*Please note, this project is following an intentional phased plan. Applications, viewings, and move-ins will occur weekly until the TSHI is at capacity, which is one hundred residents.

What is the transitional housing initiative?
This initiative provides a supportive environment for individuals who need additional health and housing supports in order to be successful in their housing journey. It is a collaborative effort between government, the health authority, and community partners, which leverages insights from successful models elsewhere in Canada.

Why is this important?
Housing is fundamental to a person’s well-being. This initiative is addressing a current gap in our housing system for individuals experiencing homelessness that require not only a safe place to live, but also wrap-around supports. This initiative will provide a pathway for individuals readying themselves for more permanent supportive and community housing.
Housing insecurity and homelessness impacts not only those who are experiencing it directly, but also entire communities. Efforts to address homelessness support healthier, safer and more inclusive communities.

This initiative will:

Offer on-site health supports and life-skills development to help residents transition from homelessness to more stable housing.
Support system-wide transformation to better align health, housing and social supports.

Is this just another shelter?

No, this initiative is not a shelter. It is transitional housing, with each resident signing a residency agreement and paying rent. Residents must choose to live there.

The Housing Continuum
This initiative is a transitional housing project, it is not a shelter. It is transitional housing designed to offer support to help those living on site to ready themselves for more permanent supportive and community housing.

Who will live there?

This initiative is designed for individuals experiencing homelessness. It prioritizes individuals with a history of chronic, ongoing homelessness and/or individuals with healthcare needs that are not currently being met. The focus is on individual choice and self-determination, with individuals deciding whether this is an appropriate option for them.

What are the entry criteria?

Individuals must meet the following criteria:

Currently experiencing homelessness
18+ years old
Willing to live in a communal housing environment with shared common spaces (such as dining room) but with a private, single occupancy bedroom and bathroom
Willing to sign an agreement and pay rent

What is the entry process?

The entry process takes place through Coordinated Access, which is an internationally used, standardized, community-wide system to ensure everyone experiencing homelessness is prioritized equitably for available supports. CAH operates on a “no wrong door” approach, with individuals being able to present at any CAH partner agency. If individuals are not connected to a partner agency, the EHSJ Housing Outreach Team makes all efforts to connect with them.

Who is running this initiative?

This initiative is a collaboration between Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NL Housing), NL Health Services (NLHS), End Homelessness St. John's (EHSJ), and community partners engaged in health and housing.

What amenities are available?

Each unit is a private, single occupancy bedroom with its own bathroom. Units are furnished (bed, nightstand, dresser, TV, etc.), with bedding and towels included. Each unit has its own landline phone. Fresh bedding and towels are provided weekly, along with housekeeping services. There are free laundry facilities onsite for residents to do their own laundry. Units have a mini-fridge but do not have kitchenettes, so meals are provided in the common dining room. Meals may be customizable to accommodate dietary needs.

Can people have visitors?

Residents are welcome to have visitors, and common areas are provided for that purpose. All visitors must sign in and out for the safety of residents and other people onsite. Overnight visitors are not permitted.

What supports are available?

The facility is staffed 24/7 with housing supports, including floor coordinators and housing support workers. Housing support services, with a focus on building long-term housing stability, include the following:

Individualized support plans
Goal setting
Risk assessment and safety planning
Housing readiness skills
Life skills development and Crisis intervention support as needed
Building connections with their existing supports in the community, including formal supports (community agencies) and informal supports (friends, family)

Peer support is also available, with “culture setters” amongst the early residents to provide a sense of community. Peer supports also assist in program development and other forms of support.

What healthcare supports are available?

There is a robust healthcare model onsite, flexible to meet the needs of the individuals staying at any given time. The core health staffing complement includes licensed practical nurses (LPNs,) social workers, occupational therapists (OTs), personal care attendants (PCAs), and other professionals required to meet the specific needs of residents staying onsite. Health interventions include:

Harm reduction services and Community health nursing
Mental health and addictions supports
Primary health care services
Health navigation
Other supports as required

What is harm reduction and what does it look like at this site?

Harm reduction is a healthcare approach that reduces the adverse consequences of behaviours that are typically considered high risk. It provides a safe, non-judgmental, client-centred approach in order to built trust with clients and reduce stigma. Examples of harm reduction include needle exchange, naloxone kits, managed alcohol programs, infection testing and treatment, and more. Harm reduction supports and services will be delivered on this site by dedicated healthcare staff as required to support individual needs.

Will there be substance use onsite?

Yes, the same as there is in many homes. This initiative is designed to support individuals to engage in safe substance use, with health staff onsite to provide support from a harm reduction perspective. However, this is a no-smoking facility, so smoking must take place outside in designated areas.

What is being done to keep people safe?

Safety is important for everyone involved. Security staff are present onsite 24/7. Entry and exit are limited to the front door (apart from alarmed fire doors) to monitor who is onsite. Exterior doors in individual units have been disabled. Visitors are required to sign in and out. Housing and healthcare staff contingents are in place to ensure that service needs and risks are proactively identified and plans put in place to support them. All other onsite staff (including security and facility staff such as housekeeping and food services) have been trained in mental health first aid, crisis intervention, and other areas designed to keep residents safe.

When will people be moving in?

As of May 2024, the first phase of the staffing contingency is currently being put in place to safety support residents. Residents will be accepted in a four-phase approach, allowing for staff to be onboarded and learnings to be incorporated as the initiative evolves. Note that there are several guests who have been staying at this location as a result of shelter overflow. These guests will also be offered the opportunity to sign a lease should they choose to stay at this site.

How long can people stay?

This initiative provides transitional housing, which typically lasts from one to three years. Residents sign a one-year lease, which can be renewed if they choose. The facility has been leased until December 31, 2026, so that is the end date for leases. If residents feel that this form of housing is not a fit for them, they have the choice of breaking terminating the lease. However, onsite supports are available to support residents during their tenancy with the goal of supporting individuals to move onto stable, appropriate housing when they leave.

What happens after people leave?

This initiative is designed to provide a supportive housing environment for individuals experiencing homelessness until permanent housing options are ready for someone to call home. There are several permanent supportive and community housing options that currently in progress in the St. John’s metro area. Some examples include:

56 new supportive housing units at The Gathering Place
294 housing units through the provincial Affordable Rental Housing Program (194 private sector and 100 community sector)

Who do people contact if they have questions or concerns?
People can submit questions or concerns to airportheights@wecanendit.com. There will also be a phone number to speak to someone 24/7 for any urgent concerns related to the initiative, which will be shared with neighbourhood residents.