Housing model blends independence with support and affordability
Feb 04, 2016 | Hamilton Spectator | By Teviah Moro
Elynn Busch wants to be more independent.
"I think I'm ready to move on."
At 65, she hopes to strike out on her own.
"I think it would be really, really good for me," says Busch, seated in the office of her Wentworth Street South group home.
She has her eye on Strathearne Suites.
Indwell, the charity behind the project, hopes to welcome the first few tenants of the 39-unit, rent-geared-to-income residence for vulnerable people by the first week of April.
The $4-million residence is being hailed as a unique model that blends independence with on-site supports for tenants facing a variety of challenges, including mental illness, chronic diseases and addiction.
The city is contributing $150,000 to the residence's $1-million annual operating cost while the Local Health Integration Network, through St. Joseph's Healthcare, is picking up nearly half of the tab.
Residents, who rely on social assistance, also contribute through their subsidized rental payments.
Coun. Sam Merulla praises it as a "cost-effective" arrangement that ought to be replicated elsewhere.
"The Strathearne project is unique in that it really is a model of the future."
Indwell's new residence is being built as the city presses the provincial and federal governments for more homelessness-prevention funding.
The city says it just doesn't have enough cash. Last year, staff received $8.9 million in funding requests but only had $3.7 million to work with.
The province provides Hamilton with $19 million in annual support for homelessness-prevention programs.
Meanwhile, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Ted McMeekin has promised to release details of a revamped, "bold and transformative" long-term affordable-housing strategy in the coming months.
Indwell, a Christian-based charity, relies on public dollars, but it also benefits greatly from private donors and lenders.
"It's us, but it's really a community initiative that's bringing this together," said Jeff Neven, Indwell's executive director.
Indwell, which operates the group home where Busch has lived for three years, has 200 affordable-housing units with supports in Hamilton.
Another project, the Rudy Hulst Commons, a 47-unit building, is expected to open in May at the corner of Kenilworth Avenue and Main Street East.
Indwell, formerly Homestead Christian Care, draws on personal loans from its supporters to get projects moving, cutting through the red tape of institutional lenders.
One thing that will set Strathearne Suites apart from other projects is the nature of its on-site support. Nurses and an addictions specialist will be on staff.
"When folks have good quality, permanent affordable housing with supports, you can see the difference the day that someone moves in," Neven said.
The success of the project also hinges on the tenants helping out, whether it is teaching each other how to cook in the community kitchen or lending a hand in the computer room.
The clean, modern-looking building is replacing what Neven described as a "troubled" apartment block near the southwest corner of Strathearne and Barton Street East.
"The neighbours tell us there were a lot of police calls and such there."
A million-dollar renovation plan, buttressed by provincial and federal dollars, includes addressing such basics as electrical, plumbing and heating systems, not to mention a leaky roof.
"Many of the apartments had buckets as part of the furnishings."
Volunteers are putting the final cosmetic touches on the 39 bachelor apartments, which are outfitted with bathrooms and kitchenettes.
An $850,000 addition at the rear of the building is expected to start taking shape in March.
The retrofitted building's cost rings in at about $4 million, including the $2-million purchase price.
Upon arrival, tenants will get an orientation on the basics of independent living — how to control the heat, use the faucets, prevent bedbugs, hang up a picture.
Some tenants will have lived through considerable hardship, says program manager Kim Lalonde.
"Anything from living in a stairwell to not being provided food and care."
Busch says on-site support is important, but she also yearns for more independence.
She likes the idea of stepping out at any hour to have a smoke or grab a coffee at Tim Hortons, which isn't possible due to the group home's safety protocols.
"I can have my own apartment and do my own thing."
Choosing who'll live at Strathearne Suites won't be easy, Neven says.
There are about 400 applications for the 200 units Indwell operates in Hamilton.
Tenants will be selected based on their needs, urgency and program suitability.
Ultimately, the goal is to break the vicious cycle of homelessness.
And that means saving lives.
"The cold reality is that people are dying prematurely on our streets," he said. "My heart breaks every time I hear a story like that."
Linear Mode
