Browse Categories: Referral & Outreach

Dial 2-1-1 to reach a trained Information & Referral Specialist who can connect you with health, social, and government services across Vancouver and BC. Free, confidential, and available in over 150 languages. The best starting point if you're not sure where to go.

Community drop-in centre for seniors 55 and older near the Punjabi Market area on Fraser Street. Staff and trained volunteers run Navigation and Peer Support (NPS), helping with income and benefits such as Old Age Security, the Guaranteed Income Supplement, bus passes, SAFER, and other forms, plus referrals for housing, health, and legal concerns. NPS hours are 10am-2pm Monday to Thursday. The centre itself is open Monday to Friday 9am-4pm. A free income tax clinic runs early March to the end of April for low-income seniors and people with disabilities (income under $35,000 individual or $45,000 couple), with income tax help also available year-round by appointment. Drop-ins are welcome but booking ahead is recommended. Multilingual services available. Membership $5 per year. Many services are free.

Street and office-based outreach for adults 19 and older who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or hard to house in the Downtown Eastside. Outreach workers meet people where they are to connect them with emergency shelter, food, ID, and income assistance, and to help with housing applications and landlord contact. Rent subsidies are sometimes available. Also refers to health care, counselling, and addiction recovery services. Drop-in office hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, no appointment needed, and street outreach continues some evenings.

City of Vancouver information and service request line connecting residents to municipal services and departments. Residents can report issues such as street maintenance, sanitation concerns, bylaw complaints, and public safety issues, or receive guidance on city programs, permits, and services. Calls are answered by City staff who route requests to the appropriate department.

Information and referral centre for adults 55 and older. Drop in Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm, for form help, peer support, and referrals, or call ahead to book housing navigation support, which is by appointment only. Also offers financial help through Jane's Fund.

Kits House’s second building for seniors, at 8th Avenue and Vine Street, just down the street from the main house. People 55 and older can drop in to talk to staff about local services and get a referral, with no appointment needed. A monthly Family and Friend Care Partner support group for people caring for an older adult also meets here (register with Braelyn at braelynd@kitshouse.org). Free, Kits House membership required.

Phone line for help with BC government services and programs, in over 220 languages, run by Service BC. Say the name of the language needed when an agent answers, such as Cantonese or Punjabi, in English. Free to call. Open Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 5pm.

BC government website with information for seniors on benefits, health and safety, housing, finances and legal matters, transportation, and caregiving support. Includes the downloadable BC Seniors' Guide, available in English, French, Chinese, Punjabi, Vietnamese, Korean, and Farsi. Free to use online, with help available by phone, email, or text in multiple languages.

Walk-in drop-in office run by Connective (formerly John Howard Society Pacific) for people facing barriers such as homelessness, mental health challenges, substance use, developmental disabilities, or past involvement with the criminal justice system. Staff help with getting ID, finding and keeping housing, income tax filing, education upgrading, and referrals to employment, treatment and advocacy services. During the school year, UBC's Smiles on Wheels visits the office for low-cost dental care. No referral or appointment is needed.

Outreach workers meet people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness where they are, on the street, in a shelter, or in a temporary place, in the Downtown South area of Vancouver. Helps with urgent needs like food, clothing, and emergency shelter, plus getting identification and applying for income assistance. Supports finding and keeping housing, including help with applications, move-in, and talking to landlords, with rent subsidies sometimes available. Also refers to health care, counselling, and addiction recovery services. Call 604-683-3787, Monday to Saturday 9am-4:45pm.

Online tool for finding free or low-cost legal help and advocacy across British Columbia. The Find an Advocate map lets people search by topic, such as housing, tenancy, disability, elder law, employment, family law, debt, human rights, Indigenous legal issues, mental health law, newcomers to Canada, or income assistance, and by location, to find a nearby advocate or legal clinic. Does not provide legal advice directly. Free to use.