The Working Centre in Kitchener-Waterloo has been dedicated to aiding marginalized populations for over 40 years. In partnership with Prosper Canada, it embarked on an initiative to connect the populations they serve to government benefits and tax filing support. 

Recognizing the intricate challenges faced by individuals and families experiencing homelessness, The Working Centre endeavoured to enhance its outreach efforts by integrating innovative benefit navigation tools, the Benefits Wayfinder and the Disability Benefits Compass. 

This pilot project also modelled a distributive model of a training mobile and place-based outreach teams to support the completion of tax returns and access to benefits for those who are unhoused. Beyond mere facilitation of benefits access, this initiative complemented the multi-faceted needs encompassing tax filing assistance, housing provision, and financial stability. 

The overarching objectives of the Benefits on the Street Pilot were twofold: to underscore the tangible impact of integrating benefits access support into the Working Centre's outreach initiatives, and to outline the necessary components for the effective delivery of such services to street-involved individuals and families. Through ongoing discussions with The Working Centre, and tracking progress, the project aimed to determine if integrating the Benefits Wayfinder Tool into their services led to increasing income, supporting housing access, and lessening financial stress, with the particular aim of understanding how these goals might have been reached. 

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