When 30 families from Nigeria and Ethiopia arrived in Toronto last summer, The Salvation Army welcomed them with open arms at their Peel Family Shelter in Mississauga, Ont.

The shelter operates on a “housing-first” approach that prioritizes finding permanent affordable housing as quickly as possible for those experiencing homelessness.

“When someone has a safe, stable home, they can feel at peace,” says Kenton Davis, the shelter’s director. “When we provide supportive services after a family has been housed, the rate of success of them staying housed increases and the rate of them returning to homelessness decreases.”

A Better Tomorrow
Every family that walks through the doors of the shelter is assigned a stabilization housing worker to help them navigate community resources. From taking families to meet landlords to offering workshops on immigration policy, the Army walks alongside them. Finding a place to call home is not just a dream but a reality.

Once a family is housed, support doesn’t end. An after-care program is put into place to help families maintain their housing. “We offer counselling, job search assistance, referrals to local food banks and medical services as well,” says Kenton.

“Despite the stereotypes about homelessness and shelters, we are all people and we can all do better,” he concludes.