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In late 2024, Home Suite Hope (HSH) conducted extensive surveys and consultations with our stakeholders to better understand how the community views Home Suite Hope and where improvements could be made. This data culminated in our 2025-2029 Strategic Plan, 'Optimizing Potential,' which identifies three key priorities: sustainable growth, diversifying our housing options, and creating affordable housing solutions.
Housing continues to be a significant focus. While we have made strides, such as our recent partnership with One Urban for housing in their new build on Old Bronte, we have encountered several obstacles. From bureaucracy and zoning issues to finding property managers and owners willing to partner with us, solving the housing crisis is more complex than we initially expected. However, we remain committed to providing safe, affordable housing for our participants as they work to break the generational cycles of poverty.
Adapting to New Realities: Broadening the Scope of Home Suite Hope’s Programming
As we look to the future, Home Suite Hope remains committed to adapting and evolving. We know that to continue to serve our participants, we must remain flexible and willing to pivot. The Homeward Bound Halton program has been incredibly successful, but is designed for mothers with the aptitude and attitude to participate in intensive, academic-based programming with time-specific employment milestones. The eligibility criteria are narrow (i.e. applicant must be 18-50 years old, have full custody of children) with an extensive intake process to ensure strong candidates are selected. While this is necessary for the Homeward Bound Halton program, it limits the number of people we can help.
In response to growing demand and increasingly complex situations, we will continue to offer Homeward Bound Halton, but we are also in the process of developing new programming that will serve more families with diverse and complex situations, which will include a wider range of educational and training opportunities. This will involve new partnerships with not-for-profits and corporate partners, increasing our ability to offer wraparound services.
We understand that success will look different for each participant — whether they are working full-time, but need help with housing stability, seeking family reunification, or looking to upskill for higher-paying jobs.
Watch for the final entry in this blog series next Friday.