Toronto Sun Newspaper
A transition to bank on
Sunday, February 11, 2007 Tag: 0702110486 Edition: Final Section: News Length: 30 lines Page: 20 BY JACK BOLAND, SUN MEDIA A one-year pilot project to help the homeless move from transitional to affordable housing has some feeling like kings of their castles. The Independent Living Accounts project -- designed and managed by Social and Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI) -- was implemented at four shelters in Toronto between 2005-06. "It has shown me that you have to do something for yourself, because somebody is not always going to be there to do it for you," said Fred Greene, 47, who now lives at a home near Davenport Rd. and Dufferin Ave. and has a full-time job as a machinist. "I have a backyard with cherry trees, bought my own barbecue last summer, got some Muskoka chairs," Greene said Friday. "I love it and I love my neighbours." "My self-esteem has grown tremendously and my confidence is right up there having a good job," he said. SEDI director Barbara Gosse said the project was designed to see if people in shelters could be helped to accumulate sufficient savings so they could move to affordable rental housing. "I think 82% of them said they feel secure in saying they will live independently for the rest of their lives," she said.