The homeless need our help

There are homeless people living in the parks,under bridges, in unsafe structures and in the alleys of Waterloo Region.

A homeless person does not fit into one consistent profile. Many homeless are in fact the working poor who are forced to decide daily between shelter and food. Others are coping with hard luck: unemployment, mental and physical illness, family breakdowns, and/or addictions.

If your day is consumed finding safe shelter and food, you can hardly address the compounding factors that lead to persistent homelessness. Life without housing takes a huge toll on your general health and well-being.

For the past nine years, a number of churches in Kitchener and Waterloo provide nightly accommodation from Nov.1 to April 30. Last winter, the Out of the Cold program provided on average 75 beds and 200 meals per night to people in need.

Emergency support services like Out of the Cold are being stretched beyond their limits.

362 Erb St West

SHOW‘s first apartment complex will be constructed at 362 Erb Street West in Waterloo.  Each of the 30 permanent apartments, with affordable rent and supports, will be approximately 500 square feet in size. Each will be self-contained with a kitchen and bathroom.

The 30 unit supportive apartment building is estimated to cost $4 million. The Region of Waterloo in conjunction with the Federal and Provincial governments has provided $2,100,000. A community wide fundraising campaign has been initiated to raise $1,000,000. The balance will be obtained through grants and conventional financing.

SHOW is currently seeking operational funding from a number of sources. The Region of Waterloo Social Services has identified operational support for the program should it be required.

Why supportive housing?

The "Housing First" approach moves homeless individuals off the street and into permanent apartments with affordable rent and support services.

Supportive Housing of Waterloo (SHOW) is committed to assisting chonically homeless individuals, like those who are currently using the area‘s Out of the Cold emergency shelters. SHOW‘s apartments will provide much needed shelter within the City of Waterloo. Consistent, reliable support services are the key to ensuring that people maintain their housing and get on with their lives.

Existing community support services working with our own on-site professional support staff (24 hours a day,seven days a week) will provide programming and services such as:

The supportive housing apartment is the key to giving individuals the help they need to end their personal homeless journey.


Off The Streets

Off the Streets - Video
April 23, 2008 (Runs 21:48)

Portland, Oregon has had immense success at reducing homelessness. Now, the city of Victoria is trying to learn and apply Portland's methods.

All Roads Lead To Home: A homelessness to housing stability strategy for Waterloo Region seeks to and improve the community's ability to end homelessness in Waterloo Region. The Strategy plans to do this by promoting housing stability for everyone. Our project is part of that strategy.