10 years in the making, Joan's Place offers respite to youth and young moms needing a home

A long-awaited downtown London, Ont., affordable housing development dedicated to temporarily housing and supporting youth, young mothers and mothers-to-be officially opened its doors Monday, roughly a decade after its inception.

Joan's Place, situated on the northwest corner of Richmond and York streets, includes 39 units, mostly one-bedroom or bachelor style, four of which are accessible. The building is owned and operated by the social services agency Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU). 

"'Oh my God, Oh my God, I have a home,'" was what the first resident said while moving in a week ago, said housing manager Jordan Boyd. "That's the line that we've all just leaned into."

Named in honour of Joan Smith, Ontario's first female solicitor general and a champion of women, children and families, Joan's Place was supported from the start by a donation from Smith's family.

Construction, which began in September 2022, involved converting a former theatre-turned-sports bar into a multi-storey building with ground floor supports such as employment counselling, commercial space on the second floor, and a family room on the top floor. 

The lead-up to Monday's opening included a focus on finding people who would "benefit and thrive" from living at Joan's Place, Boyd said. 

Aa'von Samuel is one of those people. The 22-year-old Londoner is set to move into Joan's Place on Friday, marking the end of close to four years of homelessness.

"I went on a tour last week and I'm really, really, really excited," Samuel said.

It'll be the first time Samuel lives alone in a home he's completely responsible for, he said. He said he's a bit nervous about moving in, but the new apartment will be way better than places he's lived in the last few years. 

After leaving college for financial reasons in 2021 and being unable to stay with family, Samuel was homeless in Toronto. He reached out to YOU when he came to London. 

Living in YOU's shelter, he accepted help with things like clothing, cleaning supplies, food, emotional and employment support and more, Samuel said.

"It's bittersweet because I feel like they've helped me so much. I'm like, 'How am I going to be on my own?' [I know YOU] workers will be in this building. I'm confident they'll help me in the same way."

With stable and affordable housing paired with on-site supports, Samuel said, he wants to focus on an apprenticeship program at Fanshawe College.

"In a shelter, it's easy to get sad and depressed there. We try and always keep the vibes happy and stuff. But [that] makes some people lose focus. It made me lose focus on my goals and the fact that I didn't want to be in there," Samuel said.

After he finishes his construction technology apprenticeship, Samuel wants to help people who lack the expertise to improve their homes, or make them more accessible, he said.

While most units at Joan's Place are already filled, a handful remain vacant, waiting for the perfect tenant, Boyd said.

"There are certain folks that we are still working with to try and get them what's called paper ready. It's a very challenging process, when you've been unhoused. You need to have documentation, you need to have proof of income, you have to sign a lot of paperwork." 

Young people living at Joan's Place sign three-year agreements that include a list of goals the tenant must work toward to eventually move out and live independently, Boyd said.

As tenants move into the building, the people who worked to create the space are looking forward to a well-deserved breather, she added. 

"We're always looking for what gaps exist now that that we've filled this one, so I think it'll be an assessment. And hopefully, some stability and calm," Boyd said.

"Conversations about Joan's Place have been ongoing with so many different dreams and visions. I think we're finally at this place now where we get to celebrate."