New Housing Units for Moms and Pregnant Women Opened

A new set of 12 transitional housing units for pregnant women and single mothers facing homelessness or abuse has recently opened in St. Thomas.

The local non-profit group Fresh Start Support Services launched the units at 118 Centre St. on April 27.

Welcoming families into their new homes has been a very emotional experience, said Jaime Cann, Fresh Start’s executive director.

“They’re coming in here and they’re seeing they have furniture for the first time or they have a full fridge. They have a real bed to sleep in. Their kids have a real bed to sleep in,” said Cann.

“It’s more so about the comforts that we take for granted that they’re so thankful for and just the tears, the tears, there’s so many tears all the time of just happiness.”

Units help women transition to stable housing

The 12 two-bedroom units come with a full kitchen, living room, and bathroom.

This project cost $5.3 million, which Cann mentioned was mostly funded through donations from local residents and businesses. Fresh Start offers Christian faith-based programs, so many donations came from the church community.

Each unit at the transitional housing complex has two bedrooms. (Jessica Singer/CBC)

Fresh Start received about 60 requests for transitional housing when it opened its application process in mid-April. Cann noted that all of the units were filled within two weeks, with around half already occupied by families.

Families can live in these units for one year minus a day or until they find permanent housing. Tenants work with family navigators who assist them in transitioning out of the units.

The monthly rent for each unit is $1,160; however, this amount is subsidized for those who need financial assistance.

The living room of a transitional housing unit. (Jessica Singer/CBC)

There are currently between 700 to 1,200 individuals waiting for social housing in St. Thomas and Elgin County, according to Cann, who has seen this demand firsthand.

Fresh Start’s housing and family support programs are consistently full, stated Cann; this has been true since the organization began operating in Springfield back in 1987.

Previously, Fresh Start ran a group home out of an old house on Centre Street that Cann described as “falling apart.” Four to six families lived there but it couldn’t meet demand adequately.

“We quickly realized we were transitioning women in and out so quickly into housing that the need was a lot greater than what we were supporting at that time,” said Cann.

The century home was eventually torn down, paving the way for construction on this new complex which began in 2024.

The transitional housing complex opened on April 27. (Jessica Singer/CBC)

Mayor says new projects will help end homelessness

St. Thomas mayor Joe Preston expects a “complete elimination” of homelessness in the city by 2027 due to several new affordable and supportive housing projects being developed throughout the area.

Preston estimates there are about 100 unhoused people currently living in St. Thomas; this figure includes those from Elgin County as well.

“We see a complete elimination or a structural elimination of homeless in our community early in ‘27 or at least during the year of 2027,” said Preston.

Additionally underway are other housing initiatives like YWCA’s Project Tiny Hope which plans to open up to 40 tiny homes by July 1; ten of those units are already filled according to Preston.

A new supportive project featuring another building with 78 units is also being worked on by Indwell while Eastwood Housing plans an affordable complex with 85 units opening soon as well,

The city released its strategic plan addressing homelessness around seven years ago; Preston notes that over 150 individuals were estimated homeless back then.

“We’re now at a point where we never thought we would get to,” he stated.

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