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County of Simcoe creates new Assertive Street Outreach Program

June 26, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The County of Simcoe is creating new opportunities for adults and youth living unhoused in the region including New Tecumseth, to find secure and stable housing.

The County’s new Assertive Street Outreach Program engages and supports individuals and families living without stable housing, including those in encampments or at imminent risk of homelessness. The program’s goal is to secure long-term, sustainable housing for people who need it.

After initiating a Request for Proposals (RFP), a consortium led by Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care has been selected to oversee and operate the program for the County of Simcoe.

The consortium includes valuable community partners who have a deep understanding of the issue surrounding homelessness and knowledge and experience working in the field.

These include Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, Busby, Lighthouse, Home Horizon, Youth Haven, and S.H.I.F.T. in Alliston.

“Our new Assertive Street Outreach Program represents a bold step forward in connecting with our most vulnerable residents,” said Simcoe County Warden Basil Clarke. “This flexible approach allows us to meet people where they are, building trust and creating pathways to stable housing. By expanding how we reach those in need, we’re opening doors for everyone in our community.”

This new Assertive Street Outreach Program will engage individuals who are experiencing homelessness but not currently connected to services or are reluctant to access traditional services, such as shelters or warming centres. It looks to minimize the harmful effects of sleeping rough while working with individuals to prepare for, and ultimately find, long-term housing solutions.

It will be fully integrated into Simcoe County’s Coordinated Access System and will serve as an access point to engage unsheltered people.

“Addressing homelessness is not the work of one organization. This program reflects what’s possible when a community comes together with compassion and purpose,” said Dr. Kevin Young, vice president of medical affairs and chief of staff at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care. “By building trust with those who are often hardest to reach, we’re not just offering services – we’re offering hope, connection and the belief that everyone deserves a place to call home.”

The program is low-barrier and targets vulnerable persons across Simcoe County’s 16 member municipalities and in the cities of Barrie and Orillia. Assertive Street Outreach continues to engage and build rapport with unsheltered individuals even if they decline housing and other services.

The County of Simcoe’s 10-point Homelessness Prevention Strategy is a data-driven plan that aims to help vulnerable residents and communities. The strategy includes a considerable added investment toward the goal of preventing and ending chronic homelessness. For further details and ongoing updates to the homelessness prevention plan, visit simcoe.ca/HomelessnessSystem.

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