Housing project for people with nowhere to go launching this month

The County of Simcoe and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness are launching Canada’s newest Bridge Housing Program in Barrie.

Five months into the state of emergency declared by the City of Barrie, the goal of a highly anticipated housing project is another step towards helping those in need.

Bridge to Stability, a 40-unit Bridge Housing Project, is all set to get going. Located next to the former ambulance bay on Tiffin Street, the units are expected to help ensure people with no place to go, have more safe options.

“These folks are going to have somewhere to go to be part of our community and to be able to contribute to their own lives and opportunity going forward,” said Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall.

“Projects like this are how we start to reverse the troubling rise in homelessness across the country,” said Mina Faye’s-Bahgat from the County of Simcoe.

Ottawa is handing over $1.7 million to help get the Bridge Housing facility up and running. It will be run by the County of Simcoe and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.

Homelessness in Canada has nearly doubled since 2018 and unsheltered homelessness is up nearly 300 per cent.

“This Bridge Housing program is going to prioritize those folks with the most complex needs,” said Tim Richter from the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. “People who have been living for a long time outside in a tent or an encampment, it will give them a safe and warm place to live.”

The new location will give people warm meals and easy access to support with a focus to move them into permanent housing.

With the capacity for 40 people, each will be placed in their own room.

“This is the largest modular facility in the county’s history to serve up to 40 people,” said County of Simcoe Warden Basil Clake. “But I need to stress it’s not about the 40 people at any given time. It’s 40 people as we move them through the system, get them off the streets, get them out of shelters give them that hand up.”

“Really the focus here is you work on yourself and you work on your plan to get permanently housed and get connected to a permanent housing outcome in 12 months,” Fayez-Bahgat said.

Once operational, the Bridge Housing program will be operational 24/7.

The project is expected to be open and accepting people some time in February.