United Way Peterborough and District, as the Community Entity for Peterborough City and County, receives federal granting through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy,  to be invested locally to help in the fight to end homelessness in our community.

Our volunteer Community Advisory Board (CAB) helps to set direction and coordinate efforts to address homelessness in Peterborough City and County. The Community Advisory Board  supports the governance of Reaching Home by assessing and approving projects for Reaching Home funding, as well as developing and approving community reporting. Our Community Advisory Board acts as a broad and inclusive representation of the community with members possessing in-depth knowledge of key sectors and systems that affect homelessness priorities.

About Reaching Home

Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. Reaching Home supports the goals of the National Housing Strategy, in particular, to support the most vulnerable Canadians in maintaining safe, stable and affordable housing and to reduce chronic homelessness nationally by 50% by fiscal year 2027 to 2028.

We are currently seeking to add new volunteer members to the Community Advisory Board

Member Knowledge/Expertise

Members of CAB should have knowledge of Peterborough and area and the issues of housing and/or homelessness. The CAB should be comprised of representatives able to speak to the issues/needs/priorities of people who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness. Members of the CAB should be passionate about homelessness issues in the Peterborough area and have the best interest of the community at heart. Members are expected to work collaboratively and respectfully within the CAB and within the community.

Roles and Responsibilities

CAB Members have the responsibility to:

• Attend and actively participate in each meeting;
• Be prepared for discussion and the decisions to be made at each meeting;
• Actively participate in activities related to the development of the Community Plan on homelessness;
• Be familiar with and respect the Terms of Reference for CAB Members including the Code of Conduct and the Conflict of Interest policy;
• Be knowledgeable about the Reaching Home federal funding stream;
• Maintain contact with individuals and organizations in their sector for the purpose of sharing information and identifying sector issues related to the CAB objectives and activities;
• Strike and participate in subcommittees and working groups as needed.

Who should apply?

Interested applicants should complete the attached form and submit it by email to reachinghome@uwpeterborough.ca

Please ensure you have met the following criteria:

1. Demonstrate experience with and/or knowledge of housing and homelessness issues in the Peterborough community;
2. Have experience in proposal review and assessment;
3. Be willing to commit the time to read and provide feedback on submitted proposals;
4. Are available for a 4-year commitment;
5. Willing to sign and abide by the Terms of Reference including the Conflict of Interest policy and the Code of Conduct;
6. Represent the community in one or more of the following groups:

• Individuals with lived experience of homelessness

• Indigenous Peoples and organizations
• Youth and youth serving organizations, including Child Welfare agencies
• Organizations serving survivors of domestic violence and their families
• Seniors and senior-serving organizations
• Newcomers and newcomer-serving organizations
• The private sector
• Police and correctional services
• Landlord associations and/or the housing sector
• Health organizations, including hospitals and other public institutions, and organizations focused on mental health and addictions

• Veteran-serving organizations

Those interested in applying should be aware that participation on the CAB is voluntary, and there is no monetary compensation.  Click HERE for the CAB Application

Timing, Process & Next Steps

1) Interested individuals may apply by submitting the attached form to reachinghome@uwpeterborough.ca by January 12, 2024.
2) Applications will be reviewed and applicants will receive an update on their application by end of January.
3) If approved, new members will be invited to join the February/March CAB meeting.