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County expands warming centre opportunities for unhoused individuals

November 14, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

With the colder weather approaching, the County of Simcoe is partnering with the Salvation Army Bayside Mission and the Elizabeth Fry Society Simcoe Muskoka to enhance winter warming opportunities for those who are living unhoused in the region.

Additional warming centre services in the City of Barrie create more opportunities for individuals living unhoused to come indoors when they are most at risk.

While at the warming centres, individuals can access support to find shelter, housing, healthcare, and other services or support.

This is part of the County’s 10-point homelessness prevention strategy.

The strategy makes affordable housing even more attainable by increasing supply, creating “deep rent subsidies,” increasing eviction prevention services and improving available shelter.

The County enacted its alternate space strategy and this announcement furthers support for unhoused individuals in the Barrie area.

This system response increases available warming and shelter spaces as the region approaches the coldest nights of the year. To maximize options for access to warm indoor locations, All County of Simcoe Social and Community Services offices, located in Alliston, Barrie, Collingwood, Orillia, and Midland, are open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., for individuals to come in from the cold.

These warming centres are part of the regional system approach to homelessness prevention with support from community partners.

The warming services are funded by the County of Simcoe in partnership with the City of Barrie and the City of Orillia, which are above and beyond the regular municipal service contributions.

The County of Simcoe’s 10-point Homelessness Prevention Strategy provides a strong, data-driven plan to help vulnerable residents and our communities. The strategy includes a considerable added investment toward the goal of preventing and ending chronic homelessness. 

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