Rationale

A group of community members who care about the future of disabled and vulnerable persons are setting up an innovative and specialized community housing project in the Outaouais. This project is intended to offer an alternative to the institutional accommodation usually offered to this clientele. The organization of services, focused on a residential approach that promotes social participation and autonomy, is at the very heart of the project. Having faith in the enormous potential of persons with disabilities and the vulnerable, we believe in the enriching benefits of this project. We are therefore very pleased and proud to present this innovative construction project, unique in the community housing sector in the Outaouais.

The current housing market does not meet the special needs of low-income families with children, persons with disabilities, low-income seniors requiring services, and persons with special needs.

According to the Canadian Medical Association, housing is considered one of the four major determinants of health. It is therefore invariably a primary concern for caregivers of disabled and vulnerable persons.

Living in your own home creates a sense of autonomy, belonging and control, which allows an individual to flourish.

To this end, the residential environment evokes a place of socialization, a place of belonging or reference that contributes to the establishment of a social network. A living space of one’s own also allows one to develop the ability to establish connections that, over time, will become significant and contribute to the preservation, acquisition, or recovery of a quality of life conducive to health and well-being.

Social and community housing not only provides shelter for persons with disabilities and vulnerabilities, but it also represents an advantage that will allow them to stay, when accompanied by services, in their environment. Housing is therefore a first step towards social inclusion, autonomy, and the discovery of the power of citizen action. For vulnerable persons, this means a supported living environment that allows them to fully exercise their right to housing, with positive impacts in both physical and mental health.