Local supportive housing project gets big boost from Airbnb

CMHA Thames Valley’s ‘The Hills’ housing complex received a $100,000 donation from Airbnb for its 33 supportive units. Reta Ismail explains.

A new supportive housing project in London is getting a financial boost from Airbnb.

The company says six Ontario-based organizations will share more than $660,000 through the Airbnb Community Fund this year. The donations are aimed at supporting initiatives that address abuse and exploitation, combat human trafficking, and strengthen services for vulnerable communities.

According to Airbnb, the funding will help organizations provide essential supports such as safe housing, counselling and community-based care for survivors of human trafficking and others at risk.

In London, the funding will support work by the Canadian Mental Health Association Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services (CMHATV) . The organization plans to use the donation to furnish units in a new supportive housing development at 250 Hill St.

Alex Howell, Airbnb’s policy lead for Canada, says the local organization stood out because of its track record supporting vulnerable people.

“Locally donating to this organization and others like it was identified as a key priority from our hosts for the 2025-26 giving program,” Howell said. “We wanted to make sure we were supporting organizations our hosts appreciate having in their communities, and this was an obvious choice.”

Dean Astolfi, CMHATV’s vice-president of supportive housing and program development, says the funding will help make the new apartments feel like home.

“For us, that helps give furnishing and comfort to the people who are going to move into our new apartment building,” Astolfi said. “We have the funding for the building, but sometimes to make it a home you need the furnishings inside, and this really helps us with that.”

The project, known as The Hills, is designed to support people experiencing mental health or addiction challenges. The four-storey building in the city’s SoHo neighbourhood will include 33 units and is expected to be completed next spring.