Apartments that were once overrun by drugs and crime now turn into safe living options for people who are combating their addictions.
Haley Harrington, 21, is sober for 7 months, and she finds hope for a new life in one of such apartments. Her own suite in a building on Jarvis Avenue makes the girl feel comfortable and safe.
Harrington was looking for a new place to live, study, and the possibility to completely forget about her addiction. Therefore, she gladly jumped on the opportunity.
Chris D'Souza started the program called Multicultural addictions recovery and supports. He turned for help to the building owner and rented 20 apartments. This way the guy created good conditions for people who need to start a new life.
He said that he received funding from private sources to pay for the rental of apartments that he uses for his program. Employment and Income Assistance Program covers part of each participant's rent.
Now D'Souza is working to turn one more building in the West End into a similar place. Many of the apartments in this building are empty, but before they were full of drug addicts and there were a lot of crimes there. The building is in very poor condition, but Chris plans to make it suitable for life.
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