Women’s Transition to Housing is designed to prevent one-time shelter users from becoming chronic/long-term users by providing privacy, safety and all the supports necessary to quickly re-house women within a span of 12 months. Women’s mental health, life and employment skills quickly deteriorate the longer they remain in emergency shelters.
Women’s Transition to Housing
Through this rapid re-housing program, women who have been homeless for less than one year receive support for up to a year to find housing, employment, and establish independent lives. If they are mobile, independent, and motivated to move into permanent housing with support from Fred Victor staff, they readily find their way out of homelessness. The Women’s Transition to Housing program is connected to CAMH and the Sherbourne Health Centre.
In response to occupancy pressure in the shelter system, Fred Victor was selected by the City of Toronto to operate a 37-bed Women’s Transition to Housing Program for homeless women on Dundas Street East.
Mary Sheffield House
The 2018 Street Needs Assessment by the City of Toronto noted that since 2013 there has been a 40% increase of women 55+ living on the street or in precarious housing.
Senior women aren’t served well in city shelters, drop-ins and housing as they need specialized care and services. These women need a safe place to call home, resources to help them address their health and financial issues, programs and services that restore confidence and dignity, and the time and space to make next-step life decisions.
Mary Sheffield House, named after our founder, is a Transitional shelter serving senior women ages 55+ and are vulnerable due to complex physical, mental health, developmental and/or substance-use related issues. Here staff help women find housing and works with each woman to put appropriate supports in place so that they do not end up back on the street can have a profound impact.
This building is retrofitted to be accessible with ramps, large washrooms, and an elevator.