Adsum House
Women, families, youth and trans individuals seeking emergency shelter arrive to Adsum House with diverse experiences and a wide variety of challenges. For some, this might be a first experience of homelessness. Others may have a long experience with transient life and return to Adsum when they need a safe place to stay while figuring out what comes next.
The shelter is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Client support workers are always available and oversee intakes, discharges, support and crisis intervention, and any residential issues that arise. Program staff facilitates activities in the evenings. The household coordinator ensures that there are home-cooked meals every day. Two social workers work more closely with residents to help diminish barriers, access community resources and ideally, find safe, affordable housing. This can involve support counseling, advocacy, information and referrals to other service providers.
At Adsum, we know first-hand how poverty, systemic discrimination, gender inequality, racism, disabilities, and trauma intersect and create layered barriers to securing stable housing. Adsum clients face diverse social and personal obstacles that include, but are not limited to; mental illnesses, lack of education, single-parenthood, addictions, and histories of trauma and violence. The folks we work with are managing complex life challenges, while negotiating systems that further contribute to their marginalization, such as criminal justice, community services, child protection, and immigration systems. Every person’s story is unique. That's why Adsum operates from a client-centered approach, meaning that we get to know an individual and support them in the way that they identify as being most helpful and suitable to their needs. For staff, this may involve lending an ear or providing complex case management that uses various community supports
At times, life at Adsum House can be intense, but we have lots of fun, too. Sharing meals, stories and laughs, we get to know some amazing people who, in many cases, have been dismissed by many and marginalized. We feel fortunate to have this privilege and we are reminded of that every day.
For more information on Adsum House, email adsum@adsumforwomen.org or phone 902-423-5049.
If you require emergency assistance, please call Adsum House at 902-423-4443.
2421 Brunswick Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 2Z4
Phone: 902.423.4443
Fax: 902.423.9336
Email: adsum@adsumforwomen.org