The County of Simcoe hopes to have a 40-bed modular facility open in Barrie by September, following the removal of people from a homeless encampment on Anne Street that was cleared because of a police homicide investigation and environmental clean-up.
In a report to county councillors, Andrew Scarvarelli, Director of Housing and Homelessness Services, says the acquisition of the modular facility will cost up to $1.2 million and will be paid from underutilized funds from a federal program and savings from the operating offsets of a provincial one-time funding program.
The county currently operates a similar facility for Youth Haven on Blake Street near Penetanguishene Road while construction continues on a new shelter for the organization. As a result, the county announced in April it was going to pause its previously planned Supportive Rapid Rehousing Program (SRRP) for seniors.
"The county's SRRP is a temporary program designed to help people who are facing homelessness transition into permanent housing within a short period of time," according to Scarvarelli's report.
Similar programs are operating in Orillia for youth and in Collingwood for seniors.
When residents of the Anne Street homeless encampment were removed, the county opened an emergency shelter at a former paramedic station on Tiffin Street and at the former Barrie police headquarters on Sperling Drive, though neither location offered beds for people to sleep on.
The county said in a statement on August 11 that support services at the temporary sites included: '
- homelessness outreach services
- wellness checks
- connection to services including the HART of Simcoe County navigators
- temporary storage of personal belongings
- transportation between the sites from the City of Barrie
- food
- cooling options
- temporary 24-hour access to the indoor evacuation site
- access to shower facilities at the Tiffin location
At the time, the county said it was abiding by City of Barrie fire code regulations at both Tiffin and Sperling locations, and beds were not available.
