The challenge

Every night in Toronto, over 8,000 people experience homelessness. These are the individuals who find beds in the city’s shelters. Many more experience “hidden homelessness,” staying with relatives, friends or strangers, with little sense of permanence or stability.

 

Toronto has a critical shortage of safe and affordable housing, and the wait for supportive housing can be several years long. A growing number of families and individuals spend more than 50% of their income on housing, and are forced to cut spending on basic necessities, from food to medication. Rising rents are displacing people from the communities where they work, and for lower-income earners, unexpected job loss or health challenges can quickly lead to homelessness.

 

How WoodGreen helps

WoodGreen is a sector leader in affordable housing and has been on the frontline of poverty reduction and community services for more than eight decades. As Toronto’s largest non-municipal affordable housing provider, WoodGreen owns and manages over 1,000 units across 20 housing sites in the city. Residents have access to the full basket of our social services — including employment, financial empowerment and community health programs — which support them to stay housed, live independently and transition out of poverty.

We are currently working to triple our affordable housing supply to better serve seniors, newcomers, youth and frontline service industry workers. An innovative approach to rapid builds, combined with developer partnerships and a housing finance fund, allow WoodGreen to be shovel ready to dramatically expand affordable housing in Toronto.

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