Taken from “Facts & Stats” on convenanthouse.ca

I will be using some shelter jargon, feel free to ask me any questions during the presentation!

Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) : Money that shelter residents are entitled to. Ontario Works releases the funds to shelter organizations. Some shelters release PNA once a week, or on a monthly basis. As of November 2015, shelter residents receive $140 per month. (in text citation) Resident : Term used for a person registered to live within a shelter. Can be interchangeably used with “client”. Discharge : The process where a resident leaves the shelter. The term is sometimes met with negative connotations.

 Issued by Toronto Public Library to borrowers that do not have a permanent address.  Restricted borrowers can only borrow two books.  The library card has to be renewed once every three months. Typically a letter with the resident’s name and address is preferred, but letters written by shelter staff about the resident’s homeless status is also accepted.

Public Library Resident borrower Resident Borrower Shelter borrows on behalf of residents

 Photocopies of health cards, passports, SIN card  Previous reprimands  Recorded instances of conversations between resident and shelter staff  Shelters that the resident has previously stayed in

 Shelter residents who have a love of reading will have ease of access to library resources  Encourages a love of reading  Fosters positive relationships within the community  Accountability system for discharged residents