Alternative Supportive Transitional Housing: The Introduction of Supportive-Coliving in Empowering Single Homeless Youth Mothers in Toronto

Abstract

The pandemic and the ever-climbing housing price have exacerbated Toronto's homeless problem. Notably, youth (age 16-24) make up a fast-growing population (11%) of homeless people in Toronto. A hidden population conceals beneath the notoriety of Toronto's youth homelessness is women under age 25, as they represent almost one-half of homeless youth in Canada. Their need for food and shelter often puts them at risk of involvement in sex trades as means of support for basic needs. Furthermore, they carry their own set of challenges for homeless people, but they are also the hardest to reach for support as many fear that institutional intervention will snap their children away from them. Therefore, to make up for the lack of the City's Housing First strategy and the lengthy social housing waitlist, there is a need for supportive, affordable, secure and safe housing that integrates services to bring homeless pregnant women, mothers and children closer to support and strengthen their independence of living in the future. This study introduces a new housing model named Supportive-Coliving to bond and empower homeless single young mothers. It is a type of supportive transitional housing that integrates Co-living characteristics. The study provides a preliminary theoretical grounding for this novel housing concept by investigating its programming, interior design, financial structure, and the mechanism to transition out residents while successfully adhering to the establishing principles. Moreover, the study will identify partnership and funding opportunities and the barriers that hinder Supportive-Coliving development.