By Fred Alvarado
Fred is a community journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE.

Street Haven is a multiservice agency that supports women and LGBTQIA2S+ community members in the Downtown East area with fully integrated and diverse services such as emergency shelter, supportive housing, an addiction treatment program, and a learning centre.

Street Haven’s 50-bed emergency shelter provides women experiencing homelessness a place to stay, meals, clothing, counselling, and medical care. It is for women facing challenges with mental health, addiction, living in poverty, wanting to enhance life skills and to find a welcoming and inclusive space in which to rebuild their lives.

On September 26th, Street Haven, Canada’s first women’s shelter, celebrated their achievements in supporting homeless women in the Downtown East core at their annual general meeting. The event took place at the Regent Park Community Centre 402 Shuter St Banquet Hall and was moderated by Street Haven’s Executive Director Siu Mee Cheng and Street Haven’s Board of Directors Chair Sheryl Song.

The meeting agenda included:

1. Street Haven 2023 AGM
2. 2022-23 A Year in Review & Looking Ahead
3. Walpole Award Winner: 2023 Outstanding Community Partner, Jessica Bell and Kristyn Wong-Tam, Members of Provincial Parliament, University-Rosedale and Toronto-Centre, respectively.
4. Guest Speaker, Theresia Makumi: An African Refugee's Journey and Street Haven Experience
5. Guest Speaker, Andrew Heisz, Director, Statistics Canada, Perspectives on Housing Trends in Canada, Ontario and Toronto. For this presentation, Andrew Heisz presented census data and socio-demographic and housing trends for the Regent Park neighbourhood and explored how the revitalization efforts have had an impact in specific areas of Regent Park.

In 2022-2023, Street Haven has seen a significant need for support for women and members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community as every night their shelter is filled to capacity due to the scarcity of affordable housing in Toronto.