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Angela’s Place Opens its Doors to Families in Transition
Celebration was the theme of the day as staff and friends joined together July 8th to commemorate the official opening of Angela's Place, Peel's newest housing facility for families in transition.
Located at 45 Glenn Hawthorne Boulevard in Mississauga, Angela's Place is an innovative 20-unit housing model developed for families who are overcoming obstacles in their life. The facility offers support services to residents, while providing them with the necessary skills to regain stability and move towards long-term permanent housing.
"Currently, one in 10 people live in poverty in Peel. Angela's Place reflects our ongoing commitment and approach to providing care to Peel's less fortunate," said David Szwarc, Commissioner of Social Services. "We focus on wrapping supports around the family to help resolve their issues. While it is critical that we provide affordable housing to those in need, we also see that providing a helping hand along with safe affordable housing can make all the difference."
Angela's Place was made possible through a generous $3.65 million grant from Peel Region's social housing reserve fund and $650,000 from the Government of Canada through its Supporting Communities Partnership Initiatives, one of the components of the National Homelessness Initiative (NHI).
"No family should ever be without a home," commented Navdeep Bains, Member of Provincial Parliament for Mississauga-Brampton, who attended the opening. "This project will provide families with the support they need to move towards long-term permanent and stable housing. The Government of Canada is committed to working with communities to alleviate homelessness everywhere."
Angela's Place was named in honour of Angela Moylett, a former Region of Peel employee who passed away in 2004, who was known for her passionate commitment to helping disadvantaged citizens of Peel. During the ceremony, the Moylett family was presented with a plaque honouring Angela. A similar plaque will be erected in the front entrance of the building. Prior to the opening of the facility, an outdoor garden was planted for Angela with a monument honouring her life.
The facility is the brainchild of the Family Housing Working Group, composed of members of Peel's human services agencies, community partners and concerned citizens, who saw the need for a place where unstable families would have access to subsidized housing and support services to assist them to get back on their feet.
Peel Region reports that nearly 10,300 people, including 2,256 children, had to use Peel's homeless shelters in 2004. Currently, more than 14,000 households are on the Region's waiting list for subsidized housing. Angela's Place is one of many housing initiatives in Peel that provide much needed relief to the alarming rate of homelessness in communities.
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