About Us

Objectives

  • To provide safe, accessible and short term emergency housing for individuals over the age of 18 of all gender identities and sexual orientations who are in need of emergency shelter
  • To provide low barrier entry, housing-focused emergency shelter which employs Housing First and Trauma Informed Care strategies
  • To focus policies and procedures to assist clients to rapidly access housing resources, services & programs that will help them attain and retain stable housing solutions
  • To collaborate closely with all aspects of the homelessness service system to support access to and retention of permanent housing and ensure appropriate interventions to prevent a chronic cycle of homelessness
  • To identify local and systemic issues affecting housing insecurity in Northumberland County
  • To orient sheltering models to address local solutions for housing insecurity

Guiding Principles

  • A belief that all people have the right to safe, affordable, accessible housing, without artificial barriers.

  • An understanding that the shelter is not a destination but a step towards rapid and sustainable rehousing.

  • A respect for individual autonomy and belief in the abilities of individuals to make sound decisions regarding their housing solutions and preferences

  • An understanding that in order to maintain adequate accommodation all people must have access to services, programs and supports to help them deal with the underlying and systemic issues of housing insecurity

  • Openness to working collaboratively with community organizations, individuals and governments to help address the issues of housing insecurity and eliminate homelessness

  • Services must respect cultural diversity, gender identity and orientation and  the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Board of Directors

  • Meaghan MacDonald – Board Chair
  • Madison Ciponi – Vice Chair
  • Alison Lester – Secretary
  • Donna Smith – Board Member
  • Alex McPhee – Board Member
  • Tracey Doidge – Board Member
  • Tracy Phillips – Board Member
  • Brad Beaumont – Board Member
  • Executive Director – Ike Nwibe

Our Mission

Transition House Emergency Shelter provides temporary, short-term crisis housing in Northumberland.  The shelter provides services to alleviate people’s immediate housing crisis as a first step to being quickly and permanently re-housed.

What We Are Committed To

 

Quality service that meets community needs

We believe that there is always room for improvement and that we need to be open to exploring new ideas, service delivery models and continually reassess our goals and objectives.

  • Ensure that the strategic directions of Transition House are in support of the County Plan to Address Homelessness Complete a comprehensive community scan every 2 years to ensure the agency is meeting community needs and make service adjustments as required.
  • Continually assess the effectiveness and relevance of the programs and services offered in light of changing community and client demographics
  • Demonstrate an openness to input from stakeholders, clients and staff by seriously considering constructive suggestions for service improvements and making appropriate adjustments where required

Strong partnerships

We believe that collaboration and strong partnerships are built on trust, clarity of purpose, and mutual benefit. To achieve this, Transition House intends to examine, define, formalize and prioritize our relationships. Doing this will focus our resources on advancing those partnerships that contribute most to our vision and mission:

  • Assess, support and grow our existing partnerships
  • Develop and build new collaborations and partnerships that will assist Transition House to remove barriers to social inclusion and support and enhance services to people who are experiencing homelessness in Northumberland County

Increased community impact and visibility

We understand that, due to confidentiality issues and the stigma associated with the condition of homelessness, it has been difficult to advance our story in the greater community. We believe that a wider awareness of the problem of homelessness and the services we provide will support the efforts to address the underlying conditions that exists in the County. We will:

  • Develop and support media relationships within the County
  • Develop a community awareness plan and explore opportunities to advance our vision and mission
  • Respond to requests from community partners and supporters for information and clarification of the services Transition House provides
  • Develop a communication plan to engage donors and potential donors in ongoing achievements and activities – Donor satisfaction is imperative, customer satisfaction is important

Fiscal prudence

We understand that we are accountable to our funders and our community for the wise management of our budget. We will demonstrate that we take our financial responsibilities seriously by:

  • Building trusting relationships with community agencies, members and governments as a centre for quality service
  • Exploring all avenues of funding that would support the vision, mission, objectives and strategic directions of Transition House
  • Ensuring forward-thinking financial planning to deal with capital assets maintenance
  • Demonstrating responsible fiscal management that is within the resources available
  • Engaging in fundraiser activities that increase community awareness and support of defined projects
  • Engaging donors and potential donors in the mission and vision of Transition House
  • Click here to access our most recent financial information.