Westwood Manor is a space to find healing, hope and community.


By: Jasmine Salazar

Located north of downtown Edmonton, Westwood Manor is a 20-unit Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) program operated by Mustard Seed. Many residents have experienced chronic homelessness with barriers that continue to jeopardize their physical and mental health and their ability to retain market housing. 

Permanent Supportive Housing, by definition, provides stable housing paired with wraparound support and care for people with multiple complex needs, including mental health, addictions, trauma and disabilities or physical ailments. At Westwood Manor, residents have access to 24/7 on-site staff and clinical supports to help them on their journey.

But it’s not just on-site supports that are key to the success of the program and its participants. Staff at Westwood Manor have made it a priority for residents to have a positive relationship with each other and their neighbours. Building community has proven to be vital component of recovery and key to the success of any Permanent Supportive Housing program.

Katie Bosse, Westwood Manor’s Housing and Property Manager, recalls a resident who was in and out of homelessness for a long period of time. She had young children that could not live with her due to the precarious housing situation, which also prevented her from seeing them. Moving into Westwood Manor provided her a stable home to reconnect with her children. During her 18-months at Westwood Manor, she was provided with the supports to address her addictions and mental health and improve her overall well-being that enabled her to graduate from the housing first program and move into market housing on her own.

“We really try to purposefully and intentionally create opportunities for community to form between our residents, our staff and the neighbourhood,” says Landon Hildebrand, Director of Housing and Clinical Operations at the Mustard Seed. “We see community as a cure de facto when it comes to working through addictions for the whole spectrum, and as a way to dissociate from previous social lifestyles and connections to addiction.” 

Residents participate in several activities together that establishes positive relationships including Sunday brunch, gardening, volunteering and attending community league events. 

The residents and staff at Westwood Manor are committed to demonstrating to their neighbours that they are a positive presence. This has been achieved through transparency and ongoing conversations with neighbours to build rapport. 

“We’re known in the community as a building that helps. We’ve had community members come knock on our door when they needed help, because they know we are a safe space and a helping place,” says Katie.

For instance, one resident shovels his neighbour’s driveways in winter. He’s been doing it since 2016 and the response has been very positive.

“He’s got some regulars,” Katie adds. “As soon as the snow falls, they call him up. Our neighbours are appreciative for his help.”

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is the cornerstone of Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness.  The Plan calls for the construction of 900 units by 2024 to successfully address homelessness in our city. The City of Edmonton recently approved four new sites around the City for Permanent Supportive Housing which will house up to 150 people by the end of 2022. The location of PSH sites are based on proximity to public transit, amenities and community support based on public consultation and information sharing. There are currently 226 units of Permanent Supportive Housing throughout Edmonton. For more information about permanent supportive housing, click HERE.

Connect With Us


facebook twitter twitter twitter


LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We recognize we are gathered, in collaboration and with joint purpose, on Treaty 6 territory. This territory is the home and gathering place for diverse Indigenous peoples. The Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, Inuit, and many others. We know the importance of the Treaty and our responsibility to these communities and that only in partnership can we create the social change necessary to end homelessness. It is vital that we meaningfully engage and partner with Indigenous people and communities in this work. It is important to recognize and address the conditions brought forth by colonialism. Displacement from traditional homelands, systemic racism, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and the ongoing overrepresentation of Indigenous people in child welfare, correctional systems, and homelessness are responsibilities we all share.