Na-Me-Res celebrates official opening of ‘housing with support’ building for Indigenous men on Coxwell Avenue
By ALAN SHACKLETON
The Na-Me-Res housing facility for Indigenous men celebrated its official opening recently on Coxwell Avenue.
The “housing with support” building provides 20 homes for men leaving the shelter system or currently dealing with homelessness.
Located at 230 Coxwell Ave., the four-storey building is called Wiigwaasinaagan (meaning Birch Bark Bowl in Ojibway) has 17 one-bedroom units and three studio units.
Na-Me-Res is a community organization providing support to Indigenous men experiencing homelessness who trying to transition from the shelter system to more permanent housing. The organization has been around since 1985 and runs five other similar facilities, all of which are located in Toronto and in total provide 76 units.
Among the dignitaries attending the July 28 opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony were Na-Me-Res Executive Director Steve Teekens, Ontario Association Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Graydon Smith; Toronto-Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher; Chief Executive Officer of NICHI (National Indigenous Co-operative Housing Inc.) John Gordon; and President of the Miziwe Biik Development Corporation (MBDC) Nancy Martin.
“For our team at Na-Me-Res, Wiigwaasinaagan is about much more than opening a new building,” said Teekens at the ceremony.
“It means 20 Indigenous men who have experienced homelessness will now have a safe, deeply affordable place to call home. We all know the importance of having a special place to call home and the difference it can make in someone’s life.”
Direct funding for the 230 Coxwell building came from the federal and provincial governments along with incentives from the City of Toronto.
According to a City of Toronto news release on July 28, the city invested more than $2 million in capital funding and incentives (including development charge exemptions and waived fees) towards the Wiigwaasinaagan building.
“The project was also supported through a $5.8 million investment by the federal government, over $1.7 million in federal-provincial funding, and over $1.1 million in provincial funding through the MBDC. The project also received nearly $3 million through the National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc.,” said the news release.
Fletcher pointed out that the neighbours and broader community around the new building has been extremely supportive of the Wiigaasinaagan project.
“This is a beautiful new addition in our community,” said Fletcher, pointing out the support shown by such local groups as the Food Hub at Glen Rhodes Church and the Applegrove Community Centre.
“This a compassionate and liveable community, and that’s why we invited so many supporters here today to show the welcoming nature of the community,” she said.
For more information on Na-Me-Res, please go to https://www.nameres.org/
