Before creating the Expert Steering Team (EST), the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa conducted an environmental scan to understand promising practices for engaging people with lived experience in systems change. This work drew on national literature, municipal programs, and the experiences of other lived expert groups across Canada. After the EST began operations, two more scans were conducted as part of other Alliance projects. A few core themes emerged from the interviews and literature review we conducted.
What We Found
- Few operational models, but broad dedication and support for ethical engagement: Several municipalities reported some degree of past and present lived experience engagement strategies. Interviews from across Canada provided valuable insights into
the important work teams of people with lived experience are doing. At the same time, these conversations highlighted an opportunity to support greater knowledge-sharing and documentation, enabling other communities to replicate and build on these foundations. - Housing and homelessness sectors need help: Across Canada, affordable housing remains scarce. Holistic, or “whole person” approaches have been clearly identified as best practices, but strategies to maximize their effectiveness are often hindered by red tape. Administrative barriers and gaps in service access hinder outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. Collaboration between organizations is often limited, with informal networking identified as a key area for improvement. While it has been noted that engaging individuals from client populations helps us to identify and solve these problems, respondents often note that they do not know how to engage lived experts or where to start.
Learning from Other Lived Experience Teams
The EST identified and surveyed 11 other lived experience teams in Canada to understand how teams are structured, how they operate, and what makes them effective. Key insights include:
- Team composition: Teams range from small groups of 5–12 individuals entirely with lived experience, to larger mixed-expertise teams. Diversity of background, identity, and experience is always reported to be a strength.
- Recruitment and onboarding: Teams typically use low-barrier application processes, interviews, and clear onboarding packages. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are prioritized in recruitment.
- Compensation and support: All teams provide remuneration, though models vary (honorariums, payroll, per diems). Support measures for mental health, substance use, and accessibility differ widely.
- Decision-making: Most teams use consensus processes and prioritize the voices of those with lived experience in mixed-group conversations.
- Preventing tokenization: Successful teams embed meaningful engagement practices, create safe spaces, and ensure multiple voices are included in consultations. Teams emphasize that no one member speaks “for” a community, rather they each bring unique perspectives to contribute towards the whole.
- Partnerships and impact: Teams connect with organizations and the broader community through both structured and organic methods. Effective teams report having built credibility in research, policy, and governance, and typically contribute directly to program design, consultations, and system-level change.
What Makes EST Unique
The EST’s work demonstrates a model that is:
- Grounded in the support of a larger organization, and in alignment with shared values, but with a distinct team identity. As a small, purpose driven collective, the EST maintains its own ideas and influence.
- Grounded in clear governance and ethical engagement, ensuring members are fairly compensated and effectively supported.
- Focused on meaningful systems change, not token representation, and fosters the ability to influence municipal and federal policy and research.
- Evaluation-informed, using structured feedback and ongoing learning to improve both internal practices and external impact.
By integrating lessons from the broader sector and insights from lived experience groups across Canada, the EST has developed a replicable model for ethical, effective, and impactful lived experience engagement.
Learnings & Takeaways
- Embedding lived experience in decision-making strengthens outcomes
- Small, nimble teams foster trust and collaboration
- Clear recruitment, onboarding, and compensation practices are essential
- Partnerships with organizations and the broader community increase impact
- Ongoing evaluation ensures both internal effectiveness and external credibility