In early 1999 the concept of the place that has come to be known as Transition House began when several community agencies began to acknowledge that housing was becoming a major problem for many client groups in Northumberland County.
A group of service providers then came together to attempt to address the issues of homelessness and housing insecurity and in the spring of 1999 received federal funding to further examine the issues and start to come up with workable solutions.
A consultant was commissioned to write a report but early on in the process it became apparent that there was a growing need for a safe and supportive environment for people that found themselves without adequate shelter. The group shifted focus and started looking at the possibility of opening a house for single women and single women with children who were facing homelessness and housing insecurity. By the fall of 1999 one of the founders of the organization, Jamie Simmons, managed to find a location in Cobourg and obtained funding through Youth Service Canada to have a group of unemployed youth renovate and decorate our first house.
At the time there was very little funding available for a house of this type. Thanks to the generous financial support of the Sisters of St. Joseph, a one time grant from the Ministry of Community and Social Services, community support from individuals, and service clubs, Transition House was officially opened in mid December 1999 at 300 George St. in Cobourg. To this day the Sisters of St. Joseph still have a representative on the Board and continue to provide support for programs through their Luke 4 Foundation.
During the early stages of the development of Transition House staffing was supplied by volunteers and then a grant from the Trillium Foundation made it possible to hire an executive director, and funding from Human Resources Development Canada allowed for the hiring of additional staff to supplement our great group of volunteers.
It didn’t take long after opening for the house to be full and often have a waiting list and by 2003 the organization embarked on a major expansion plan and acquired its current residence on Chapel Street in Cobourg. Over the next few years, with funding from CMHC, major renovations and improvements were made. Also, with the further support of the County of Northumberland services were expanded and the house and services are now available to all segments of the community including single men and women, single parents and couples with or without children.
Right from the beginning one of the key elements to the organization was not only to provide emergency housing but help those facing homelessness and housing insecurity deal with some of the underlying issues they might be facing. With an integrated and individualized approach residents take part in action planning and Transition House staff work with them to access the appropriate community resources, or any other services that may be available in the community, whether that be income supports, money management and budgeting, or job searching.
With the support of our many partners Transition House continues to strive to be responsive and flexible to changing community needs and priorities and is constantly looking at ways to best serve our clients. Most recently, thanks to the support of the United Way through their volunteer leadership development program, and the financial support of the Trillium Foundation Transition House is embarking on a strategic communications plan to increase the awareness of our services to the community at large, other agencies and those facing homelessness and housing insecurity.
Mission Statement
The Transition House Coalition of Northumberland will lead community groups and individuals to develop transitional housing solutions that will move people from emergency housing to permanent housing that is safe, accessible and affordable. In order to address the systemic issues of homelessness, the coalition will coordinate with partner groups and work with other community groups whose works support the retention of permanent accommodation
The Objectives of the Corporation
- To identify local and systemic issues affecting housing insecurity in Northumberland County
- To develop transitional housing models which address local solutions for housing insecurity
- To work with community groups to support retention of permanent housing.
The Guiding Principles of the Organization
- A belief that all people have the right to safe, affordable, accessible housing
- A belief in the United Nations Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- An understanding that in order to achieve adequate accommodation all people must have access to services and programs to help them deal with the underlying and systemic issues of housing insecurity
- A willingness to work with other organizations, individuals and governments to help address the issues of housing insecurity
- A recognition that all individuals and groups can have valuable contributions to make in helping to work towards solutions for immediate and long term solutions to housing insecurity
- Respect for the racial, cultural, social and economic diversity of the members of the coalition, community partners and the community in general
- A belief in the principles of democratic process and a willingness to work with all members of the coalition and community to help find solutions that take into account and respect others beliefs and principles.
