Guelph’s Hopewell has opened a new location on Grange Road to house up to six individuals in the community living with developmental disabilities.
Three people will be moving in next week. There is a waitlist to move into a home like the ones Hopewell has and agencies across the community meet, to decide who will be placed in the next spot available.
Hopewell provides residential, respite, and recreational support for people with developmental disabilities.
There are homes for clients to live in with the help of support staff, a respite overnight home one for children and the other for adults to help create friendships and day programs, including camps.
“We want to provide homes and an environment where they can live, thrive and grow. So we have very individualized support plans for every person who lives within Hopewell,” said Jamie Edge, director of operations and administration at Hopewell.
This is Hopewell’s seventh house they have opened and in total they have eight locations they service. It will be for adults ages 18 and over.
“It means that we're able to assist the community in this … almost dire need to provide supportive housing for individuals who need it,” said Edge.
The community needs at least 50 homes to support individuals with developmental disabilities in Guelph just to make a dent, said Edge.
“The need is there. And then we anticipate that the need is going to continue to grow,” said Jon Christensen, incoming chair for the Hopewell board.
“The demand for services far exceeds the supply. So as an organization, we are always about growing and building more capacity in the system to be able to allow us to support [the] community,” said Maria Zegarac, executive director of Hopewell.
Hopewell is an organization structured to grow and take on new clients needing support, he said.
The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services no longer funds the down payment for homes like the ones Hopewell has. Instead, they cover the operating costs of the homes like maintenance, furniture, food, other supplies the home may need, and staffing, said Edge.
Another challenge is staffing shortages, happening across many industries, she said.
Hopewell will have a 1:1 staff-to-client ratio. This will be during all waking hours, and there will be one staff during the night, said Edge.
The home took a year and a half to renovate and retrofit, since June 2021. It took longer because of supply chain issues, a complex fire alarm system, and a safety system.
There is one fully-accessible bedroom and washroom on the main floor with the kitchen, family room and dining room. There are five other bedrooms, a basement and a second living area in the upper level.
“The fact that we're able to open a new home during these trying times is a testament to the team's dedication to always be pushing forward and always striving for something more,” said Christensen.
