Shepherds of Good Hope creates additional supportive housing unit, aimed at addressing homelessness
Posted Jun 16, 2023 05:17:38 PM.
Last Updated Jun 16, 2023 05:19:16 PM.
The Shepherds of Good Hope celebrated the opening of their newest supportive housing development on Friday, June 16.
The president and CEO, Deirdre Freiheit, said the new unit will provide housing to 57 people who were experiencing chronic homelessness.
This new unit is in addition to the organization’s six supportive housing residences, which Freiheit hopes will help those who are in need of permanent housing.
“They have safety, they have security, and staffing support,” Freiheit tells CityNews. “To see them when they walk in, and know that this is theirs, and they don’t have to share their room, it’s amazing.”
She also noted that once people are in permanent housing, 90 to 95 per cent of people rarely go back to shelters, but said the lack of affordable housing is still a problem in the capital. “So, supportive housing works, the problem right now is that there is not enough of it in Ottawa.”
Freiheit added, that as of Friday, there are 293 people in permanent homes.
The new building features spacious studio apartments and rooms, along with a community kitchen and support staff to help those with their mental and physical health.
To end chronic homelessness in the city, this project of over $8.3 million, was funded by the Ontario government through the Social Services Relief Fund,
The funding was announced by Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Housing, alongside Lisa MacLeod, MPP for Nepean, Stéphane Sarrazin, MPP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell and Goldie Ghamari, MPP for Carleton.
“The project we are celebrating today is a great example of how our government is helping our community,” said Tangri. “Through innovation, collaboration and a commitment to make sure everyone has a safe, secure place to call home.”
The Ontario government is also investing an additional $202-million each year in homelessness prevention programs, the Homelessness Prevention Program, and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program, bringing Ontario’s total yearly investment to approximately $700-million, according to Tangri.
