DESCRIPTION
A core component of our program is safe, stable transitional housing, enabling participants to pursue healing and complete their educational goals while building resilience, strenghtening their parenting skills, and developing the skills and knowledge necessary for independence. To prevent housing instability, Highbanks provides rental assistance, damage deposits, and short-term emergency supports to our clients. We also provide support with moving expenses and other tenancy costs when needed. Tenancy stabibilty is bolstered with comprehensive wraparound services including trauma-informed counselling, Elder and cultural supports, parenting and financial literacy, and individualized case management. We foster strong community connections to reduce social isolation and promote long-term housing stability. Highbanks is seeking funding to sustain rental subsidy assistance for clients and expand access to individualized counselling supports, ensuring young families remain housed, supported, and on track to achieve their goals.
DETAILS
Affordability Framework
Youth will receive assistance of up to $500 per month to reduce their rents or to support with other tenancy related costs. The assistance is intended to ensure affordable housing where rent is approximately 30% of the tenant's income.
Target Completion Date
N/A
Populations Served
Women in Need
Total Project Cost
$150,000
Total Units
40
Affordable Units
40
Project Funding
Funding Required
$150,000 in annual donations for rental assistance and tenancy stability related costs.
Funds Raised
Currently receive $50,000 annually from a private foundation to support rental assistance.
Use of funds
The funds will enable Highbanks to expand our rental assistance program to all our clients. Currently, the more limited budget of $50,000 requires us to triage the need and allocate rental assistance to only some of our clients or to provide a more limited amount of assistance.
Human Impact Story
I have so much love and appreciation for the community at Highbanks. The staff are incredibly supportive, and make a genuine effort to form meaningful connections with each client. Being surrounded by such a loving community of strong women has fostered a foundation for stability for both me and my daughter, something that has been essential to my personal growth and my daughters emotional development. My favourite thing about Highbanks is the Tuesday support circles, where we all create a safe space to be vulnerable and share what is on our hearts. You can feel the love in the room, and it’s truly a blessing to be able to share that in a space that feels safe. Safety is one of the greatest gifts, and feelings that you can experience in a community. That is something that Highbanks has contributed to immensely. Safety to learn, to grow, to change, and to heal. Highbanks has given us that in abundance. Through Highbanks we have the ability to access many resources that help further our individual healing journeys, work on our finances, and just be able to set ourselves and our children up for a brighter future. There are so many things that I love at Highbanks, I would like to close out by mentioning the moms. We have cultivated such a special community here and I am incredibly grateful to be a part of it, it’s the first place I have ever felt like I truly belong. By participating in the program, I have been able to move out on my own for the first time, access support for my child, and start my post-secondary career and maintain an A+ average for the first time in my life. It takes a village to raise a child, and the village at Highbanks is immeasurably valuable when you are willing to do the work.
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