KAWARTHA LAKES-Amy’s Next Step Housing has been renamed Haven of Hope and is now affordable housing operated by Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton Housing Corporation.
“Amy’s Next Step Housing was renamed Haven of Hope when Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton Housing Corporation (KLH) purchased it from the Women’s Resource Centre in June 2021.” said Kirstin Maxwell, CEO, Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton Housing Corporation. “The purchase expanded KLH’s portfolio outside of Lindsay, broadening the much-needed affordable housing options in Fenelon Falls, and enabling the Women’s Resource Centre to initiate their project to develop housing and program space in Lindsay closer to their existing programs and services.”
Women’s Resources had operated Amy’s Next Step Housing in Fenelon Falls since 1993. Since then 416 women and 468 children have been helped. The purpose of Amy’s was for abused women and their children to be able to access affordable, safe housing within a reasonable time frame. The waitlist for appropriate housing in the City of Kawartha Lakes is 3 to 5 years with approximately 1,500 people on the list.
KLH purchased the apartment building from Women’s Resources in the spring of 2021. Maxwell says when the agreement to purchase was reached, several units were occupied as transitional housing for women and their children fleeing violence. All of the households remaining at the time of closing were offered and accepted the opportunity to remain in the building as permanent tenants. The vacant units were offered in accordance to KLH’s tenant selection requirements and commitments.
Maxwell says the building is affordable housing but not rent geared to income.
“Haven of Hope is an apartment building with eight units of permanent affordable rental housing owned and operated by KLH,” states Maxwell. “The building is not a designated project under the Housing Services Act, so the building rents are not geared-to-income. Tenants may or may not be receiving a portable housing allowance to make the rent more affordable,” says Maxwell.
A range of agencies are providing supports to residents where needed although none are onsite.
“There are no on-site supports provided to tenants or the broader community, but as with any other apartment building, some tenants may be receiving support from a variety of service providers.”
Women’s Resources says it is finalizing the purchase of a new building in Lindsay for Amy’s Next Step.
“In the spring of 2021, we sold the building which housed our Next Step Housing Program. For years staff and service users had identified the need to have second-stage housing in Lindsay, closer to many of the services and supports women need.” said Lori Watson, Executive Director in a year-end report. “Kawartha Lakes Housing was interested in the building as they had purchased property behind Amy’s and so it was a win-win. We are in the process of finalizing the purchase of a building in Lindsay to relocate our second-stage housing and fingers crossed, if all goes well, we will be up and running again in the near future.”