New 12-unit supportive housing facility is life changing for first tenant

By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca

A new 12-unit supportive housing facility has officially opened in Acton to provide stable housing and health-care support for vulnerable community members.

The building, located at 47 Maria St., was built through a $3.94-million investment from Halton Region and an additional $2 million from the federal government’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.

A Halton Region Community Investment Fund grant also supports a partnership with Community Living North Halton to build staffing capacity for residents with a dual diagnosis.

Mayor Ann Lawlor: ‘Long time coming’

Mayor Ann Lawlor noted that supportive housing is a critical response to homelessness, easing the burden on temporary shelters by providing an appropriate, dignified environment where vulnerable people can remain housed.

“This facility is a welcome addition in our community and for many it has been a long time coming,” she said.

She added that several new residents of the new building were previously housed through Georgetown’s Out of the Cold winter refuge initiative.

Round-the-clock staffing

Christina Jabalee, executive director of Support House, explained that the building features round-the-clock staffing to “assist residents with personal goal plans, build connection and reduce isolation” through group activities and shared meals.

She added that on-site access to primary care is a cornerstone of the project as a mobile health team provides “interprofessional” medical attention, serving as a critical access point for individuals who do not have a family doctor.

Life changing for first tenant Kevin Mcphail

For Kevin Mcphail, one of the very first tenants to move into the building on March 24, the facility has been life changing.

“I’ve never had a brand new place in my life. It’s a start and it leads to better things,” he said.

Mcphail also praised the accessible on-site social workers and medical staff and also expressed deep gratitude for local organizations like the Salvation Army and Acton’s Roxy Centre, which he said have been “fantastic,” offering community meals and food for individuals in the community.

Already near capacity

Jabalee noted that the facility is already nearing full capacity, with 11 of the 12 spaces currently occupied and a wait-list established for the final vacancy.

She also emphasized that the integration of the building has been “overwhelmingly positive,” with neighbours actively welcoming the new residents into the fabric of the Acton community.

“I think that any supportive housing, it’s not about plunking in a space, and it operates within isolation,” Jabalee said. “In order for people to feel that they have a home, you have to feel like you are part of the neighbourhood, part of the community.”