Accessibility
Find Housing Help and Support
Fife House is a registered charitable organization that is dedicated to providing secure and affordable supportive housing for individuals who are living with HIV. Fife House’s supportive housing programs are a mix of affordable transitional and long-term housing that are linked to different types of supports – such as case management, personal care, addictions services, etc – for individuals who are HIV+ who require supports in order to maintain housing stability while living as independently as possible in the community.
All of Fife House’s supportive housing programs are rent-geared-to-income (RGI). Regrettably, Fife House does not provide emergency housing or emergency beds.
FAQ: What is Supportive Housing and how does it differ from other types of affordable housing?
Supportive housing differs from regular community housing in that it integrates transitional or long-term affordable housing with services provided by on-site staff, such as personal care, medication reminders, case management, and wellness programs among others. The goal of supportive housing is to provide residents with stability through housing combined with services that enable independent living and prevent homelessness.
Click here to learn more about Fife House’s transitional and supportive housing locations.
Looking for Case Management Support?
Fife House’s Linkage to Care Program aims to provide short to medium-length case management for individuals living with HIV who are experiencing houselessness. The program prioritizes individuals who identify as IBPOC and delivers culturally-responsive case management services.
Click here to learn more about or to refer a client to the Linkage to Care Program.
Looking for Supportive Housing?
Eligibility Requirements
In order to qualify for Fife House’s supportive housing programs, a person must meet all of the following criteria:
- Be HIV+
- Be under-housed (e.g. homeless, living in a shelter, couch-surfing, about to be evicted).
- Above 16 years of age
- Proven need for support services in order to maintain housing stability
- Willing to engage with support staff
- Qualify for housing subsidy (must meet maximum income threshold)
- Willing to live in HIV-specific housing units
How to become a Fife House client: Intake Process
In order to become a Fife House client, all individuals must complete an intake process.
Step 1: Reach out to Fife House
- HIV+ individuals who meet the eligibility requirements can contact Fife House’s Housing Help Team by phone or email in order to set up an intake appointment.
- Email: housing@fifehouse.org
- Telephone: 416-205-9888 ext 392
- Alternatively, individuals can also attend one of Fife House’s Housing Help Drop-In Sessions:
- Every Tuesday or Thursday (except when closed for events)
- 1pm to 4pm
- Location: 490 Sherbourne Street
- Please bring along with you:
- ID/Citizenship proof (e.g. passport, birth cert, PR card, refugee claim document)
- Income documents (e.g. pay stub, ODSP, CPP, EI, STD/LTD)
- Latest Notice of Assessment
- Service providers/agencies that are looking to refer a potential client to Fife House are asked to complete and email the referral form below to Fife House.
Step 2: Schedule an Intake Appointment
- Fife House will then reach out to potential client in order to schedule an Intake Appointment.
Step 3: Attend Intake Appointment
- Potential client meets with Fife House’s Intake Team at the designated day and time, with a list of required documents.
- If potential client is determined as eligible for Fife House’s supportive housing programs, and all documents have been received, the potential client will then be put on the waiting list for relevant Fife House housing locations/programs.
House Interview & Placement
- When a unit becomes available, the client on the waiting list will be contacted by a Fife House Program Manager for an interview as some time may have passed since the first intake appointment. The following are potential outcome scenarios following the interview:
- If the wait-listed client still meets the housing criteria and accepts the unit available, Fife House will then assist the client to move into the unit.
- If the wait-listed client no longer meets the housing criteria and/or declines the unit, the client will be removed from the waitlist.
- If after the interview the wait-listed client is deemed not suitable and/or not selected to move into the unit, then that client will return to the waiting list until the next suitable unit becomes available.
FAQ: How long is Fife House’s Waiting List?
Regrettably, the demand for supportive housing far exceeds the number of supportive housing units Fife House has available. The waiting period for people on the waitlist differs from case to case depending on multiple factors such as availability of units, the levels and types of supports a person requires, the number of people on the waiting list, etc. Typically, vacancies arise more frequently in our Transitional Housing program. However, it can be many years before a suitable unit in our Long-Term Supportive Housing programs become available.
