Daybreak

http://www.daybreakhousing.com/
Year Published:  1984
Resource Type:  Organization
Cx Number:  CX3007

Abstract: 
DAYBREAK is a non-profit shelter corporation whose volunteer members belong to five different church denominations all located in the inner city of Ottawa. The objective of DAYBREAK is to acquire, through purchase, lareg-sized older homes, to provide residential facilities for single people who have, or have had social, physical or emotional problems and who, financially, cannot afford rooming house accomodation.

There has been a noticeable diminution of rooming/board houses in the area. There are currently less than 200 rooming houses in the inner city. To purchase any of these would defeat the purpose of maintaining an adequate stock of rooming houses. The conversion of older homes in the metro core for resale as single family homes is already diminishing the availability of housing for people on low and/or fixed incomes. What DAYBREAK is seeking are larger, older homes which are presently unoccupied, or soon to be. The Corporation has been seeking the assistance of citizens in the community to alert DAYBREAK to opportunities at an early date.

Early in 1980, a group of United churches in the inner city undertook a study of problem of housing for both single persons and families in their area. The impetus for the study was the 1979 "Report on Major Social Needs of the Central Area of Ottawa."

DAYBREAK was incorporated in 1982. At present they operate two houses, one for men and one for women. As a general policy DAYBREAK homes are based on a Christian approach to life and are founded to help people live together in a community of mutual acceptance. The criteria for residence is designed to provide a caring, home environment where residents may find, fora reasonable period of time, a supportive atmosphere at an affordable cost.

DAYBREAK homes are not treatment centres. Applications with social adjustment problems are required to have a six-month period of independent living prior to acceptance. For those with social adjustments problems, other support facilities already exist in the community. The ultimate objective of DAYBREAK is to own and operate several residence in the inner city of Ottawa with a resident co-ordinator in each house.

This abstract was published in the Connexions Digest in 1984.