Affordable housing, one family at a time

The house sits in a quiet neighbourhood, likely built between 1975 and 1995. Mature trees grace the adjoining lots with sidewalks lining the streets. There’s a front lawn and a private backyard with plenty of room for gardens and growing kids. It’s within walking distance of helpful amenities and recreational trails. What makes this house special, though, isn’t the location or the square footage; it’s the story of how this house is home for a family new to Canada.

National crisis

Recent federal efforts highlight the urgency of affordable housing in Canada. On September 14, 2025, the Government of Canada announced Build Canada Homes, the country’s newest federal agency dedicated to constructing affordable housing, and on February 5, 2026, introduced the Build Canada Homes Act to further support housing development across the country. While this is encouraging news, the pressures those experiencing home insecurity face remain significant.

In Ontario, the St. Catharines Standard reported in February 2024 that the average local rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Niagara region was $1,684 per month, amounting to more than $20,000 a year. Those seeking affordable community housing are directed to contact Niagara Regional Housing (NRH), which works with the Niagara Region to provide and manage affordable housing for residents. The region’s website says 26,000 households are currently waiting for affordable housing, and most applicants spend years on the waitlist before getting housing.

Local response

Back in the summer of 2020, a group of friends from Jubilee Fellowship Church in St. Catharines decided to do something about the problem. Noticing that some people in their church were having difficulty finding affordable housing and recognizing the unique challenges for newcomers to Canada, they founded JustWay Homes. In the words of Linda Lensink, one of the founders, “How could we keep sleeping comfortably in our own house when others don’t have a home?” Further encouragement came from their pastor one Sunday morning in the form of a challenging statement: Worship is more than the Sunday service; worship is in the way we treat each other, particularly those without a lot of social power.

One year later, in 2021, JustWay Homes held its first formal meeting as a Board of Directors. They identified their mission in committing “to relieve poverty by providing residential accommodation at below-market rental rates to individuals in and of low income.” Their hope was to provide transitional housing that would serve as a stepping stone to homeownership.

Five years later, JustWay Homes is now a non-profit corporation with charitable status registered with Partners for Affordable Housing. They serve four families through affordable rental agreements and are committed to providing their tenants with relational support. JustWay Homes is clear: They don’t want to be just landlords. They want to partner with families to find their way forward.

Relying on gifts, grants and volunteers, JustWay Homes has no paid staff. Properties are maintained through the founding team’s hard work and the relationships built with local contractors and other interest holders. When asked if this might create challenges around long-term sustainability, the JustWay Homes President Martin Lensink explained: “We aim to stay small so we can truly connect with the people we serve and the communities we help house. We have no visions of grandeur because that would make it harder to develop relationships with those we want to serve.” It’s a simple model that other communities could adapt as they look for ways to address housing insecurity locally.

Looking ahead

Now at the five-year mark, the founding team of JustWay Homes is reflecting on their work thus far and developing a strategic plan for the future. They continue to work as a team of original founders. They’ve encountered a few challenges along the way that remind them of the importance of creating concise rental agreements and developing specific bylaws. Yet the JustWay Homes founding team maintains that, with every setback, their enthusiasm to do better increases. At this point, while they aren’t actively partnering with anyone, they are aligned in vision with the work of several other local organizations, such as Niagara Life Center, Bethlehem Place (now Second Story Community Homes and Services), Southridge Church and the St. Catharines Development Corporation. JustWay Homes also points to the example of Indwell, an Ontario-based Christian charity that creates affordable housing and related supports, as an inspiration for their initiative.

Last month, I stopped by to visit the family renting that house in the quiet neighbourhood with mature trees and sidewalks. JustWay Homes made it possible for this young family, new to Canada, to call that house home. In the interest of protecting their privacy, I won’t share many details from our conversation, but one moment stayed with me. When I asked one of the children what she liked most about her new home, she said excitedly: “We can walk to the library, the pool, the playground and my school. I get to go in my backyard too!” In her excitement, she captured something simple but profound that all deserve: A home opens the door to everyday, ordinary possibilities.