Adsum believes that everyone has the right to a safe and secure home. We also believe that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We have developed a range of shelter, housing and support models that work on properties owned by Adsum and by the private and public sectors.
Women, families, youth and gender-diverse individuals seeking emergency shelter come to Adsum with diverse experiences and a wide variety of challenges. For some, this might be a first experience of homelessness. Others may have a long experience with transient life and return to Adsum when they need a safe place to stay while figuring out what comes next. At Adsum, we know first-hand how poverty, systemic discrimination, gender inequality, racism, disabilities, and trauma intersect and create layered barriers to securing stable housing. Adsum clients face diverse social and personal obstacles that include, but are not limited to; mental illnesses, lack of education, single-parenthood, addictions, and histories of trauma and violence.
Adsum for Women & Children operates over five locations throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality: emergency shelters, Adsum House and the Bridge and long-term affordable housing with supports on-site – Adsum Court, the Alders, and the Sunflower. Adsum also owns a few condominiums in Clayton Park that are rented to single parents and their families.
We know that housing ends homelessness, and appropriate housing helps people to remain housed. This led us to set up a housing support unit. Employees offer client-centered support, guided by a Housing First philosophy, to help people make connections to housing, maintain that housing and prevent evictions.
Given the increasing number of families we hear from in crisis, we are focusing more on identifying housing options and supports for families through our Outreach Team.