Brentwood Recovery Home will use a $300,000 grant from the RONA Foundation to expand accessible transitional housing as the organization faces growing demand for addiction recovery services. The funding, awarded through the RONA Foundation’s 2026 Build from the Heart campaign, will support the construction of two fully accessible transitional housing units with three beds each, along with a new laundry facility and a wheelchair-accessible outdoor trail. “The need has never been greater. We’ve got a waitlist that’s in the two- to three-month range for people to access our services,” said Russ Robinet, Brentwood Recovery Home’s director of corporate services. Robinet said the transitional housing units are designed for people who complete Brentwood’s 90-day residential treatment program but have nowhere safe or stable to go afterward. “So after spending three months of energy and resources and helping people, if they just go back to the same place that they were — and a lot of times is on the street — then the success rates are not going to be very high,” he said. He said the transitional housing program allows residents to remain for up to six months while rebuilding their lives, reconnecting with family and returning to work, all while continuing to access recovery supports. Brentwood currently offers transitional housing, but none of the units are fully accessible. “So, there’s obviously a barrier to access and the service,” Robinet said. “One of the three projects that this money is going to allow us to do is … turn them into two large three-bed, fully accessible rooms with the high-low beds and the roll-in showers and the ramp entrances.” Robinet told CTV News that improving long-term recovery outcomes could also help reduce pressure on the organization’s wait list. “I think every positive impact we have on this population also has a positive impact on our wait list because we’re not seeing the same recidivism rates, we’re not seeing relapses,” he said. The national Build from the Heart campaign is distributing $1 million this year to seven non-profit organizations across Canada supporting construction or major renovation projects that improve housing and living environments for vulnerable Canadians. Brentwood was selected as Ontario’s recipient. “The project really stood out because it addresses several important needs that we had, and it really aligned with the overall RONA Foundation, which is around improving the quality of life of Canadians,” said Catherine Laporte, chief digital and marketing officer at RONA and president of the RONA Foundation’s board of directors. Laporte said the combination of accessible transitional housing and supportive amenities made Brentwood’s proposal a strong fit for the foundation’s goals. Construction has already begun, with Brentwood obtaining quotes and completing preliminary work on the new laundry facility. Robinet said all three projects are expected to be completed well before the end of 2027. “It validates what we do,” Robinet said of the grant. “Getting grants like this from RONA allows us to take on a few more kind of passion projects or things that really improve the quality of life for the community that we serve. But we just can’t afford to do it ourselves.”
