Simcoe County Gaining Ground On Homelessness

Simcoe County’s 10-year plan to address Housing and Homelessness is ahead of the game.

The plan called for 895 units to be built during phase one of the program – more than a thousand (1017) have been created since the plan’s inception in 2014.

Warden Gerry Marshall says there have been several key factors in the success of the program, “We’re making an impact by investing in multiple strategies, such as secondary suites, new apartment buildings, motel conversions, community improvement plans, financial incentive programs and rural builds to help meet the growing need for more affordable housing in our communities.”

Key achievements from year four

• 1,017 new units created since the Strategy was approved in 2014, including rent supplements, secondary suites, new development, and home ownership down payment assistance; 473 of these units were created in 2017
•  County Council approved a Motel Conversion Pilot Project in June 2017, resulting in the purchase of an existing motel property for conversion into a 17-unit supportive housing project for persons who have experienced homelessness. This project will be executed in partnership with Redwood Park Communities and David Busby Centre. Expected completion in fall 2018
• County Council approved $2 million in funds for affordable housing initiatives in smaller rural development areas, in recognition of the challenges of creating rural affordable housing
• The County filed an expression of interest for provincial Home for Good (HFG) funding and successfully received a HFG funding allocation of $9,789,575 to support both the capital and operating costs of the Motel Conversions Pilot Project in the City of Barrie, as well as a Supportive Housing Project in the City of Orillia, rent supplements and support services funding in community agencies
• A Redevelopment Plan for Simcoe County Housing Corporation, approved in 2017, will support new builds and streamline operations, ensuring more affordable housing units and better service delivery to tenants and county residents
• Progress towards new County transit plan, which will improve resident access to the community. supports, places of employment, educational opportunities, and food. Learn more here. linx.simcoe.ca
• 2,162 households assisted with funding for housing retention, for rent and utility arrears.

Click here for the full report card.