Published in September 2020
In June 2018, the Working Centre purchased the Water Street House with the intention of building a safe house for those homeless and dealing with acute medical and drug use issues. We had hoped that the house could also be the Safe Consumption Site as that would have combined resources together to ensure the house was viable. After a year of planning and ten months of construction the project has been completed. In the meantime, the Safe Consumption Site is located nearby, and instead the house has a dedicated medical clinic. The Water Street House has secured funding for staffing through the Provincial Government’s expansion of mental health and addiction supports. We are grateful that this project was supported by the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network who helped make ongoing core funding possible.
At the end of July 2020, we slowly started to accept guests as we work to build the culture of the house. As of September, six people are living in the house. What we learned right away is that the Water Street House is a landing spot for individuals who are not only dealing with the dislocation of homelessness but are also dealing with very complex realities like infections, amputations, broken legs, spinal cord injuries, suicide, addiction trauma and mental health symptoms like anxiety, depression and general disorder. Most of those who have come to the house are in their twenties and vulnerable. Rather than a long term hospital stay, which is impossible to navigate when dealing with significant addiction and mental health challenges, the Water Street House offers a place of rest, with small bedrooms, TV’s, nutritious food, and lots of ongoing support. We are pleased that this house is immediately fulfilling the need for a place of refuge for those caught in a cycle of trauma.
