Women’s Shelters

Hilditch Architect has worked on a large number of women’s shelters over the last thirty years. These include:

Red Door Family Shelter
Nellie's Women's Shelter
Women’s Habitat renovations in 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003 and 2015
Maison d'hébergement pour femmes francophones
Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region—feasibility study
Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter
YWCA Toronto Arise
Interval House, Toronto
Inasmuch House for Mission Services of Hamilton
Anduyaun—design studies
Women In Transition Spadina House
Women In Transition Bloor House
As well, we have worked for related women’s organizations such as:

The Jean Tweed Centre
YWCA Toronto
YWCA Hamilton
YWCA Canada
Women’s Resource Centre
Assaulted Women’s Helpline
Canadian Mothercraft
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Women’s shelters traditionally try to create a welcoming and home-like setting for the women & children who call the facility their home over the course of several months to close to a year.

This photo of the kitchen in Women’s Habitat illustrates that type of setting.
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We created a new women’s shelter for Mission Services of Hamilton with their Inasmuch House project, and later added additional capacity based on the success of the facility. Here, a view of the children’s play area.
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The new Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter in Toronto provided much needed accessible beds in the sector when it opened in 2007. Here, a view of a family bedroom.
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Toronto’s Interval House has the distinction of being Canada’s first women’s shelter. We created a new home for Interval House in 2004, shown in this photo.

Shelters for People Experiencing Homelessness

Hilditch Architect has worked on a large number of shelters for people experiencing homelessness over the last thirty years. These include:

George Street Revitalization
The Salvation Army New Hope Leslieville
YMCA Toronto's Vanauley YMCA
Bethlehem United Shelter
FVC Women's Hostel
Heyworth House
Na-Me-Res Tumivut
Our Place Peel Youth Shelter
Seaton House
Youth Without Shelter
As well, we have worked for related support organizations such as:

Breaking The Cycle
Dixon Hall
Fred Victor
The Stop Community Kitchen and Food Bank
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The City of Toronto has posted an update on our work with Montgomery Sisam Architects on the George Street Revitalization project, “the site of the existing Seaton House shelter for men, George Street Revitalization will mean the creation of a dynamic mix of housing and programs for homeless and vulnerable seniors alongside the delivery of services to meet the needs of a vibrant and mixed downtown neighbourhood. This is city-building to make a more welcoming and safe street--all in the context of the broader Downtown East Revitalization.

City Council unanimously approved George Street Revitalization in principle in summer 2013. Program plans are being developed with the input of many stakeholders. To date, these plans include five areas:
  • A long-term care home with 378 beds
  • A 100-bed emergency shelter for men
  • An innovative 130-bed "transitional living" service for men and women who need more care than traditional supportive housing can provide, but less than what a long-term care home involves
  • A service hub for program clients as well as members of the surrounding community
  • 21 units of affordable housing with supports
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Check out this page for more detail on The Salvation Army’s New Hope Leslieville shelter.
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Check out this page for more detail on YMCA’s Vanauley Shelter
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With this project, located in North York, we created a new shelter for men, women and couples experiencing homelessness. The shelter is carved out of half a former industrial building, with a new outdoor courtyard providing secure outdoor space away from the street. The shelter is pet-friendly, and bright and airy.
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Occupying an historic building which we renovated in the 1990s, Fred Victor’s Women’s Hostel provides shelter for women experiencing homelessness.