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shelter, housing & support

housing and shelter programs and services

Whether you are a woman who needs a safe place to rest your head or have nowhere else to go; are fleeing violence in your home, on the street, or in your country of origin; or need an affordable, permanent place in which to raise your children that gives you a sense of community, YWCA Toronto can help.

Since 1873, YWCA Toronto has offered women supportive, affordable and well-maintained housing. Today, we continue that tradition by managing safe, affordable housing and free shelter accommodation for girls and women. In addition we provide community support to women who have experienced violence or childhood sexual abuse and to those coping with mental health issues.

YWCA Toronto offers a range of housing options for single women and women-led families, emergency shelter for women and their children experiencing violence, emergency shelter for single homeless women and transitional housing for single women and women and their children.

Our permanent housing offers women and children a long-term home, along with the aid of community workers who support residents in the development of skills necessary for independent living.

Our newest permanent housing opportunity is YWCA Bergamot, located in Rexdale. At YWCA Bergamot, we are working in partnership with community support agencies in that community to ensure that residents have support when it's required.

In development is YWCA Elm Centre, a 300-unit affordable and supportive housing complex for women and women-led families.

our philosophy

All members of the YWCA Toronto community deserve a safe, quality and affordable place to call home. To achieve this, tenants, staff and children work together to create a housing community where all tenants have access to information and resources that support each woman's goals. Community participation is encouraged that includes a commitment from incoming tenants to doing their part tomaintain a healthy building community.

more

shelter

• 1st stop woodlawn, is a comprehensive shelter for single women with specialized services for young women and mature women, as well as transitional support in a shared building with 1st Stop Woodlawn Residence
• YWCA arise, a 27 bed shelter for women and their children fleeing violence, with on-site employment counselling, parenting support, addictions counselling trauma and mental health support.
• YWCA beatrice house, a transitional residence and early childhood development centre where women and their children who are homeless or at risk of being homeless may stay for up to two years.
• YWCA women's shelter, a 33 bed shelter for women and their children fleeing violence, with on-site employment counselling, parenting support, addictions counselling trauma and mental health support.

permanent housing

• 1st stop woodlawn residence is a community of private rooms for 72 single women in shared permanent accommodation on a leafy street in central Toronto.
• bergamot avenue apartments, a 68 unit apartment building with an early learning centre on Bergamot Avenue in north Etobicoke. Suites ranging in size from 1 bedroom to 4 bedrooms are occupied by women-led households. Two of the units are barrier-free.
• humewood drive housing, a double duplex for 16 single women each with their own bedroom in shared permanent accommodation near shopping and green space on a residential street.
• pape avenue apartments, a 77-unit apartment building for single women and women-led households in Toronto's film district.

group support programs

• breakthrough, a facilitated group support program for women to explore the impact of violence and childhood sexual abuse on their lives.
• choices for living, offers group and individual support, life skills, and counselling for women with mental health issues who want to make changes in their lives. The Choices for Living program aims to broaden women's choices by helping them develop better coping skills, and by providing a supportive environment in which to explore and practice these skills.

housing for researchers, a brief history as well as description of YWCA housing.

YWCA elm centre is a 300 unit building of affordable and supportive housing, primarily for women and women-led families.

intake process for permanent housing program

Housing Support Program includes the following sites:

• 1st Stop Woodlawn Residence
• Humewood Drive Housing
• Pape Avenue Apartments
• Bergamot Avenue Apartments

If you are interested in applying for housing at 1st Stop Woodlawn residence or Humewood Drive Housing, applications are available on the website (see blue box below)

For Bergamot Avenue Apartments, applications must be referred by partner agencies who have agreed to provide support to the applicants they refer.

Pape Avenue Apartments, currently accepts applicants referred through YWCA Shelter Housing and Support programs.

related

pdf downloads:

NEW! Moving on to Success
• Humewood housing application
• 1st Stop Woodlawn Residence housing application

women's housing advocacy group (WHAG)
girls & family programs
ways to give