The Unity Project grew out of a collective action in the summer of 2001 when a group of youth activists, and many of London's homeless, formed a tent city in Campbell Memorial Park to raise public awareness about homelessness and the affordable housing crisis in London. A sense of community developed among these residents, who organized first-aid services, a common kitchen, peer counselling and held daily meetings to identify and solve mutual problems.  London's tent city grew from a peaceful protest in a downtown park into the Unity Project: an organization that provides emergency shelter and transitional housing with a peer-supported community model.  Unity Project is founded on the values of mutual respect, interdependence, cooperation, and compassion.  With the support of hundreds of individuals, social service agencies, city councillors, labour organizations and sizable grants from the City of London and the Canadian Auto Workers Social Justice Fund, Unity Project was able to purchase, renovate and open its own facility on Dundas Street. The shelter opened on August 11, 2003; two years to the day after the occupation of Campbell Park.