Youth Haven officially took ownership of Morton House in Barrie on Oct. 6, after the Morton family gifted the property to the organization to ensure the work supporting youth experiencing homelessness can continue.
The transitional housing program has operated at Morton House since 2020, providing young people experiencing homelessness with a safe place to stay while they develop various skills and confidence needed to live independently.
Youth Haven executive director Lucy Gowers said the organization moved into the property after learning Morton Youth Services would no longer receive funding from the Ontario government.
Rather than the property remaining vacant, Youth Haven developed a plan to use it for transitional housing, something Gowers said the organization had long wanted to establish.
The home initially accommodated 12 young people and can now house up to 15.
Before Youth Haven moved in, Morton House operated as an open-custody facility for young people who had committed offences.
Judge Douglas Morton was appointed a Simcoe County family court justice in 1970. A decade later, he founded Morton Youth Services as part of his commitment to helping young people.
His son, Murray Morton, said his father wanted an alternative to keeping young offenders in jail for relatively minor offences, such as shoplifting. The innovative open-custody facility operated for years before the Ontario government closed it in 2019. Judge Morton retired in 1996.
After Youth Haven moved into Morton House, the Morton family continued supporting the property, offering affordable rent and covering expenses such as utilities and repairs.
Gowers said the family eventually decided to take that support a step further.
A few months ago, Morton contacted her to say the family was pleased with Youth Haven's work and wanted the organization to continue operating from the home his father had founded.
“They just outright gifted us this beautiful home,” Gowers said.
For Morton, the gift ensures his father's legacy will continue through the work being done at the house.
“I think my dad would be really happy to see where we are today,” he said. “I think Dad would be proud of what we're doing.”
Gowers said the transitional housing program teaches residents practical life skills, including budgeting and grocery shopping on a budget, while encouraging them as they prepare to move into homes of their own.
