Barrie begins finding out soon if the city gets bang from its bucks for Simcoe County services.
Finance and corporate services committee members will hear a presentation Tuesday evening about the County of Simcoe’s social and community services.
“Right now, it doesn’t appear that Barrie is getting the necessary value for housing, specifically,” said Coun. Sergio Morales, committee chairman. “So that is a big priority for me, to make sure that monies that Barrie gives to the county for housing, building long-term care, and supportive housing and social housing, are spent in Barrie and provide value in Barrie in an equitable way.”
Long ago, the province determined Simcoe County would plan, administer funding and manage services to Barrie — including housing, homelessness prevention, employment and income supports, child care and for children, as well as paramedics, health and emergency services.
Barrie’s share of these operating and capital services is projected to be $25.05 million this year, an increase of just more than $1.17 million — or 4.86 per cent.
“As it stands, there’s been lots of work in Orillia and Collingwood and other municipalities which I’m sure they need,” Morales said, “but value for dollar we need to see more of that investment here in Barrie.”
Last November, for example, work began on the county’s $60-million community hub in Orillia, which includes 130 mixed, affordable residential units for seniors, families and individuals.
The county does have housing projects on the go in Barrie.
On Rose Street, at the former Barrie OPP detachment, there will be a 150-unit building with a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. They will be affordable rental units and replacement rent-geared-to-income units. Demolition of the existing buildings has been completed.
And there will be 14 units of supportive housing on Tiffin Street. The property purchase has closed, with the conversion work and selection of support service operators to occur this year.
The Ontario government defines supportive housing as a combination of housing assistance and supports that enable people to live as independently as possible in their community.
Social housing has been an over-riding issue in Barrie during this term of council, from 2018 to 2022.
Barrie has 49 per cent of the total social housing units in Simcoe County, or 1,888 units of the 3,833. This takes into account both non-profit housing providers and the Simcoe County Housing Corporation, including rent-geared-to-income and market rental units.
The cost-sharing agreement between Barrie and the county is up at the end of this year, and Morales has expressed concerns about whether Barrie is getting its money’s worth.
“It’s up to us to negotiate a fair contract. I think the country does good work,” Morales said. “It’s not about not paying into it, it’s about making sure that that money goes into new-build construction and investments within Barrie’s perimeters.”
The Ward 9 councillor says Barrie and the County of Simcoe will continue to be partners in providing these services.
“It’s just about getting better terms and by better terms… I mean, specifically we want… (to know) how much are we giving to the county and then show us over your next five-year capital plan, what are your housing starts that you have, what are your projects, what are the size of your projects, what are you long-term care beds, what are your units,” Morales said. “That’s what we need to see a little bit better.”
County officials also track bed nights used in emergency shelters, another way to gauge homelessness.
In 2021, Barrie had 55,349 bed nights in its shelters, which include the Busby Centre, Salvation Army, Youth Haven and the Elizabeth Fry Society. Last year, Simcoe County’s bed nights, including Barrie, totalled 88,017.
From Jan. 23-25, the County of Simcoe counted 722 people experiencing homelessness during its enumeration. Of those, 441 completed surveys and 50 per cent were from Barrie.
Tuesday’s finance and corporate services committee virtual meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
The County of Simcoe presentation is the first item of the agenda.
