About

Vision

A North Shore where everyone has safe, affordable access to housing options that meet their diverse needs and desires.

Mission

Advance collective action and advocacy to address root causes of homelessness on the North Shore.

The work North Shore Homelessness Task Force (NSHTF) and the work of the North Shore municipalities, organizations, and people that make up the task force is done on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. These lands and waters were taken without consent.

The NSHTF was formed in 1998. The NSHTF seeks to provide leadership on the North Shore around homelessness in order to meaningfully address its root causes. The NSHTF has spearhead the establishment of the Youth Safe House, the North Shore Housing Centre, the Health Connections Clinic, a local shower program, and resources cards, along with many other events and initiatives.

Beyond the establishment of these shelters and programs, the NSHTF functions as a hub for its wide membership by facilitating information sharing, coordination, and collaboration on homelessness.

Members of the NSHTF include municipal employees, Vancouver Coastal Health, service providers, faith community members, interested North Shore residents, and more.

For a situational analysis of homelessness on the North Shore and the role of the NSHTF, please click here. For our Strategic Plan, please click here. For some examples of the type of projects and work the NSHTF takes on, please see our Years in Review documents:

Rationale for the Task Force

Approach to Homelessness

Homelessness continues to be a reality on the North Shore that requires ongoing action. The NSHTF was formed to provide coordinated, collaborative leadership and action on this issue, and it is important that one North Shore-wide entity continue to provide this collaborative leadership and coordinated action. Since homelessness is a systemic issue, the NSHTF will continue to exist as long as it is considered necessary.

The NSHTF has adopted a two-pronged approach to homelessness on the North Shore:
1. Address the root causes of homelessness
2. Establish and maintain a continuum of housing and support services for those unhoused