Support

While all Mainstay Housing tenants must be capable of independent living, we do provide some supports through our Supportive Housing Worker [SHW] program. Supportive Housing Workers play multiple roles: they are both agents of the landlord, helping tenants meet their responsibilities and maintain their housing, and they provide support, meeting with tenants individually and in community meetings.

There is approximately one housing staff person for every 70 Mainstay households. They are available to help tenants through the events of day-to-day life. That might mean putting the tenant in touch with community services such as food banks or home maker services. They are often available to talk about personal problems or concerns in the buildings. They conduct the neighborhood meetings that help each building run more smoothly. Here is what Gord Singer, Mainstay tenant, has to say about the support program:

It's good to know there's someone there you can turn to, talk to, in case you have problems. Mainstay, however, is not involved in a medical/therapeutic role. If tenants want to link up with medical/therapeutic supports, they are free to do that. This is a real strength because when you have the landlord providing medical/therapeutic services, it is wearing more than one hat so there can be conflict in terms of housing. Mainstay works with agencies which link up with the tenants and provide more support when it's needed.

Here is a list of what Mainstay's support program can and cannot do for our tenants: