Hanover council approves female transitional home in Mitchell

RM of Hanover council has approved a conditional use order that will allow for transitional housing for women in Mitchell.

The approval of the conditional use order was granted by council Feb. 11 during a public hearing. The housing is an initiative between Initiatives for Just Communities (IJC) and the department of families’ community living disABILITY services.

IJC’s director of services and operations Kevin Drain said the organization has been discussing the housing project with the province for a couple of years and last year IJC put a proposal together to set up housing in a large single detached home.

The province came back and suggested they look for a more manageable and less crowded housing option, so IJC leased two duplexes in Mitchell.

“There’s such a huge need right now, especially with women coming out of the CFS (Child and Family Services) system, so they’re leaving foster homes, they’re wanting to live on their own, they’re wanting to develop those (life) skills, but they don’t have any place to go, so we’re hoping that this will bridge that gap and provide immediate supports until we can set up another option,” said Drain.

The duplex is located at 64 and 66 Birchwood Lane in Mitchell and will house six female residents, with intellectual disabilities who are high functioning. Each woman will have her own bedroom and personal space.

The duplexes will also have two on-site around the clock support staff, who will take the women grocery shopping and to appointments, get them connected to resources and community, and if they are working, assist them with their employment.

Some of the life skills these women will learn include the ability to budget, the ability to work through relationship issues, doing housework, and getting employment.

“As these skills are developed, then they’re going to be able to have their own home and live in community with much less intensive supports. So, it really gives people that opportunity to live the way they want to live and get to the goals and outcomes that they want for their best life,” said Drain.

Drain referred to the housing set up as a cluster and not a group home. He said what makes it different than a group home is that the people with intellectual disabilities are moving towards independence and have the ability to develop the skills necessary to live on their own. Residents have their own bedrooms and personal space with supports that are “intentional and individualized, not institutional or restrictive, and staff are present to assist with daily living, safety, and skill-building.”

“So what this would really be tailored for, is people who are almost ready to have their own apartment, just going to help them get a few more skills, whether that’s budgeting, cooking, whatever,” he said.

Drain noted the women are from the Southeast and that this housing model reduces crisis calls, emergency services involvement, and instability by providing appropriate supports up front.

He said the initiative is funded, developed in cooperation and with support from Eastman Family Services and that there is provincial oversight. He said the community doesn’t need to worry about noise, traffic, or disruption. No one opposed the initiative during the public hearing.

IJC has multiple housing units in Hanover, including the El’Dad Ranch near Blumenort. IJC has seven homes for men with intellectual disabilities and this will be the second home for women with those disabilities

Drain estimates the residents will move in within the next couple of months as the homes are still under construction. The women are expected to stay in the program between one to three years.

Drain mentioned the organization is in yhe very early stages of looking to build an apartment complex of about 12 to 18 units with support staff on site.

“We’re a ways away from that,” he said.

Since 1980, El’Dad (a program with IJC) has been helping men with intellectual disabilities who are involved with the justice system. According to Drain, in the last 15 to 20 years El’Dad has shifted to helping men who have those intellectual limitations but who are not involved with the justice system. It was only in 2015 that IJC began helping women with intellectual disabilities.

“I think that in general, people do well when they feel like they belong and are connected to community…and I really hope that the space that we are creating, that we’re nurturing, will be a space of community and that the rest of community will be welcoming the people that live there,” said Drain.