Permanent Supportive Housing Program – Grace Gardens
Grace Gardens is our Permanent Supportive Housing Program. This program provides 32 individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness as well as issues with mental health, addictions, and physical disabilities in Guelph Wellington a safe and affordable place to call home with access to 24/7 support.
Tenants have self-contained units with kitchenettes and private bathrooms and are protected under the RTA with a legal lease and subsidized rent based on their income. There is also communal spaces where tenants can gather and a variety of programming is provided by staff and volunteers.
What is Permanent Supportive Housing?
Supportive housing looks like any other housing but includes individualized support services onsite to help tenants remain housed and live productively within the community. This proven strategy reintegrates chronically homeless individuals into the community by addressing their basic housing needs and also providing ongoing support to help address other life issues and remain housed.
The goal of supportive housing is to create a stable and supportive environment that allows tenants to achieve greater independence, improve their overall well-being, and successfully integrate into the community.
24/7 Staff Support
Tenants are supported 24/7 by Stepping Stone Residential support workers. The staff help support our tenants beyond “just surviving” and helping them recognize areas they can thrive. There is additional weekday support from our Program Lead, Mental Health Nurse, Addictions Case Manager (Stonehenge) and Housing Stability Workers. Our community partners from CMHA, Stonehenge, Homewood, SOAHAC, DSO, GCHC, and healthcare workers from Paramed also can be found supporting our tenants onsite throughout the week depending on the individualized support plans.
Our Tenants
The tenants who live at Grace Gardens have been experiencing chronic homelessness and housing instability for most of their lives in Guelph-Wellington, the average reported experience of homelessness is 8 years with some folks’ first experience being between the ages of 13-15 years old.
Our tenants span in age from 25 to 72 and there are currently 10 women and 22 men. We have dedicated 3 units to people who identify as Indigenous. We have 4 wheelchair accessible units and 2 barrier free units that can accommodate individuals with walkers or other accessible equipment.
94% have diagnosed mental health conditions and 88% identify past or current struggles with substances. 20% have been diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury and 25% have been diagnosed with Developmental Disabilities.
Our Programs
Our tenants enjoy a diverse range of on-site programming, including gardening, holiday celebrations, art and music activities, lawn games, board games, meal preparation, laundry support, and much more. Each morning, we host Coffee Time in our community room, providing an opportunity for informal gatherings with staff and fellow tenants. We also celebrate each tenant’s birthday with special events that invite community members and family to join in the festivities.
Beyond our site, we offer community support activities such as grocery shopping days, visits to local recreation centers, park walks, and outings to recreational spots like the bowling alley and movie theater. These programs and activities are designed to foster a sense of community, support, and enjoyment for all our tenants to build self esteem and engage in meaningful activities.
Heartwarming Words from our Tenants
“I’m looking forward to having a place to be that people want me to be”.
“I love the comfort of a new sofa chair and the luxury of watching Dukes of Hazzard reruns in a clean and safe environment”
“It is so cool to be able to have my own coffee pot and make coffee whenever I want”
