Friendship Village:
BUILDING A PLACE TO BELONG
Imagine what it’s like to be homeless.
Imagine jumping from shelter to shelter over the past year, or having to live in your car or a tent. The uncertainty, the confusion, the feelings of loneliness.
Now, imagine finally finding a safe place to call home. Imagine not only having an apartment, but a dedicated team focused on providing the tailored support you need. You can finally do more than survive. You can thrive.
That’s the difference that Friendship Village, our supportive housing and community hub, will make – it will have the power to change lives for the better. And you can be part of this story!
We know it takes more than a roof or affordable rent to change a life. At Friendship Village, healthcare and wraparound supports are an essential component – helping individuals get healthier, staying housed for the long term.
You can be part of this lasting solution and transformational approach to ending homelessness in Waterloo Region
Building Change: The Project
The initial phase of Friendship Village will add approximately 100 new supportive housing units to House of Friendship’s downtown Kitchener location. These new homes will be part of a community hub that includes the existing Charles and Eby Village buildings – our current supportive and affordable housing units.
Supportive housing includes deeply affordable rent along with built-in, onsite supports for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
A second, later phase of Friendship Village, will add 70 affordable housing units, for at total of 170 new homes.
The entire Friendship Village, including the current Charles and Eby Village buildings along with these 170 new units, will serve as a “village” or community hub for residents; a place where they can truly belong and thrive.
This, coupled with on-site health, mental health and addiction supports, will ensure that residents gain stability and strength, working on their own, unique goals for a better future.
Supportive Housing Participants - In Their Own Words
Click the link above to learn more about Sue – her journey from homelessness to our supportive housing, where she finally found a place to belong.
“It’s just so good to have someone to talk to, to get some of the tough stuff out, so you can kind of function the next few days. It makes a difference to know someone is there to support you, that you aren’t alone.”
– Denise, Supportive Housing resident, after moving from shelter to House of Friendship’s Supportive Housing.
“Living at House of Friendship Supportive Housing really builds a strong community. And community is the one thing that has made the most difference for me, because that’s how you keep going.”
– Peter, Supportive Housing resident, living with bipolar disorder
"The Journey Home"
Watch “The Journey Home” and learn more about the difference Supportive Housing can make for people recovering from homelessness.
To learn more about Friendship Village, our supportive housing and community hub, or find out how you can help bring this exciting vision to life, please contact Development Director Natalie Schill at natalies@houseoffriendship.org, or 519-742-8327 x 122.
CRA Charity #10749-3892-RR0001