Dorothy Day Place

35 Arkledun Ave
Hamilton ON

Director: Tessa Mcfadzean

Dorothy Day Place is a supportive housing program for women (2-Spirit, trans and cis), non-binary and gender diverse people impacted by homelessness. Studio apartments provide permanent housing with on-site flexible supports that promote dignity and autonomy for people who face personal and structural barriers to accessing and maintaining housing.

The program is staffed 24 hours a day. Residents have access to individualized supports (goal planning, referral, advocacy, etc.) geared to enhancing housing stability, health and community engagement. Group programming is also offered on-site and is informed by, and tailored to, the unique needs of residents.

Partnerships are critical to Good Shepherd’s commitment to multi-disciplinary supports at Dorothy Day Place. Some of the partnerships we have cultivated to date include:

St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Womankind provides addiction attendants 24 hours a day to lead addiction and harm reduction services. In partnership with Good Shepherd, residents are
offered opioid prevention planning, harm reduction information and supplies, addiction supports, assessment and referral.

Hamilton Regional Indian Centre works collectively with Good Shepherd to offer culturally relevant supports and services to Indigenous residents. A formal partnership agreement
between Hamilton Regional Indian Centre and Good Shepherd facilitates referrals into Dorothy Day, as well as to build capacity within the frontline team through education and workshops. Currently, 17% of the residents identify as Indigenous.

Shelter Health Network offers a weekly clinic for residents of Dorothy Day Place to access primary medical care on-site.