97 Victoria Street in Kitchener will soon be the location of new transitional housing units.
The Homeless Hub describes transitional housing as, “supportive – yet temporary – type of accommodation that is meant to bridge the gap from homelessness to permanent housing by offering structure, supervision, support (for addictions and mental health, for instance), life skills, and in some cases, education and training.”
Construction is set to begin Sept. 15 on the new developments.
Social services organization, The Working Centre, is behind the re-envisioning of 97 Victoria Street.
Established in 1982 in downtown Kitchener, The Working Centre focuses on poverty and unemployment throughout the city. They are a non-profit organization, governed by a Board of Directors.
As the organization’s website describes, “The Working Centre’s main projects give people access to tools to create their own work combined with continuous ways of learning and co-operating.”
Growing numbers of unhoused individuals throughout Ontario cities has proven to be an major issue in recent years.
City properties are increasingly becoming occupied by homeless encampments while unhoused individuals are facing the issue of not having proper resources or shelter space to leave these encampments.
The City of Waterloo in January of this year motioned to have a major homeless encampment evicted from 100 Victoria Street.
In an unprecedented decision, The Ontario Superior Court of Justice denied the city’s motion to evict the encampment on the basis that the number of homeless individuals exceeded shelter spaces in Waterloo.
The developments on 97 Victoria Street will hopefully provide a step in the right direction.
The project’s website describes, “44 units of housing will be created with 24/7 support. The Working Centre has learned about the importance of presence in the spaces people live in. We work to keep the wider community complexity at bay, creating a safe space where people can start fresh each day.”
Currently 97 Victoria Street is occupied by St. John’s Kitchen, also supported by The Working Centre. During construction, the kitchen will operate out of St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church.
The Working Centre outlines that the total project costs 19 million dollars. Costs are covered by various sources, including The Working Centre, grants and private fundraising.
More information on the 97 Victoria Developments as well as details surrounding online donations can be found on the project’s website.