In person
• Virtual
• Over the phone
• Outreach in the community at various locations

Our team at GRCHC is proud to provide inclusive care for individuals and families.  We look forward to helping and supporting you to achieve your health and wellness goals.  Learn more about becoming a client on our website.

We are currently accepting applications for new primary care clients and work with our partner agencies to provide support to clients to complete the application process as needed.

There are eleven (11) Safe Disposal Bins across Brantford-Brant, by the Brant County Health Unit:

1. Branford Public Library – 173 Colborne Street
2. Brant Crossing Skate Park – 150 Icomm Drive
3. Brantford & District Civic Centre – 79 Market Street
4. Shallow Creek Trail – Newport & East Ave.
5. Behind St. Andrew’s Church – 95 Darling Street
6. Salvation Army Booth Centre – 180 Dalhousie Street
7. St. Leonard’s Community Services – 133 Elgin Street
8. St. Leonard’s Community Services – 225 Fairview
9. Brant County Health Unit – 194 Terrace Hill Street
10. Across the street from Iroquois Park – Driveway at north end of 50 Iroquois Street / Across from 19 Iroquois Street
11. Brant Community Services – 15 Curtis Avenue North, Paris

For more information on safely disposing a used needle, please visit the Brant County Health Unit website.