{"id":10118,"date":"2025-05-08T15:09:25","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T19:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluedoor.ca\/?p=10118"},"modified":"2025-05-13T15:10:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T19:10:25","slug":"had-big-impact-york-region-housing-advocate-departing-as-blue-door-ceo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluedoor.ca\/had-big-impact-york-region-housing-advocate-departing-as-blue-door-ceo\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Had big impact’: York Region housing advocate departing as Blue Door CEO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Posted On: May 8, 2025, Posted by: Joseph Quigley, Original Article <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Braithwaite is moving on to join youth mental health charity Jack.org as CEO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more than five years, Blue Door CEO Michael Braithwaite has championed solutions for more affordable housing and ending homelessness in York Region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Braithwaite has led the housing and homelessness charity in several major projects in that time, including the launch of a new community land trust, housing projects like Kevin’s Place in Newmarket, a successful podcast and a trades training program called Construct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But he is leaving the role at the end of the month, seeking a new challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love Blue Door. I’m very proud of the work that we\u2019ve done and continue to do. I’m proud of the amazing team and this incredible community that has supported the work,\u201d Braithwaite said. \u201cFor me, I think it was time to move on to a new challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Braithwaite announced May 7 that he would be joining youth mental health charity Jack.org as its new president and CEO starting June 16. Jack.org is a Toronto-based charity, offering youth a space to learn about mental health, seek professional health and support from peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Braithwaite said he felt that Blue Door has the right leaders in place, as it brings more projects to fruition. He will depart Blue Door May 23, with COO Emmy Kelly to step into the interim CEO role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor me, part of it was, I think it\u2019s time to step out of the way and let the next leader do their thing and bring us to new levels,\u201d he said. \u201cFor me, it was just time. The organization is in a really good place. It\u2019s set to do great things.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that he has always been passionate about supporting vulnerable youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe live in a world where access to mental health care remains inequitable, particularly for youth. It is an honour to join the Jack.org team to continue its vital work to ensure youth have the mental health support they need,\u201d Braithwaite said in a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jack.org board chair Zach Pendley said Braithwaite brings experience and integrity to the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have every confidence that Jack.org and young people in Canada are in capable and compassionate hands with Michael at the helm,\u201d Pendley said in a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked to reflect on how housing and homelessness has developed over the past five years, Braithwaite said the need was great when he joined Blue Door in 2019. But with the impact of the pandemic, he said the need has only become greater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat need has only grown and got worse because of affordability issues. The cost of everything, including food, transportation, but our biggest cost, housing, has continued to climb at unprecedented rates,\u201d Braithwaite said. \u201cIt\u2019s made the challenge that much more tougher \u2026 Blue Door, to its credit, has continued to rally and increase its output, matching that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newmarket Mayor John Taylor, who is also chair of Housing York, said he has mixed emotions seeing Braithwaite depart. He said he is leaving for a worthy cause, but Braithwaite has also been a great partner supporting work in housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been an amazing partner, but I also know Blue Door will continue its great work,\u201d he said, adding Braithwaite has led Blue Door to take on significant projects like the community land trust. \u201cHe has grown the profile and the impact of the organization in his time there \u2026 He\u2019d had a big impact and I\u2019m sure he will have an impact on Jack.org<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many members of the York Region community offered their congratulations to Braithwaite as he changes roles.

“You’ve been a great champion in the sector. All the best in your next chapter,” 360\u00b0kids CEO Clovis Grant said on social media.

“It\u2019s been a fabulous opportunity to learn from you, witness your compassion, your energy and efforts firsthand!” Community Living Central York CEO Andrew Fagan said on social media. “Thank you for being an incredible colleague, mentor and friend.”

“I know you will be going to a place that will meet your own personal goals and I wish you well,” Aurora Councillor Ron Weese said on social media. “I am however sorry to see such an accomplished housing advocate move on and can only hope our paths cross further.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue Door has worked to expand its shelter spaces in recent years, and is working to do another expansion at its 835 Gorham St. property, Kevin\u2019s Place. The organization has also launched and expanded a Construct program over the years, a rapid-training program to get more people into the construction sector, expanding steadily into other communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNone of what has happened at Blue Door has happened because of any individual,\u201d Braithwaite said, stressing that the advancements have been a team effort. \u201cAt the end of the day, what I\u2019m most proud of is, we\u2019ve been able to expand and offer more services to those people who need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But making those projects happen is also thanks to a supportive community, Braithwaite said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to thank the community for their support and understanding and dedication to creating communities that aren\u2019t just for some, but are for all,\u201d he said, adding it is important that the community continue to support Blue Door and other housing organizations. \u201cThe needle has to continue to move. There\u2019s lots of work still to be done \u2026 It\u2019s only when we work together and function as a whole community, that real change is going happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Posted On: May 8, 2025, Posted by: Joseph Quigley, Original Article Michael Braithwaite is moving on to join youth mental health charity Jack.org as CEO For more than five years, Blue Door CEO Michael Braithwaite has championed solutions for more affordable housing and ending homelessness in York Region. Braithwaite has led the housing and homelessness […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":10119,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t