HIGHLY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
PROVIDING HIGHLY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
In collaboration with our partners, we operate 50 supportive housing units, using existing fully furnished apartments at 362 Dundas Street, where individuals are provided comprehensive 24/7 health and social supports.
A Snapshot of Our Impact
Individuals have a safe, stable place to live with:
- Access to services
- Good nutritious food
- Support staff available 24/7
- Medical care in a non-judgmental space
A SNAPSHOT OF OUR PLANNED IMPACT
Individuals will have a safe, stable place to live with:
- Access to services
- Good nutritious food
- Support staff available 24/7
- Medical care in a non-judgmental space
Why Highly Supportive Housing?
In response to the growing homelessness crisis in our community, London Health Sciences Centre and London Cares have partnered to provide housing and support to people experiencing homelessness. This joint project is under the umbrella of the Health & Homelessness Whole of Community System Response.
Many of the individuals moving in have been on the streets of London for 10 years or more and engaged with our outreach team. With such high complex needs, housing has not been available to them to date. We have witnessed their health and well-being decline as they experience the changes in weather that living in Ontario brings. They have experienced hunger, faced restrictions from service and stigma in our community, and have had to brave the elements of snow, freezing rain, and sweltering heat leaving them with sunburn and frostbite.
Highly supportive housing, which is a separate initiative from Hubs, will assist those experiencing chronic and persistent homelessness with complex health needs, including discharged hospital patients at risk of readmission. This project not only improves health outcomes for vulnerable residents but also reduces the demand for hospital resources.
Who’s Partnering With Us?
Supported by Home and Community Care Support Services, London InterCommunity Health Centre, and H.O.M.E Program collaborators, this initiative leverages collective knowledge to provide tailored care, ensuring individuals remain housed and supported. The Sisters of St. Joseph, who run St. Joe’s Café, are extending their support and partnership to ensure residents receive at least one hot meal per day, and Voyago Health is generously offering complimentary transportation services to the building once residents are ready to move in.
What Is Highly Supportive Housing?
The safe and highly supportive housing units will be fully furnished and facilitate on-site access to health and social services such as mental health care, addiction treatment, educational resources, and food insecurity assistance. Staff will be available 24/7 to provide support.
Highly supportive housing is a dream that has been years in the making for London Cares. Transformation is never easy but so worth the effort. Having a home will provide not only four walls but also a safe place to stabilize and wrap around the supports they need to improve their health and well-being. Even more importantly, it will provide dignity and a feeling of self-worth for those who have felt invisible and judged for so long.
The Impact of Opening Highly Supportive Housing
The reactions of people, as we meet with them to let them know they have been accepted into the housing program, have been amazing to witness. Here’s what we heard:
- “This is too good to be true.”
- “I don’t deserve this.”
- “I am not worth helping.”
- “This is a new beginning.”
- “Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”
Highly supportive housing offers a life-changing moment that will have a great impact on those who have felt invisible for so long.