Barrie Puts The Rush On Affordable Housing

Looks for community involvement

The City of Barrie may soon have some new weapons in its fight against homelessness. As part of its Affordable Housing Strategy, Council Monday night accepted recommendations from Barrie’s Built Form Task Force and asked city staff to adopt new policies to provide affordable housing in a more timely manner. The recommendations include identifying and expediting affordable housing projects, identifying city-owned land suitable for those projects, and developing a public education plan to let folks know about the need for affordable housing is in Barrie. Another recommendation involves pairing up with community members to help finance housing projects. City staff are expected to come back to council in a few weeks with a plan to implement these recommendations.