Poverty and mental health are deeply interwoven. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, poverty and its varying causes such as unemployment, disability, and family breakdown are often the underlying causes of mental illness. Furthermore, mental illness can often lead to unemployment, disability, and family breakdown[i]. It’s a chicken and egg scenario with devastating consequences to those caught in the cycle. The Family Central, located in Aylmer, is trying to break that cycle by addressing both mental illness and poverty at the same time.
The folks at the Family Central understand the connection between mental illness and poverty and how each issue can create barriers to solving the other. They decided to create a program that would help community members secure supportive mental health care, as an important step to acquiring safe and affordable housing. With help from the Kindred Credit Union Charitable Fund, they have established a Mental Health Access Fund, to provide community members with the treatment they need in order to reach their full potential.
The Family Central began in 2013, when a group of churches in Aylmer prayerfully decided to purchase an apartment building and restore it to provide for those in need. In 2014, a restaurant was opened on the ground floor, followed by apartments above in 2015. The eight apartments currently house both singles and families with children. The restaurant operates on a “pay what you can” model and serves over 60 meals per day. It’s run almost entirely by volunteers, with most of the food donated by businesses and community members.
The Family Central also runs a supportive, transitional housing program, designed to move people from the shelter system to permanent housing. They’ve repeatedly found that community members’ inability to access mental healthcare can sabotage their ability to find, and keep permanent, safe, and affordable housing. “Potential landlords are reluctant to take on a tenant exhibiting signs of mental illness,” states Albert Loewen, Executive Director of the Family Central. As well, tenants struggling with mental illness can sometimes make choices that cause them to face eviction. By accessing the mental healthcare that they need, these tenants increase their chances of finding a permanent housing solution.
According to Sean Doyle who works at the Family Central, “we are always learning about how we can better meet the needs of community members.” That said, Kindred is pleased to support their valuable work that gives community members in Aylmer the support they need for a brighter future.
[i] https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/poverty-and-mental-illness/