Safer Communities for Everyone
Without housing, it’s incredibly difficult to care for your mental health, stay employed, or plan for the future. For many people in our region — including youth, newcomers, women fleeing violence, and individuals living on low incomes — finding and keeping safe housing has become increasingly out of reach.
At United Way Elgin Middlesex, we help people access the supports they need to obtain and maintain stable, permanent housing. We work with community partners to remove barriers, strengthen housing stability, and advocate for long-term solutions.
Your support helps people move from uncertainty to stability — and brings our community closer to a future where everyone has a place to call home.
The Issue
Housing is out of reach for too many people in our region. Rising rents, limited supply, and low incomes are making it increasingly difficult for individuals and families to find and keep safe, suitable housing.
The waitlist for affordable housing has grown to over 7,500 households, and rental prices have increased by 15.7% in just one year. For many families, the choice has become impossible: pay the rent or buy food.
Stable housing is the foundation for health and well-being but without the right supports, too many people face significant barriers to achieving housing stability.
1,498
people were homeless in the City of London as of November 2025
62%
increase in the number of Middlesex County households spending more than 30% of their income on housing
30%
of London’s homeless population is Indigenous, yet Indigenous people represent only 2.6% of London’s total population
How United Way Helps
We fund Housing First–aligned programs that help people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness find, access, and maintain safe, permanent housing.
Our funded partners help people by providing:
- Housing search and navigation
- One-to-one support to maintain housing
- Connections to health, income, and community services
- Safety planning and crisis support
We don’t provide housing directly— we help people
access the supports that make long-term housing
stability possible.
You Can Help
Housing is a human right and together, we can make it a reality.
Our Community Partnerships
United Way Elgin Middlesex collaborates with frontline housing and support organizations that help people find and maintain safe, stable housing.
Through your support, we fund 7 agencies and 7 programs, with an annual investment of $795,500 dedicated to strengthening housing stability across our communities.
Together, these partnerships help people move from uncertainty to stability.
Housing Stability Program
Pathways to Hope: The INN Essentials and Wrap-Around Services
Breaking the Cycle of Post-Incarceration Homelessness
Housing Stability Program
Supportive Housing Program
Housing Stability Program
Supportive Housing Program
To see more on all funded programs follow the link below.
Our Impact
In 2024-2025, United Way–funded programs provided:
326
people to maintain housing for at least one year
16,218
shelter or motel nights
409
increased social connectedness in housing programs
Community-Led Solutions
United Way Elgin Middlesex strengthens its impact through community-led approaches that place local voices at the centre of decision-making. By bringing together residents, service providers, and community leaders, we identify local priorities, address service gaps, and invest in solutions that respond to the unique needs of each community — particularly for those living in or at risk of poverty.
Strathroy-Caradoc Connection Centre & Supportive Housing Project:
United Way Elgin Middlesex is advancing a locally driven housing and connection project in Strathroy-Caradoc that brings supportive housing together with a community Connection Centre. Shaped by local leaders, partners, and lived experience, this initiative focuses on improving access to housing, mental health supports, and essential services in a rural setting.
Our Collaborative Role
United Way Elgin Middlesex plays an active role in community planning. We participate in committees and collaborative tables that strengthen coordination across the social services sector, improve access to supports, and ensure that local strategies reflect community needs.
London Homeless Coalition:
The London Homeless Coalition (LHC) exists to advise, shape and coordinate community responses to homelessness, and related needs to the London area.
Middlesex Homeless Action Committee:
Middlesex Homeless Action Committee (MHAC) brings together community partners and frontline workers from across the social services sector to advise, shape, and coordinate local responses to homelessness and housing instability in Middlesex County.