At Home is only one of many Housing First projects in Canada. Not only do programs in Toronto and Calgary predate the study, there are also Housing First organizations in places like Waterloo, Ontario. Lindsay Klassen, program manager and support coordinator for Supportive Housing of Waterloo (SHOW) says that the program has a 30 unit apartment building with large, fully-furnished apartments for single men and women.
“We provide permanent housing with 24/7 support through our tenant support workers, as well as counselling, support coordination, and access to primary care on-site. I can speak first hand to the power of equality, supports for independence, and meaningful choice in the relationships I have with the individuals who have found homes within our building. I so enjoy being a part of a community that supports this approach through respectful engagement with individuals who have experienced housing instability.”
Besides SHOW in Waterloo, there’s RainCity Housing in Vancouver (which is deeply involved in the At Home study)…
…and Homeward Trust in Edmonton. In fact, the entire province of Alberta has committed to a 10-year plan to end homelessness using strategies that include Housing First.
Do you know of other Housing First programs in Canada? Please let us know!
2 comments
Lindsay Klassen says:
Oct 11, 2012
Thanks for the profile Oisin! We’re proud to be part of the larger housing first community!
Lindsay Klassen, Program Manager
Supportive Housing of Waterloo
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[...] residential buildings. There’s also Supportive Housing Waterloo Region (SHOW), profiled here, Lincoln Road with the YWCA, as well as Waterloo Region’s program STEP Home (Supports to End [...]