A new Indigenous housing service at 113 Lower Union Street is officially in operation, with residents now settling into the 19-unit space.
“To be here is really, really good,” says resident Mitchell Shewell. “Just to be able to close the door is so important to me, you know. Because you lived in a pod, it was awful. You know, mattress on the floor.”
New resident Mitchell Shewell was staying at the Integrated Care Hub before his application was approved for Tipi Moza housing.
“It took a couple nights to get used to sleeping high on a bed,” he says.
As of Monday, seven residents have moved into the building, but there’s room for 19.
“Food’s good, it’s safe, clean, we can come and go when we want,” says Shewell. “So it’s pretty good.”
The 2021 Point-in-Time Count by United Way KFL&A reports 207 people experiencing homelessness in the city of Kingston, 31 per cent of whom identify as Indigenous.
“The stats for Indigenous people for all of Kingston is only 3.4 per cent,” says Tipi Moza executive director Winnie Peters. “When you look at the shelter system or homelessness and they make up 31 per cent, that’s a pretty big number.
“That’s pretty significant and it’s something that I don’t think is new. I think it’s been just increasing as the affordable rents are no longer affordable.”
Applicants must be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and self-identify as Indigenous to be considered for residency at the city-funded Lower Union Street location.
“For some of the residents it’s about making the connection to their culture, and for others it’s reconnecting to the culture,” says Peters.
A focus on traditional Indigenous programming, including smudge ceremonies, talking circles and crafting, will be part of daily activities at the home.
There will also be opportunities to learn, and re-learn, languages.
“It’s important, very important,” says Shewell. “It’s long overdue in the area, you know. So, any programming for Aboriginal people is good. Any, any type of programming.”
Peters says the end goal of the home’s service is to build the skills of residents in order for them to be able to transition into the community and live independently without supports.
“This program is going to help so many people,” says Peters. “We’re going to start out with 19, as they transition out we’ll transition more people in. So, although this is a 19-unit facility, it’s going to help way more than 19 people.”
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