More than $1 million in one-time funding from Infrastructure Canada to the County of Simcoe is being welcomed as it will help respond to the local homelessness crisis.
The county learned of the additional money for its 2023-24 Unsheltered Homelessness Response Funding on Dec. 22, 2023, according to a report presented during Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting.
“The federal government communicated its commitment to continuing to work with communities and partners to prevent and reduce chronic homelessness,” says the report.
It says Infrastructure Canada is making $1.4 million in "top-up funding" available to the county. The money will be administered through an amendment to the county's existing Reaching Home agreement with Infrastructure Canada.
According to the staff report, Reaching Home is a community-based program that provides communities with flexibility in how they can use funding and spend on activities that best respond to local priorities.
“Staff confirmed with Infrastructure Canada that eligible activities for this top-up funding will be kept broad to continue to support this program goal,” says the report.
It also notes this additional money can be used for any of the eligible activities, as defined in the Reaching Home program's directives, such as temporary accommodations. With this funding, communities also have the flexibility to spend on projects outside their traditional service boundaries.
“As previously approved by council ... the county's comprehensive winter response strategy comprises warming centres, alternate spaces activation within homeless shelter settings and activation of temporary overflow shelter beds," says the report.
This strategy also bolsters the significant investments made to the system of homelessness services and supports in 2023. Homeless shelter settings were funded to enable year-round operation with overnight shelter and daytime programming, the report noted.
“Since activation of the winter response strategy in October 2023, overnight overflow bed capacity at the 20 Rose St. site in the City of Barrie has expanded from 30 beds to 40 beds," it says. "Additionally, a significant municipal investment of $200,000, cost-shared with the City of Barrie, was made to the Community Breakfast Program in the City of Barrie to enhance vulnerable residents' access to meals.”
County staff says the recommendations are aligned with its 10-year Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention Strategy, the county's 10-Point Homelessness Prevention Plan and the Reaching Home Community Plan.
Eligible expenses can cover the period from Nov. 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024.
Collingwood Deputy Mayor Tim Fryer called the funding boost “a great opportunity”.
“I noticed Infrastructure Canada has broadened the activities that are allowed, which I hope gives staff additional opportunities to maximize the benefits, specifically the temporary accommodation part of it," he said. "We need that, but we also need the transitional step."
Fryer also asked for an update on what staff are seeing around the region this winter.
Mina Fayez-Baghat, the county’s general manager of social and community services, said the homelessness data is pointing toward heightened use of the county’s programs throughout the winter, which is expected.
“We did create some new levels of services that weren’t available in previous years, including an alternative space activation strategy, which allows shelters to find additional space in inclement weather," he said. "That’s been a good tool."
Fayez-Baghat said the county has also expanded its "footprint," meaning facilities are open later during extreme weather or storm days, which allows people to stay warm in those spaces.
