A's Story
A letter from A to Debbie. A reflects on past trauma, getting to be a mom again, and moving forward with the support of caring staff.
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
A Place to Start. People to Count On.
Supportive housing brings a place to live together with the support people need to build stability. Staff help residents navigate challenges, connect with services, and work toward their own goals.
Created in partnership with Launch Media, this three-part series shares personal letters from A, J, and S to staff. Their stories show what these relationships mean to the people receiving support, and why the people behind supportive housing matter.
Their Stories
J's Story
A letter from J to Shane. J shares his experience of having nowhere to live, moving between shelters, and finding a way forward through supportive housing.
S's Story
A letter from S to Andrew. S talks about overcoming addiction, getting his life back on track, and the role supportive housing and staff played in his journey.
Why Supportive Housing Matters
Finding housing is essential. For some people, maintaining it also requires ongoing support.
People who have experienced long periods of homelessness may be navigating trauma, disability, mental health concerns, substance use, or barriers to health care. Supportive housing brings housing and services together, with support matched to the person.
That can mean help attending appointments, managing everyday responsibilities, rebuilding connections, or responding when circumstances change. Staff provide a consistent point of contact, helping people build stability over time.
The Need in Our Community
Chronic homelessness means people are spending extended periods without stable housing. It shows why emergency shelter alone cannot meet every housing need.
542People experiencing homelessness
255People experiencing chronic homelessness
47%Of people experiencing homelessness were experiencing chronic homelessness
In September 2026, 255 of the 542 people recorded as experiencing homelessness in St. John’s were experiencing chronic homelessness. That is 47% of the total.
Local Demand for Transitional or Supportive Housing
For the reporting period October 1, 2025 to October 1, 2026, records in the community-wide information system (HIFIS) show 371 people on the waitlist for transitional or supportive housing.
Behind these numbers are people who need both housing and support. Expanding access means providing housing options that match those needs, alongside the staff and services that make them sustainable.
Increase in Unsheltered Homelessness
EHSJ outreach tracking shows an increase in visits to unsheltered sites and in the number of individual sites identified. These are two different measures of outreach activity and the locations where people are staying.
Unsheltered Visits
Unsheltered visits increased from 96 since the start of April to the end of June 2026, to 185 since the start of July to the end of September 2026. That is 89 additional visits, an increase of approximately 93%.
More Individual Sites Identified
From August to October 2025, outreach tracking identified 28 individual sites. For August to October 2026, that figure rose to 68 individual sites, an increase of 40 sites, or approximately 143%. These include sites found by outreach staff or reported to the team.
These figures highlight the need for housing options that people can access, with support matched to their needs.
What the Local Results Show
Horizons at 106 opened in June 2024. Its housing outcomes and local homelessness data should inform what comes next.
The chart illustrates the contribution of Horizons at 106 in a community where the need for housing remained high. For years, homelessness had been consistently rising. But, from June 2024 onward, recorded chronic homelessness was below the estimated level without the initiative. After eight straight months of steady increases, St. John's was able to flatten the curve and plateau the growth of chronic homelessness, because more suitable supportive housing options were available at Horizons at 106 to people who needed them. To see this trend again and decrease chronic homelessness, we need more supportive housing, not less.
This comparison helps show why access to supportive housing matters even when the overall number of people experiencing homelessness remains high. Preserving that capacity and expanding access are both important.
Changes to a program should preserve the support people rely on and build on what the evidence shows is working.
For some residents, transitional supportive housing provides a pathway to permanent housing. Others need permanent housing with ongoing support. Our community needs options for both.
Build on What Works
Across Canada, governments and communities are investing in transitional and supportive housing as part of their response to homelessness.
Here in Newfoundland and Labrador, the move away from Horizons at 106 raises an important question: how will the next approach preserve effective support while meeting the needs of more people?
The measure of success must be whether people can access appropriate housing, receive the support they need, and remain housed. Moving people between programs is not enough on its own.
We need to protect the progress people have made and expand access for those still waiting.
Read more:
Federal investment in transitional and supportive housing
Provincial update on the transition from Horizons at 106
Tell Your MHA: More Supportive Housing
Newfoundland and Labrador needs more supportive housing initiatives, not less.
Write to your local MHA. Ask them to support expanded housing options, reliable funding for staff and services, and continuity of support when programs change.
Our creative partner
Created with Launch Media
This series was created in collaboration with Launch Media. Their work helped bring these personal letters to the screen, sharing the stories behind supportive housing and the people who make it work.
Visit Launch Media