Last week, members of Wesley’s housing team and CEO Rashed Afif attended the National Conference on Ending Homelessness (CAEH25) in Montreal. This annual event brings together organizations leading Canada’s movement to end homelessness to learn, connect, and accelerate progress.
Rashed had the opportunity to join leaders from Good Shepherd Hamilton, the City of Hamilton, and Refuge Newcomer Health to present “Supporting Successful Newcomer Housing and Community Integration.” The session showcased innovative, collaborative models that are helping communities respond to the needs of refugee claimants and asylum seekers.
During his presentation, Rashed shared how our Asylum Seeker Assistance Program (ASAP) and the broader Collaborative Refugee Housing Model were developed in partnership with local agencies and supported by the City of Hamilton. Together, these efforts have created 85 temporary housing beds and provided integrated case management services. By combining housing, health, employment, and settlement support to help newcomers transition from shelters to independent living, we’ve been able to provide individuals and families with a smoother start in their new home.
It’s amazing to see what happens when local systems come together to deliver a model rooted in flexibility, community, and a shared purpose. We’re proud to share that the success of this collaboration has helped highlight the impact of partnership.
But the work is not done, and we will continue to address the ongoing need for sustainable, long-term services, thanks to our supporters, and are hopeful that in the coming years we will start to see these efforts replicated across the country.
