Community Safety Host Initiative

PCS is a project partner, providing the current employment component of the Community Safety Hosts initiative, which is led by Zoongizi Ode and emerged from a 2-year Housing Solutions Lab. Other project partners include NECRC and the Winnipeg Public Libraries.

The purpose is to create an alternative professional to conventional security services, better suited to staff facilities that provide access to essential systems and services (ie. EIA, CFS, Libraries). Current standards do not always ensure safe access to these places and services to marginalized individuals. This model was built on best practices as well as both modern learnings and traditional knowledge.

Community Safety Hosts are supported to be trauma informed, with a priority on systemic harm reduction to create safer access through removing barriers and empowering others through education and support.

This program seeks to address:
– Barriers to housing & employment
– Systemic racism in public places
– Inadequate training in safety roles
– Current (security) roles inadequate
– Damaging public perceptions

The training components were determined on these principal pillars:
– Leveraging both modern & traditional knowledge, as well as lived experience
– Wahkohtowin, an advocacy lens and leveraging existing neighborhood assets
– Seeking to provide acute barrier knowledge and care
– Meeting existing regulatory standards and industry best practices (ie. 40-hour security guard training)

Community Safety Hosts are recruited with an emphasis on providing an opportunity for sustainable employment to youth who have aged out of care, while investing in and empowering persons with lived experiences to better serve the community. Applicants from the R2W neighborhood, youth aging out of care or Indigenous youth are prioritized for this program.

Evidence Supporting a Relationship-Based Approach to Safety

This study analyzes hundreds of interactions between Community Safety Hosts and community members across Winnipeg sites. The findings show that when safety is grounded in connection, dignity, and practical support, conflict can be reduced and access to vital public resources can improve.

Read the full report here

Hiring, training, and empowering from within the community

A Community Safety Host receives security guard training but is differentiated by an additional 130+ hours of in-class training backed by 3 months of supported practical field experience specifically assembled and tailored to the role of a Community Safety Host.

Are you interested in having Community Safety Hosts at your location?

To explore the benefits of having Community Safety Hosts at your location(s), send an email to csh@zoongiziode.ca to discuss how we can collaborate to better support the community.

Are you interested in becoming a Community Safety Host?

This role uses a trauma informed, harm reduced approach to welcoming people seeking support into critical facilities by removing barriers, providing warm handoffs and system navigation support. Safety hosts work in person, usually full time (35-40 hours per week) and are paid a minimum of a living wage. We encourage persons with lived experience to apply.

You will leverage this experience, empowered with additional training, local area knowledge, a trauma informed & harm reduction lens and understanding of available resources.

A Typical Community Safety Host May:

Welcome visitors into a library or social service office
Help someone access community resources
De-escalate conflicts between members of the public
Respond to mental health crises
Administer naloxone during an opioid poisoning
Support staff when challenging situations arise
Build relationships with community members experiencing homelessness, addiction, or poverty
Work at different sites throughout the week

Community Safety Hosts regularly work alongside people experiencing homelessness, active substance use, mental health crises, and other significant barriers. Applicants should carefully consider whether working in these environments aligns with their own wellness and recovery goals.

Community Safety Hosts are not counsellors, outreach workers, or social workers. They are trauma-informed safety professionals who help create access to public spaces and services.

Click Here to Navigate to the Application Page