The number of available units for London's most vulnerable homeless at a supportive housing building downtown are being nearly doubled.
House of Hope has been given the go-ahead by the city to add 24 new furnished highly supportive units at 362 Dundas Street. Using $2.7 million over the next two year in city council-approved funding for London Cares Homeless Response Services, the initiative will convert 15 temporary resting space beds at 448 Horton Street. The new units on Dundas will offer access to health and social services, such as mental health care, addiction treatment, educational resources, employment counselling, and emergency food services - in addition to shelter.
House of Hope, a partnership between London Cares and London Health Sciences Centre, opened with 25 units last October. Since then residents have reported significant health improvements and other early benefits. There has been a 74 per cent reduction in emergency room visits by the residents over the first three months compared to the same time period in 2022, two of the residents have found work, and none have been evicted.
"We have seen dramatic results for the initial group of people who gained housing last October – beyond housing they have gained reconnection to family, building a community in helping each other, and improved health," said London Cares Executive Director Anne Armstrong.
She went on to explain that the added supports offered with the housing have been able to reduce strain on the healthcare and justice systems.
"With a physically and emotionally safe place to be, folks no longer need to seek refuge at the emergency department of the hospital and are able to be released into their own home rather than face custody," said Armstrong. "The positive impacts are many and immeasurable in someone’s well-being.”
The Sisters of St. Joseph, who run St. Joe's Café, provide residents of House of Hope with at least one one hot meal per day and Voyago Health give complimentary transportation services to the building once residents are ready to move in.
More supportive housing units are also in the works elsewhere in the city. A partnership, announced earlier this year between Indwell and a cohort of major developers, is creating up to 40 more such units at a former long-term care home at 46 Elmwood Place. A report headed to the city's strategic priorities and policy committee next Tuesday outlines a strategy to create 600 highly supportive housing units in London.
