MONTREAL, July 6 /CNW/ - A ground-breaking national research project studying the most effective way to provide housing and services to people living with mental illness and homelessness has expanded to Montreal. The Co-operators is now providing tenant's insurance to participants in the study in Montreal, as it has been doing in Moncton, Vancouver and Winnipeg since the program launched in these cities.

At Home is a research project of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. It focuses on first providing homeless individuals with a place to live, then providing other support they require, including maintaining their home, completing day-to-day tasks and pursuing education, volunteer or employment opportunities. Their experiences will be compared with those of other individuals who will receive the services currently available in their respective cities, to determine which approach is most effective and efficient.

"This research will produce valuable findings that could help inform better public policy decisions and approaches to homelessness and mental illness in Canada and beyond," said Kathy Bardswick, president and CEO of The Co-operators. "The whole study relies on a group of homeless people getting apartments, but this can prove challenging. Providing them with tenant's insurance can alleviate concerns of landlords, and help the participants in securing housing."

The Co-operators has been supporting the study in this way since it was launched in November 2009. It is in line with Community Guard, the organization's insurance solution tailored to meet the needs and support the work of Canada's voluntary/non-profit sector.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada is a non-profit organization that received $110 million from the federal government in 2008 to find better ways to help Canadians who are homeless and suffer from mental illness. At Home is being carried out in five cities across Canada: Moncton, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg, with each city focusing on a different target population.

About The Co-operators:

The Co-operators Group Limited is a 100 per cent Canadian-owned co-operative with more than $36.9 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies, it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators is owned by 47 Canadian co-operatives, credit union centrals and like-minded organizations. It is well known for its community involvement, and is listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada.