Fife House operates Supportive Housing Programs that offer support services through a network of qualified staff and volunteers:
- Denison Program & Scattered Sites, a residential program for 5 individuals; staff also provide support services to 14 persons at two non-profit housing programs;
- Huntley Transitional Housing Program: 20 units of transitional housing for individuals exiting or being diverted from the shelter system
- Jarvis Program, an 82 unit apartment building;
- Sherbourne Program, an integrated apartment building with 45 units designated for people living with HIV/AIDS.
- Sherbourne Transitional Housing Program: 11 units of transitional housing with private quarters and communal living spaces and 24/7 support services available.
By the end of 2021, Fife House will have provided support services to 300 residents/clients through the Supportive & Transitional Housing Programs and to an additional 350 clients through our Homeless Outreach Program.
Staff meet regularly with residents to review needs, plan action steps and assist with applications and paperwork.
Denison Program & Scattered Sites
19 units supporting independent living
The Denison Program is Fife House’s oldest and home to five clients with staff on-site to provide 24/7 support services. The program is considered long-term transitional housing, supporting clients’ independence and transition in to independent living or other permanent supportive housing in the community. Fife House is responsible for waiting lists, building maintenance, property management, rent collection, and support services. Clients receive case management, practical supports and assistance with activities of daily living aimed at maintaining their health and independence. Clients have their own bedroom and share common facilities like bathrooms, the kitchen, the living room, and the yard. Rent is geared-to-income, as set out by the Ministry of Housing.
The Denison Program also provides housing support and case management services to an additional 14 clients who are housed at three locations in partnership with St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing and Toronto Community Housing.
As of May 2019, Fife House acquired a house in Toronto’s West end, known as Sorauren, where we now operate a women’s only program. This has meant that we were able to provide four of our Homeless Outreach Program clients with secure, rent geared-to-income housing. Clients have access to on-call supports that will see them through the next steps of their journey whether that be employment, education, establishing food security and/or providing help with navigating the healthcare system.
Huntley Transitional Housing Program
20 units of transitional housing for individuals exiting or being diverted from the shelter system
After four years of planning and one year of construction, the Huntley residence officially opened to clients in August 2019.
The Huntley Transitional Housing Program is an innovative partnership with City of Toronto Shelter Support and Housing Administration, Habitat Services. This partnership delivers a transformative model of housing support, clinical care and intensive case management. The program focuses on recovery, rehabilitation, pathways to long-term housing and supports in the community.
Fife House has succeeded in moving over 20 clients with complex health morbidities into the residence and out from the Toronto shelter system. Over the past two years, Huntley staff have had more than 10,000 face-to-face contacts with clients that are currently housed at Huntley or on the waiting list. The program has now been fully integrated with Fife House’s other programs and services, and with existing community and clinical partnerships. The aim continues to be bridging gaps in care, providing a continuum of care and supports, and optimizing transitions to the right supportive or private housing options.
Jarvis Program
82-unit apartment-style residence
The Jarvis Program houses 82 clients, living independently in one bedroom units with access to twelve hours of onsite support. The five member staffing team includes Personal Support Workers, Frontline Support Staff and a Case Coordinator in partnership with Toronto Community Housing as the landlord. Most clients are long-term inhabitants of the building who have opted to age in place and actively contribute to a formidable sense of community. The Jarvis Program hosts numerous community and special events throughout the year, such as the Coffee Program, a weekly Second Harvest food donation and monthly Bread Program. Our staff provide appointment accompaniments, informal counselling, medication reminders, wellness checks, advocacy, housekeeping, shopping and laundry. Our evolving supports respond in tandem with our ageing and diverse population, more frequently pertaining to activities of daily living, requiring more PSW-focused supports such as grooming and personal care.
The team also provides off-site care and supports to an additional 14 units of housing at two other Toronto Community Housing sites, similar to the scattered sites model of our Denison Program.
Sherbourne Program
Integrated living residence with 112 units operated under a partnership agreement
The Sherbourne Program is designed to serve an integrated population of seniors and people living with HIV/AIDS in close partnership with Woodgreen Community Services and Wellesley Central Residence Inc. The building features a roof-top healing garden, community kitchen, communal lounge and ground floor patio. Fife House provides housing and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS in 45 of the 112 units in the building. These are a combination of bachelors, one bedroom, and two bedroom units for families or individuals, some with live-in caregivers. Support is provided 24/7 based on identified client needs and goals through ongoing case management and service plans. An emphasis is placed on life skills development and supporting independent living.
Over the course of twelve years at this location, Fife House has gained a valuable partner in Woodgreen as well as access to a wider network of partner agencies. This has allowed us to cope quickly with the changing needs of the community and grow together to enhance the lives of our residents. Together, Fife House and Woodgreen leverage the expertise of each organization to offer a program greater than the sum of its parts.
Sherbourne Transitional Housing Program
11 units aimed to transition clients to independent living
The Transitional Housing Program (THP) provides temporary, supportive housing for nine months, in a shared communal living environment to 11 people living with HIV/AIDS. Many clients of THP arrive with a lengthy history of homelessness or chronically unstable housing. Each client is provided a furnished bachelor unit with a kitchenette and private bathroom, and shared common living, dining, kitchen, and laundry facilities. THP is staffed 24/7. The six-person staff team provide clients with goal-focused service planning, intensive case management, assistance with activities of daily living, and advocacy support. The focus is on improved health outcomes, finding permanent housing, and connection to care and supports. Fife House partners closely with the Positive Service Coordination, a program through LOFT McEwan, which provides additional case management during clients’ stay which continues when they move out into the community.
