'Astounding' results from London's first highly supportive housing projects, official says

The first tenants living in a housing complex that the city plans to expand to further address homeless are doing so well, just six months after moving in, that the director of the organization running it calls it "astounding."

Twenty-five highly supportive housing units opened in the downtown at 362 Dundas last October with support from London Cares, the city and the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).

"We've seen huge leaps and bounds for folks in both their health, and their well-being," London Cares Executive Director Anne Armstrong said.

The project provides housing with integrated wraparound supports for people with complex health needs, including hospital patients who are discharged but are at risk of re-admission because of chronic and persistent homelessness.

The news comes as London Cares prepares to open an additional 24 highly supportive units in the building. Last week, city council endorsed a plan to clearly define highly supportive housing to make development of new units easier.

Highly supportive housing is one of the main pillars of London's homelessness response plan, which seeks to combat the homelessness crisis through the use of short-term homeless support hubs, and wraparound supports integrated into long-term housing.

The wraparound supports at 362 Dundas have had an impact that's extended to every corner of the lives of the people living there, Armstrong, said.

"Thirty per cent of people have reconnected with family already. We know people with these struggles disconnect from family. Even in the first few days, people were reaching out to family," she said.

"We've celebrated birthdays in the building, and have even had a big holiday dinner."

On top of people reconnecting with family, a new community is developing in the building, much sooner than Armstrong expected it to.

"There's a huge sense of community. Some people help others do laundry, someone who loves to cook is sharing food, we're thrilled."

Some tenants have also found gainful employment, with several being able to leave sex work because their basic needs are covered, and a significant reduction in substance use across the board, Armstrong added.

"It goes from the whole spectrum of what they've done, and what they've stopped doing to survive on the streets, to finally being able to stabilize."

Emergency department visits slashed

While social, financial, and personal challenges begin to lessen, an impact can also be seen on both the health of individuals, and on the healthcare system, according to Deborah Wiseman, the president of Victoria Hospital.

"We've seen a reduction in emergency visits by 74 per cent," said Wiseman of the first three months for people living in the building. "That extends itself because about 15 per cent of those emergency visits convert to inpatient admission."

On top of that, Wiseman said the inpatient care needs for these patients has also dropped.

The difference in cost between onsite care and prevention, and the price of in-hospital care is expected to mean savings for both LHSC and the healthcare system overall, although Wiseman wasn't able to share how much had been saved since October.

At the building's grand opening event in October, an LHSC official said the $2 million investment the hospital made in bringing the project to fruition was expected to amount to less than 10 per cent of what would be spent through hospital care.

With the success of the units so far, and a clear vision for supportive housing agreed on by city council, Armstrong said she has high hopes for the future, even beyond the opening of the new highly supportive units in the building in late May.

"First, we need to get this building stabilized, and continue to learn from our first venture into housing," she said. "I'm sure we'll be looking at expansion down the road."