Homelessness Officers and Support Workers

As a homelessness officer or support worker, you help people who are living on the streets or in temporary shelters get back on their feet. You meet with clients, listen to their situation - how they became homeless, what problems they face, what they need right now - and work out a plan to help them. This might mean finding them a home, getting them a job, sorting out health problems, or helping them deal with the stress and trauma of homelessness.

The work is practical and direct. You visit shelters and community centres, make phone calls to housing providers and social services, and sometimes meet people in their current living situation. You need to be patient and calm, because people who have been homeless are often dealing with a lot of pain and difficulty. But this job is also one of the most rewarding - watching someone move from the streets into a stable home, and then into work or education, is something real you can point to.