St. Thomas is special to us.
In 2021, we were realizing that homelessness was no longer just in the big cities. Facing a tremendous need, we partnered with the City of St. Thomas to open 15 studio apartments above their public transit office. The City identified the most at-risk individuals, mostly from encampments, based on factors such as length of time experiencing homelessness, vulnerability, and frequency in accessing support services and they moved into their new homes, which came with a uniquely high level of support to ensure residents stayed housed and had the best chance to thrive.
The difference these supportive homes had made only a few months later was noticed by St. Thomas Police Chief Chris Herridge:
"Thanks to a recent partnership between Indwell and the City of St. Thomas, we have already experienced an 80%+ reduction in police occurrences in the downtown core. A significant number of our calls for service are mental health and addictions related, and obviously housing, along with wraparound services, play a crucial part of that role. Housing and support programs, not handcuffs or incarceration, is the humane way to successfully address the social challenges we are facing. I definitely look forward to Indwell continuing to enhance their presence in our community.”
