Agency: Blue Door
Founded in 1982 and the largest emergency housing provider in York Region, Blue Door provides life-saving support to the community’s most vulnerable people. Homeless youth, men, and families come from a variety of backgrounds and face challenging life circumstances including job loss, eviction, mental illnesses, and much more.
To address the root causes of homelessness, Blue Door has developed a 3-year strategic plan (2020-2023) made up of the following 4 priorities:
01
Housing, Housing Stability and Homelessness Prevention Expanding housing options to meet the needs of adults, families, and youth.
02
Health. Improving the mental/physical health of people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
03
Employment. Creating new employment opportunities for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
04
Organizational Capacity & Excellence. Increasing organizational capacity to innovate/revise existing services while cultivating new competencies that fuel innovation/progress in delivering relevant programs/services.
These strategic priorities are captured in Blue Door’s ongoing/new services, including:
- Blue Door’s 3 emergency housing programs:
1. Leeder Place: 15 families nightly
2. Porter Place: 30 men nightly
3. Kevin’s Place: 12 male youth nightly - Counselling & Case Management: Supports individuals in achieving their goals and accessing supports.
- Housing to Health Program: Comprehensive services for those experiencing chronic/episodic homelessness.
- Construct: A social enterprise providing the skills training, on-the-job work experience, and wraparound supports needed for participants to secure well-paying careers in construction.
- Abode & Forward: Second stage housing for families, seniors, and LGBTQ2S+ youth.
