It was a historic day in the city Friday as over 100 members of the community gathered to celebrate the opening of Indwell’s newest supportive housing building The Station.
The 45-unit apartment building located at 16 Queen Street, supports residents referred from the City of St. Thomas’ Coordinated Access System, which prioritizes Elgin County residents who are currently without housing.
Indwell, a Christian charity operating throughout south-western Ontario, has been offering supportive and affordable housing to individuals for nearly 50 years, including in London, Hamilton, Waterloo Region, Woodstock, Mississauga, and Simcoe.
Their CEO Jeff Neven was on hand for the grand opening and noted how big of a day it truely was for the community.
Indwell and the City of St. Thomas first collaborated on the Railway City Lofts program, located in the downtown core above the transit building. This program opened in 2021 and offers enhanced supports to 15 individuals leaving homelessness.
Neven adds it’s crazy to think where this partnership has brought them today.
Housing offered at The Station is rooted in ensuring housing stability and permanency. Tenants pay $806 per month for a fully furnished one-bedroom apartment and includes one hot meal prepared for them daily. There is 24-hour on-site presence and access to professional health support services, with staff roles include nursing, psychosocial support, food facilitator, housing support workers, addiction support, and a program supervisor.
To help with operational costs of The Station, Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Rob Flack noted during his remarks that additional funding has been announced through the province’s Roadmap to Wellness plan.
With the grand opening now complete, more than half the tenants have moved in, with the building set to be fully occupied by the end of October.
Written by: K. Freeman
