What's New

New Program Opens in the Jane & Finch Neighbourhood

In September 2008, LOFT Program Director Debra Walko drove into the parking lot of a seniors’ public housing building in the Jane/Finch area. She walked into an empty office and, with the help of only two staff, began to create LOFT’s newest housing support program.

Called Crosslinks Seniors Supportive Housing Services, this new program, like Dunn Avenue and College View, will serve seniors resident in public housing, who are living with complex challenges including physical and mental health and addiction issues, social isolation and poverty, most with little or no support from friends or family.

This is LOFT’s first foray into the Jane and Finch area, a part of Toronto where social services are terribly under-represented, and our partners in the project: Downsview Services to Seniors, Jane/Finch Community & Family Centre, Humber River Hospital and Toronto Community Housing Corporation, have welcomed LOFT to the neighbourhood. By the time the program opened, November 24th, it had a full staff contingent, and more than 50 potential clients had already been referred by our partners and other community agencies.

It is expected that the client list will very quickly reach the currently funded maximum of 150, which will make this newest program also LOFT’s largest program for older adults and seniors.