Background
The Toronto Mental Health and Addictions Supportive Housing Network (TMHASHN), is a network of organizations that provide supportive housing, as well as affiliated members, who share a common desire to improve the quality of life for low-income Torontonians living with serious mental health and/or substance use related needs, who have often experienced chronic and/or episodic homelessness
Vision
Everyone has a right to housing, mental health recovery and full participation in society. A cornerstone of this journey is adequate income support, access to a range of deeply affordable and stable housing options, and tenant/client led flexible supports within their chosen community.
Mission
Our Network’s mission is to collaboratively seek the political will, financial investment, and community support necessary to bridge the gap between housing needs and current service capacity in Toronto. We aim to advance an equitable, seamless, and efficient system of affordable housing and supports, speaking with one voice on systemic issues affecting our tenants, clients, and provider organizations. By supporting diverse services that adapt to community needs, sharing information, and fostering a community of practice based on evidence and quality improvement, we uphold the belief that safe, affordable housing is a basic human right and essential for mental health recovery and quality of life. Our coordinated efforts, guided by the Constellation Model of collaboration, strive to minimize barriers, promote housing stability, and ensure security of tenure, embracing both Housing First principles and transitional housing as part of a comprehensive supportive housing system. This mission is pursued through strong collaborative relationships with Network members, the broader community, government, private sector, philanthropic supporters, and the hospital/institutional sector.
Principles
Though we are a network of autonomous organizations and affiliated members, our work together is guided by the principles and approaches inherent in a Constellation Model of collaboration (see Appendix A).
In addition to this, collectively we share the following fundamental beliefs:
- Safe and affordable housing is a basic human right and a platform for mental health recovery and healthy living.
- Toronto requires a diverse range of safe, affordable housing options and flexible supports in order to ensure informed choice for the people these services are intended to help. The ability to exercise full choice, such as transitioning to other housing options, is severely limited by inadequate income supports.
- Support and housing must be delivered in a manner which minimizes barriers to access and promotes housing stability, personal recovery, wellness and overall quality of life.
- Security of tenure is essential to housing stability, recovery and quality of life.
- Housing First principles are embraced, as is the recognition that transitional housing is also a part of a comprehensive supportive housing system.
- A coordinated Toronto MHA Supportive Housing system works to align the diversity of approaches to meet the changing needs and desires of existing clients, program participants, tenants/clients and applicants.
- The pursuit of our mission is best achieved through the development of strong collaborative relationships amongst our Network members, the broader community, government, the private sector, philanthropic supporters, and the hospital/institutional sector.