On Feb. 11, British Columbians celebrate 211 Day, and province-wide access to help where and when they need it.
Created in partnership with United Way, bc211.ca is the BC-wide resource that links residents to community, social and government resources on a comprehensive range of topics from employment assistance to mental health support to housing assistance.
A snapshot of local needs
It will come as little surprise to those living throughout the province that many of the hundreds of web chats and hundreds of thousands of searches on bc211.ca last year sought information related to housing and homelessness.
Individuals seeking housing information and support ran the gamut from women fleeing domestic violence to those facing rental eviction to those released from hospital with nowhere to go.
One family had lost their home in a fire, while another with an 11-month-old and a young child discovered mould in their supportive housing suite. Advised to begin packing up, leave and head to the hospital to get checked, they had nowhere to stay.
Another person inquired for a senior friend who had been evicted. While friends and family had managed to find her temporary hotel accommodation, that time was up, with no solution in sight.
One-stop link to the information you need
Regardless of where you live, bc211.ca is there to help, connecting individuals 24/7 with current, reliable information about community resources close to home.
Beyond housing information and support, common queries to bc211 across the province include substance use; health; mental health; and income and financial assistance.
You’ll also find information about home care, day programs and more, all easily accessed through the one-stop website. Topics are also tailored to aboriginal, immigrant and senior and youth communities, making it simple to access the information you need.
The service is optimized for mobile devices so that you can access information at home or on the go. Or you can chat online at bc211.ca daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.