Should you have any questions regarding homelessness supports and services in Simcoe County, please contact the Community Services department at communityservicesdepartment@simcoe.ca or 705-722-3132, ext. 1470.
10-point Homelessness Prevention Strategy
The County of Simcoe has recently introduced new dashboards to support its 10-point Homelessness Prevention Strategy and further assist people in need in our communities. For access to real-time shelter usage data that reflect the ever-changing needs of our homelessness prevention system, visit open.simcoe.ca.
The County of Simcoe’s 10-point homelessness prevention strategy creates a strong, data-driven strategy to help the most vulnerable in our communities through initiatives that have been proven effective in other regions.
This strategy makes affordable housing even more attainable by increasing supply, creating “deep rent subsidies”, increasing eviction prevention services, and improving available shelter. It commits the County to find new opportunities, enhance community shelter services, and improve safety throughout the community.
The goals use proven methods that create a safer community for all, with the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness at the forefront. They take a collaborative approach to build up communities, understanding the important relationship that is established when working together with all levels of government, service providers, the business community, and residents from all walks of life.
This is just one more way that the County is #BuildingUp our communities. For updates on the how the County of Simcoe is investing in our communities, visit simcoe.ca/BuildingUp.
- The Temporary Family Shelter Program is a long-standing emergency shelter service designed to provide safe, short-term emergency accommodations for families experiencing homelessness.
- The Temporary Family Shelter Program prioritizes families with young children and offers dedicated support services to help families find permanent housing solutions.
- The program can be accessed through the County of Simcoe’s Housing Retention team, Monday to Friday, 830am-430pm, by calling 705-722-3132 ext. 1833.
- All eligible participants in the TFSP, are required to fulfill the eligibility requirements, including the completion of an initial assessment to determine eligibility.
- Since November 2024, the County of Simcoe has worked to permanently transition seniors (55+) living in emergency shelters to assisted living programs and modular rapid rehousing programs.
- The two programs opened up an additional 44 emergency shelter beds that would have previously been used by these individuals.
Navigators provide access to information and resources that support individuals and families facing complex social and economic challenges (including but not limited to housing, mental health, food security and financial assistance). The intent of the role is to proactively provide engagement and system navigation to support individuals in need of social services by reducing barriers to service access.
Responsibilities are to participate in identified key tables and/or community organizations that support vulnerable populations, develop partnerships with community resources, make referrals, develop and conduct educational sessions in the library for vulnerable populations, as well as support and provide training for staff in conjunction with other social service agencies.
To learn more about our Coordinated Access System please visit https://casimcoe.ca/
Individuals that are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness can connect with our coordinated access system by calling, texting, or connecting online with 211. 211 can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The County of Simcoe has partnered with local agencies to provide Transitional and Supportive Housing across the county. Transitional and Supportive Housing provide temporary shelter and structured support services to help individuals regain stability for independent living. Agencies provide a variety of case management services to enable participants to gain skills and knowledge that will help foster independence and long-term success.
In order to get placed into Transitional or Supportive Housing, individuals need to complete a Common Assessment to be placed on the “By-Name-List”. The easiest way to get this Common Assessment completed is by connecting with a Housing Resource Centre. Please note that if you have previously connected with homelessness services in Simcoe County they may have already completed a Common Assessment, in which case you will just need to make sure that the information is up to date.