The Action Plan that follows was inspired in part by the community plans and actions introduced in Portland, Calgary and Victoria. Each of these communities has made tremendous headway in addressing homelessness by providing access to safe, appropriate and affordable housing and improving access to relevant services. This Plan has benefited from the lessons in those communities and has placed particular emphasis on:

• a phased approach with short and medium-term achievements and building blocks;
• housing first and integrated support services approach to implementation;
• recognition of the varied needs of the client population;
• collaboration and partnership in planning and implementation;
• local government leadership;
• consultation and information sharing with community groups and the public; and the
• development of a framework for ongoing monitoring and reporting.