HOMES FIRST SOCIETY
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Mission Statement
Homes First develops and provides affordable, stable housing and support services to break the cycle of homelessness for people with the fewest housing options.
About This Cause
There are over 10,500 people in Toronto without a safe stable place to live. Hundreds live “rough” in ravines, stairwells or on the street. Hundreds more suffer with mental health and addictions issues. This forgotten slice of our population, people who have been street-involved for several years and who have nowhere else to go, is where Homes First comes in. We provide Housing First. We were the first and remain one of the largest providers of homes for people with the fewest options in Toronto. Our History In the early 1980s, several individuals who worked for housing agencies across the city of Toronto were at a social gathering, lamenting the difficulty in finding housing for their clients who had issues such as addictions or undiagnosed mental health. Then one of them said, “Couldn’t we just get our clients homes first?” Over time and across Canada, much has been learned about the housing first principle and methodology that forms the foundation of the Homes First mandate. We are recognized as a long-term leader in servicing people who are homeless and considered the “hardest to house”. In 1984, Homes First opened Shuter Street, the first building in Toronto to house previously homeless single adults. It won the Ontario award for Outstanding Model project in 1987, the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. We have maintained a leadership role in the sector ever since, mostly recently winning the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association’s Award for Excellence in 2017. In 1989, Homes First opened Street City, a converted warehouse designed as a self-contained village complete with streets, housing units, a variety store and an internally-run “bank”. StreetCity was created as an alternative to traditional shelters, which were often overcrowded, unsafe and intolerant of people with severe mental health and addictions issues. StreetCity became home to seventy men and women who had never accessed the emergency housing system. The first of its kind, it became a model for other projects in Canada and the United States including our own Strachan House. The Housing First Approach Homes come in many shapes and sizes but each is a safe, stable refuge and allows us to connect to others. Everyone needs a home. With a home, people can be part of a community, obtain ID, register for social services, and keep in touch with family and friends. With a home, people gain respect, dignity and the ability to care for themselves and others. The housing first approach was pioneered by Homes First over 30 years ago. Through experience and research we know that: 1. Housing First improves the lives of those who are homeless and have a mental health/addiction issue. 2. Housing First makes better use of government and publicly donated funds, especially for those who are high service users. 3. A multi-sector approach that combines health, housing, social services with non-profit partners is required to solve chronic homelessness. 4. Solving chronic homelessness can create dramatic improvements in Canadian communities. People need a home before they can begin to work on other issues. With a home, people can build a future. They have a better chance of integrating into society. They are healthier. They rely less on social and health services. The vast majority of people experiencing homelessness – even those with severe mental health and/or substance use issues – can successfully stay housed and off the street with appropriate housing and supports. We believe Toronto should be Homefull. We believe it can be. We believe it will be. Join us today in making a Homefull Toronto!