In 1997, Margaret - homeless and a psychiatric consumer / survivor – contacted LIFE*SPIN. She had fallen through the cracks of our social systems and landed on the street. She wanted an affordable, independent living situation that both respected her autonomy and supported her needs. LIFE*SPIN staff helped Margaret with her immediate situation by finding a series of short-term options, and in doing so recognized the gaps in long-term solutions to homelessness in London.

Thus, LIFE*SPIN began to develop a community-based permanent housing option to provide safe, attractive, supportive and affordable accommodation for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Donations and hand-on support from our community enabled LIFE*SPIN to purchase a building to provide some of these needed homes. We are now working to establish appropriate support for special needs residents that are empowering and that build a sense of security, safety and community.

     LIFE*SPIN Community Housing Project has a mix of commercial and residential space. There are five commercial units on the street level. The commercial space increases the ability of the project to be self-sustaining and offer affordable housing for women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

LIFE*SPIN’s goal is to house a broad range of community-based businesses that will benefit all of London’s people, our environment and economy. As members of London’s low-income community, we are working together to create healthy and profitable businesses. These profits will be re-invested into other community-based programs and businesses.

Foremost, this housing project seeks to provide safe, attractive supportive and affordable accommodation for women who are homeless or who are at risk of homelessness.

LIFE*SPIN is also working with a number of London faith communities to establish appropriate supports that are empowering and that build a sense of security, safety and community for the women residing in the nine residential units that comprise this housing project.

     As the women seeking residency in the LIFE*SPIN Community Housing Project are generally applying from a shelter, hostel or from a state of homelessness, many are without the most basic needs of establishing a home.

While each prospective tenants needs are as unique as the ecumenical missions or outreach team providing supports, we have identified three critical areas of support needs to assist these low-income women in setting-up and maintaining a home.

Home Settlement- providing a support team to assist the tenant in setting up the housing unit according to the needs defined by the tenant. Using the expertise of the initial Missions & Outreach Team we developed a check list that may expedite the collection of items from parishioners & friends that may be able to assist in the settlement process:

Housing Subsidy - each Community Support team, through their ecumenical group, is requested to provide a minimum Housing Subsidy of $100 per month.

While the rental units are leased below the average rental market in London, many residents of the project will be relying on income assistance or part-time wages to survive. We encourage your support team to visit the LIFE*SPIN web site www.lifespin.org and follow the links to the Low-income Survival Exercise. It provides an educational experience that may assist in developing an understanding of the conditions income assistance creates.

Home Enrichment – each ecumenical group will provide a designated parishioner to offer monthly visitation to the tenant to "check-in" regarding their housing and any additional supports the tenant may identify that will enable them to feel more comfortable, safe or secure.

     The Superintendent unit is located at 870 Dundas Street, London, ON, N5W 2Z7. We are working with a faith & community-based organization, Children in Need, to establish a neighbourhood program that utilizes the space both for outreach to families in need with children and in fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of the Superintendent of the LIFE*SPIN Community Housing Project. Currently, if you are interested in volunteering or donating to the project please leave a message and contact information at LIFE*SPIN. Call 438-8676 ext. 26

• There are over 3,000 people on the "inactive" and active waiting list for subsidized housing in London.

• Over 900 new supportive housing units will be needed for consumer/survivors due to health care restructuring in the London region.

• On any given night there are at least 25 women in shelter or institutions with no place to call home.

• There are countless more women on the street, in a temporary shared living arrangement or with an inappropriate partner.

• This presentation will offer a brief picture of the current affordable housing situation in London, and discuss the solutions that make sense for creating new affordable housing units.