Housing project on Lillian Cres. more than just bricks and mortar (8 photos)

It was a dream that went from a diagram on a napkin five years ago to putting shovels in the ground today. 

A new transitional housing project in the city's north end is also more than just 12 fully furnished apartments for families facing a housing crisis, says Tim Kent from Redwood Park Communities, one of the organizations behind the $3-million project.

Kent says it will help close to 800 families over the next 20 years once it opens on Lillian Crescent. 

Families that find themselves struggling and facing a housing crisis, often due to rising real-estate costs, are put up in hotel rooms through a local voucher program. However, many of those families had been staying at the Knights Inn in downtown Barrie, which has closed and is slated for demolition as part of a city project to fix drainage in the area.

But there are several families that still need help getting back on their feet when crisis hits. 

"It takes a lot longer than 90 days for families to put together what they need," said Kent, adding the project should also help remove the stigma for school-aged children by giving them a more permanent home while they are in transition, as opposed to living out of a motel. 

More than 50 people attended a ground-breaking ceremony Tuesday afternoon at 151 Lillian Cres., behind the Salvation Army Citadel. The new facility will be located behind the citadel on Salvation Army-owned land.

The project is being spearheaded by Redwood Park Communities and the Salvation Army. 

"We're here to celebrate the good news. We're here to celebrate a partnership which has taken many years of working through many barriers and many obstacles to get to this point," said Salvation Army Capt. Stephanie Watkinson. "Both organizations are dedicated to providing hope to some of our most vulnerable members in our community."

Salvation Army Lt. Col. Sandra Rice said the facility will be a a place to eat, to do homework and to just be a family. 

"This takes home to a whole other level," she said. 

Construction is set to begin in June and take approximately 18 months to complete, meaning it should open in late 2020 or early 2021. Once complete, it will be a two-storey building with 12 fully furnished, two-bedroom apartments for families facing a housing crisis. 

It's expected that families will be able to stay at the Lillian Crescent facility for up to a year, but Kent said he foresees the average duration being between six and eight months. 

Deputy Mayor Barry Ward, who lives nearby, said it's a perfect fit. 

"I'm proud to say this is in my ward of the city and I think it's a positive for this ward," he said. "It's a great thing to have in the city and it's a great thing to have in the neighbourhood. It's a great neighbourhood for these people.

"I know it's not the greatest circumstances for some of the people who are going to be living here, and hopefully for their sake it's not going to be a long stay as they get back to a normal life, but it's place for them temporarily and I look forward to welcoming them warmly next year when people start moving in," Ward added. 

Approximately $1.7 million has been raised toward the project,.