Luso Canadian Charitable Society recently celebrated the groundbreaking of a new supportive housing residence in Hamilton for adults living with physical and/or developmental disabilities.
The event, which took place on Sept. 10, was attended by Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath.
The project is located at 922 Main Street East in Hamilton, which is currently home to the vacant Trinity Baptist Church.
The location is just west of Gage Park.
The church, which was built in 1924, will be refurbished, and a six-storey residence will be constructed on the parking lot.
The project will include 30 units and will house 45 people.
The $25-million project received $16 million from the Government of Ontario in the 2025 budget and has also been supported with $2.7 million from the federal government.
The City of Hamilton waived almost $500,000 in development charges for the project.
However, Luso is still aiming to raise $7 million through a capital campaign. Details on supporting that campaign can be found here.
Luso has operated for more than 20 years and already has a centre on Barton Street in Hamilton near Lottridge Street, where they run day programs.
They also have locations in Toronto and Mississauga.
The organization was formed by a group of businessmen in the Portuguese community in Toronto and originally called “The Society of Portuguese Disabled Persons of Ontario,” before expanding to those of all ethnicities.
While Luso already has in-centre programs and services and a respite care program that offers short-term residential stays, the organization calls their Residential Building Campaign “the next stepping stone in the history of our organization and the community we serve.”
They say that over the past few years, they have been approached by many families who worry about who will take care of their disabled children when they are no longer able to.
There are two projects planned as part of Luso’s Residential Building Campaign, with the other facility planned for Toronto.
With the support of the City of Toronto, Luso has reportedly been able to purchase an entire floor in a new 30-storey condominium at 290 Old Weston Road.
That floor will accommodate 28 individuals and will also allow aging parents to purchase a unit in the building.
All donations will be used to cover expenses associated with the construction of the residences.
The Hamilton location will have activity areas on the lower level and first floor of the new residential building, a dining area on the second floor and 30 suites on the second to sixth floors.
It will also have a rooftop patio for outdoor space.
The refurbished church will include a kitchen and dining area, activity areas, and space for administrative uses.
Day programs at the facility are expected to host 120 people, up from the current 80 at the Barton Street location.
Day programs include life skills workshops, well-being activities, socialization, community integration, technology training, creative arts, and sensory experiences.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
