'Family' model key to success at Victoria home for homeless, director says

An unconventional home for people who want to get off the streets in Victoria is marking a quarter century of quiet success.

Anawim House accommodates only seven men at a time as full-time residents with no limits on the length of stay. The residence welcomes additional men and women on a drop-in basis.

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Director Terry Edison-Brown says the only requirement for becoming part of the "family" at Anawim House is the strong desire to change your life.

"We bring people in. We get to know who they are," Edison-Brown told On The Island host Gregor Craigie. "And we help them find out what they can do to change their lives."

Anawim staff help to connect people with the support or services they need to overcome their problems, whether those are addictions or mental illnesses or something else.

"The way the house runs is by working together as a family," Edison-Brown said. The residents and drop-in participants make meals and assist with household chores and projects.

Resident Joe Battle came to Anawim House four months ago after about four years of struggle with drug and alcohol addiction and said, for him, it is "one of the greatest opportunities that I'll ever have in my entire life."

Edison-Brown said residents typically stay two to five years, though there is no time limit.

"It's not like after two years or five years you're done with the family," he said, adding part of his job is contacting past residents to follow up on their progress.

"How are they doing? Are they still succeeding in life? Do they still need a shoulder? Do they still need a little bit of help? It's a lifetime thing."

Edison-Brown is also a past resident of Anawim House, where he first arrived in 1994.

"I, too, struggled with addiction issues and living on the streets," he said. "I felt like dirt and I looked like dirt."

He has been director for eight years. In response to questions about expansion, Edison-Brown said seven is exactly the right number for the facility.

"One of the big things for us is, it's family," he said. "If you get too big, family members get lost."

With files from CBC Radio's On The Island

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled: Family model key to Victoria home for homeless