marcus_a_j
Senior Member
From Adam Vaughan's Ward 20 Newsletter, March 6, 2009
129 Peter Street - Housing Assessment and Referral Centre updates
(images available in PDF version of newsletter)
The City's new Housing Assessment and Referral Centre is scheduled to open at 129 Peter Street in the late spring of 2009. Since February 2008, extensive renovations have been underway to convert the facility from its former uses as a restaurant and nightclub into the city facility.
Services to be provided at 129 Peter St include coordination of the enhanced Streets to Homes program, which helps homeless people living outdoors to get a safer place to sleep and find long-term housing. The program has a high success rate, with 91% of individuals still housed through intensive case management and post-housing supports. The facility will also provide street respite (temporary escape from the cold) for street-involved individuals, and includes a 40 bed shelter for street-involved clients and people who do not use the traditional shelter system.
The building has numerous green initiatives in its design, including living walls and a green roof on a portion of the roof. There will be rainwater harvesting, drain water recovery, solar thermal hot water, and photovoltaic cells to generate electricity. Photovoltaic cells will be installed in tree-like formations to provide shade to the rooftop smoking area.
As part of the Council approval for the facility at 129 Peter Street, the facility will not occupy the wide sidewalk space in front of the building. There will be staff at the HARC that will direct people inside and upstairs.
A liaison committee of area residents and BIA representatives has been developed to help problem-solve on any issues that arise around the operations of the facility.