NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF SIMCOE
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MIDHURST - The County of Simcoe is providing the regional housing market for Seniors a boost with the introduction of a new Age-Friendly Seniors Housing Grant Program. County Council recently approved $500,000 in annual funding towards this new program to support eligible applicants in creating age-friendly housing through renovation or new housing development.
“County Council continues to invest in housing and support services to meet current needs and address long-term trends in our communities,” said Deputy Warden Terry Dowdall. “With this new grant program, combined with our significant investment in affordable housing for seniors and our many seniors’ services programs, the County is taking action to make our communities more age-friendly, affordable and inclusive for seniors.”
The grant program was recommended within the Simcoe County 2018-2023 Positive Aging Strategy, which identified a number of recommendations for the County and its municipalities to prepare for the region’s aging population. The program will fund building and/or renovations of homes/units that include age-friendly designs and incorporate a range of support services that allow older adults to continue to live independently in their communities.
Grants will be awarded under three streams: accessible housing design; housing that incorporates support services for older adults; and design for individuals suffering with dementia. Applicants eligible for this grant include those completing housing projects located within Simcoe County (excluding the cities of Barrie and Orillia.)
Applicants can be homeowners of principal residences or developers, who wish to include accessible, adaptable and inclusive design modifications for occupants aged 60 or older. Grant amounts will be distributed based on the number of applications received and ability to meet funding criteria. An Age-Friendly Grant Selection Sub-Committee will evaluate each grant submission in accordance with established evaluation criteria and make recommendations to the Simcoe County Age-Friendly Advisory Committee for endorsement.
The deadline for 2018 application submissions is Nov. 30, 2018. For further details, or to apply to the Age-Friendly Housing Seniors Grant program, please visit here.
County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website.
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