City council has put its money where its mouth is on funding the transition out of the hotel model of emergency shelter services in Barrie this summer and has asked the County of Simcoe to do the same.
Council decided Monday night to allocate up to $400,000 from its reinvestment reserve to the County of Simcoe to support these one-time costs and request the county contribute $1.2 million in new money — or three-to-one cost sharing — during talks that lasted more than two and a half hours.
“I think we had a great discussion and are moving the needle a little bit,” said Coun. Keenan Aylwin. “It’s a small amount, but it could go a long way.”
This transition includes, but is not limited to, emergency shelter capacity, on-site addiction and mental-health services.
Aylwin also called upon the provincial and federal levels of government to fund the transition.
“We really need them to step up and support Barrie,” he said.
Simcoe County council could deal with the city’s request as early as its meeting today.
“It really is on them (the County of Simcoe),” said Coun. Gary Harvey. “We’re stepping up to the plate — now they have to step up to the plate.
"This should not be just the City of Barrie," Harvey added.
“The solution is to get all levels of government to come to the table, but the real issue is money,” said Coun. Clare Riepma. “It runs out at the end of the month and that’s it.”
City council also put the heat on upper levels of government to immediately extend funding for Barrie’s hotel-based emergency shelter program. Scheduled to end Thursday, June 30, except for a partial two-week extension, the funding loss would leave approximately 100 of this city’s homeless with no roof over their heads.
The hotel emergency shelter program was set up to help distance people during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also keeping them safe and sheltered.
Council also called upon the federal and provincial governments, along with the County of Simcoe, to come up with a plan to create permanent social and supportive housing for individuals currently living in emergency shelters.
Only Coun. Mike McCann spoke against the city funding.
“I am not convinced the $400,000 will be spent wisely,” he said. “When does it stop?”
But there are other mounting pressures to deal with homelessness.
The county has approved a two-week extension, taking it to July 15, for the Busby Centre and Elizabeth Fry Society to continue operations at a scaled-back capacity in staffing and reduced space at Travelodge.
Jennifer van Gennip, of Redwood Park Communities, forwarded a petition to the city Monday with 175 names. It demands the provincial and federal governments, the County of Simcoe, and the City of Barrie immediately collaborate and extend funding for the hotel model of emergency shelter and create a plan to create permanent, supportive housing — as in the long-term, Barrie needs hundreds more units of social, supportive and subsidized housing.
On Saturday, there was a march from the Travelodge on Bayfield Street to Meridian Place in downtown Barrie, protesting homelessness and the need for changes.
A copy of city council’s motion will be forwarded to local MPPs, local MPs, the federal minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, the provincial minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the provincial minister of Children, Community and Social Services.
In 1998, the province determined Simcoe County would plan, administer funding and manage certain services to Barrie, including housing and homelessness prevention.
Barrie’s 2022 operating budget documents show the city is paying the County of Simcoe just more than $5 million this year for non-profit social housing and $2.2 million to the Simcoe County Housing Corporation. Adding those two numbers together shows Barrie’s contribution to the county’s social housing efforts this year, said city treasurer Craig Millar.
