Six new transitional housing beds in Sudbury

Greater Sudbury is funding six new transitional beds, which have been added to the Safe Harbour House on Cedar Street.

Six new transitional beds have been added to the Safe Harbour House on Cedar Street in Sudbury.

They’re operated by the Elizabeth Fry Society with funding from the city.

The goal of adding the beds is to help homeless women and gender-diverse people secure permanent housing and be successful living there.

“Transitional housing allows people to live in community with each other and learn together and really rebuild some of the skills that they may need or may have lost along the way,” said Cory Roslyn, Elizabeth Fry Society executive director.

“Some of the things we will be working on are budgeting, cooking, how to maintain an apartment, how to navigate a relationship with your landlord.”

Safe Harbour House also offers 15 overnight emergency shelter beds. Roslyn said participants in the transitional housing program can stay 24-7 at Safe Harbour, which offers safety and stability.

“When we are offering only nighttime emergency shelter when someone leaves in the morning, they have to carry their whole life, everything that they own on their back around with them,” she said.

“On a rainy day in the summer or a blizzard cold day in the winter, that’s a really difficult thing to do.”

The transitional beds are funded by the City of Greater Sudbury. In a statement, the city said the beds are meant to be temporary housing as people move from homelessness to permanent housing.

“It offers a bridge between emergency shelters and long-term housing, providing structure, supervision, and support services to build life skills and self-sufficiency.”

Officials with Elizabeth Fry said women and gender-diverse people participating in the program must be on the city’s by-name housing list and have been homeless for more than six months.