Aimed at addressing the root causes of homelessness and permanently lifting people out of chronic and episodic homelessness, Blue Door’s transitional housing programs provide housing for vulnerable families, senior and adult men, and 2SLGBTQ+ youth, who need longer-term support to overcome barriers to housing.
Transitional housing provides dignified, independent housing in the community with intended lengths of stay ranging from 6 months to one year. While in the program, individualized case management support is provided to help individuals set goals towards improved health, education, employment or gaining access to income assistance, and making plans for moving to permanent housing.
With more newcomers and larger families arriving at Blue Door, Abode offers the time and support needed for families to find their footing and secure housing.
Reflecting our community’s aging population, more seniors are experiencing homelessness. Forward offers tailored support to help senior men find accessible and dignified independent housing.
The first safe housing in York Region for 2SLGBTQ+ youth who are experiencing homelessness often because of identity-based abuse and discrimination.
York Region’s Passage House opened in the fall of 2022 with Blue Door providing personalized support to help the men achieve permanent housing.
The Beaverton Transitional Supportive Housing residence is a 47-unit modular housing development that provides accommodation and access to wraparound services.
An important part of the housing continuum and solutions to homelessness, transitional housing provides a supported pathway between short-term emergency housing and affordable housing. Learn more about transitional housing and why it’s needed in the frequently asked questions and answers below.
Participants in Forward and INNclusion live independently in the community in a shared space. Families in Abode will each have a separate unit.
To access Blue Door’s INNclusion, transitional housing for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, visit the following links:
2SLGBTQ+ youth face identity-based rejection, discrimination, and abuse causing many to leave home in search of safety.
25-40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as 2SLGBTQ+.
However, due to discrimination faced at men’s and women’s emergency housing providers, children choose the safety of sleeping on the streets.
Without anyone or anywhere to turn to, 1 in 3 2SLGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness attempted suicide in the past year alone.
Transitional housing provides families (Abode), senior men (Forward), men (Passage House), and 2SLGBTQ+ youth (INNclusion) with independent housing, case management support, and intended lengths of stay ranging from six months to one year as the individual or family works towards overcoming barriers and securing housing in the community.
Case management is provided to help individuals set goals towards education, health, employment or gaining income support, and making plans for moving to permanent housing.
Lengths of stay in transitional housing are flexible and dependent on the barriers individuals and families experience.
Intended lengths of stay for senior men in Forward are six months, while families in Abode, men in Passage House, and 2SLGBTQ+ youth have approximately one year.
Transitional housing is intended to be a stepping stone to help very vulnerable people move from emergency housing to affordable housing, ultimately preventing people from cycling back into homelessness.
80% of people who experience homelessness will never experience homelessness again. For these individuals emergency housing, which offers 30 days for men, 3 months for families, and 6 months for youth, is often enough time and support.
However, 20% of people experiencing homelessness will do so repeatedly, lacking the time and support offered through emergency housing to overcome barriers and trauma. This is particularly true for youth, who lack support networks, education, and employment experience.
76% of youth facing homelessness, will experience multiple periods of homelessness.
To better support people in permanently escaping homelessness, transitional housing provides longer stays and ongoing support to address the root causes of homelessness specific to each individual.
The intended length of stay in emergency housing is 30 days for an individual, 3 months for a family, and 6 months for youth – not nearly long enough for very vulnerable individuals such as seniors (ages 50+), 2SLGBTQ+ youth, men, and families to address and overcome compounding and overwhelming housing barriers, such as:
Blue Door’s transitional housing programs promote independent living and participants are expected to contribute a percentage of their monthly income towards program occupancy.
Blue Door supports financial budgeting and percentages never exceed 30% of the individual’s income, ensuring the housing remains affordable.
Lifting people out of homelessness and poverty, your gift will provide employment training propelling people into well-paying careers in the trades, a bed for the night, a warm meal, psychotherapy, onsite basic healthcare, longer stays to overcome trauma and barriers, and much much more.
