This week's fire in an illegal group home on Oxford Street has exposed how some of London's most vulnerable live, including the the mentally ill or developmentally disabled living in unsafe and unsanitary spaces.

But for a small percentage of people who need supportive housing it isn't that way, especially at The Dutsch Residence.

It's a nondescript home in the south end of the city where eight adults with a variety of mental health issues reside.

"Housing isn't just a roof over your head- its has to provide people with supports that allow them to stay healthy and become part of the community and be involved in their own well being and life," says Sarah Dutsch with the Ontario Homes for Special Needs Association.

The Dutsch Residence is a special place where meals are planned weeks in advance and where children's art is posted on the fridge.

It's a stark contrast to what was was found at an illegal group home on Oxford Street on Monday where a fire took a resident's life last week.

"It's awful. It shouldn't happen, its simply wrong. The fact that it happens is a sign that we're not doing enough as a community, as a province as a country to house our most vulnerable," adds Dutsch.

Dutsch does her job- providing 24 hour supervision to her tenants, making their meals and guiding them through structure and activities.

There's monthly fire drills, tea and homemade snacks and overall sense of compassion.

The province funds 12,500 beds across the province but the need for these spaces is easily tenfold and without more funding many of our community's most vulnerable are likely to end up on the streets, in jail or unsafe living conditions.

This year the province will spend $68 million on these spaces or about $5400 dollars per resident.

There's no commitment to spend more.

"But if you compare the cost of homes for special care or housing with supports to the costs of housing people in nursing homes, in jails or in psychiatric hospitals its a lot higher," says Dutsch.