What is a care home?
All of our homes provide housing for persons having a diagnosis of some type of mental illness. They are all located in various sections of the downtown Toronto core and all are close to TTC as well as many other areas of interest such as libraries, stores, parks, churches, etc.. Three of the homes—the Bedford Residence, Maynard Residence and Dowling Residence are lovely, three storey brick homes all built around the early 1900's. The Dara Residence was also built in the early 1900s and is actually three attached houses designed in more of an apartment style.
Is anything provided, other than a room?
All of our homes provide not only accommodation but also support services such as: 24 hour staffing, medication supervision, daily housekeeping, 3 meals and a snack daily, washing of linens once per week, free use of telephone for local calls, free use of laundry machines, free laundry soap, common areas with television provided free of charge, daily newspaper delivery and the benefit of visiting community workers to provide recreational programming approximately 2-3 times per week. The number of bedrooms in each of the houses varies with all having some shared rooms and some singles. All rooms have a bed, bedside table, chair, and closet. The bathroom is shared.
Is this a private home?
These four houses are privately owned homes and the owners have a contract with an agency called Habitat Services. As such, all of the homes are subject to regular scrutiny and inspection to ensure that all services are provided. The only requirement to be eligible for Habitat funding is that a person be of low-income, be an adult, and have a mental health diagnosis. Persons who are not of low income may still live in a Habitat home, but they would not be funded by the agency and therefore would have to pay the full cost on their own.
How can I apply to live at one of these care homes?
If you are interested in possibly living at one of our homes, your first step would be to have a worker, doctor, or family member complete a referral to Habitat Services. If you have no worker, etc, it is certainly possible to make a self-referral as well. The best thing to do would be to call the manager at the particular home you are interested in and find out what is the easiest method for your personal situation. The contact information for each home will follow.
What is the rent?
The room and board payment is $543.30 for persons receiving Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and $356.72 for persons receiving Ontario Works (OW). The rent is actually determined by Habitat Services and is a percentage of your total income. Persons not receiving social assistance may still be eligible for funding but the rate would be dependant on their unique situation. Residents are treated as tenants with all the rights and responsibilities afforded tenants in Ontario and as such, a tenancy agreement is signed.
Is there a time limit as to how long I can live there?
No, unlike some supportive housing situations where there is a time limit as to how long a person may reside there, these homes have no such restrictions. Some persons may want to live there for a period of a few months while they sort out a few things and make some decisions without having to worry about the responsibilities of living completely independently while other people choose to make it their permanent home. Some residents have lived there for over 18 years and have no intention of leaving!