<aside> 🛠 Charlotte Morley Makayla Horton Li Jun Long
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St John’s faces a on going and worsening homelessness crisis driven by structural failures such as sever shortage of affordable housing, inadequate access to health and mental health supports. The scale of the issue has escalated dramatically, with homelessness rates more than tripling in the past three years. Within this population 68% (1) of individuals experience chronic homelessness often facing complex challenges such as physical disabilities (53%)(1) and mental illness (74%) (1), requiring long-term support. Men make up approximately 67% (2) of the homeless population, many of whom lack access to stable permanent housing and even emergency shelters targeted just for them. This crisis is also affecting families, with increasingly exposed to housing, insecurity, creating long-term social and economic consequences.
Our solution addresses St. John’s homelessness increased crisis by retrofitting a vacant downtown building into a secure, dorm style residential community for unhoused males. By shifting away from overcrowded shelters, individual “shoebox” rooms guarantee privacy, safety and safe space our target group desperately needed. This model is technically feasible and financially viable, why ? Adaptive reuse of existing infrastructure is faster and more cost-effective than new construction, while its downtown location maximizes access to existing resources. To ensure environmental sustainability, we integrate solar panels to lower operational costs. Finally, shared amenities such as a cafeteria, communal spaces with optional story-sharing groups and a 24/7 therapy room-make the project socially friendly and impactful, helping the residents build supportive networks, share responsibility, create a sense of “home” where they can be at ease and helping them transition smoothly towards long-term stability.
While these solutions remain theoretical at this stage, they provide a foundational roadmap for addressing our most anticipated challenges.