The team of Housing Support Workers at Options Bytown offers and accesses a wide range of community support services to help tenants maintain their housing and integrate in the community. 

When new tenants move into Options Bytown, they are assigned a Housing Support Worker who helps them develop an individual service delivery plan including accessing necessary services. The tenant is assisted in drawing up an individual short and long term goal plan. 

The Housing Support Workers provide essential life skills training that can be classified into the following categories: (a) financial, (b) health and nutrition, (c) socialization and recreation, (d) community development and community resources awareness, (e) well-being and self-realization, (f) safety and security and (g) housing.

Activities often integrate a number of life skills categories:

1. Nutrition awareness and cooking lessons through the women’s group and co-ed collective kitchens  - The collective kitchen also helps tenants extend their budgets with the planning and cooking of meals in a cost effective way.
2. One on one budgeting counselling - The Housing Support Worker can assist tenants in setting up a bank account and have their rent paid directly via their income source ie. Ontario Works.
3. Coffee house, movie nights, craft evenings and seasonal community suppers (Thanksgiving and Christmas) – Tenant involvement in all aspects of planning and carrying out of these activities offers opportunities to increase socialization skills, reduce isolation and increase feelings of self-esteem by displaying talents and learning new ones.
4. Workshops/information sessions on loneliness, anger management, assertiveness training, self-esteem and the setting and realization of personal goals.
5. Computer training workshops as a learning and job re-integration opportunity.
6. Personal safety awareness workshops geared to heighten the safety of the individual and the community as a whole.