Collingwood Supportive Rapid Rehousing program ready to support first residents
The County of Simcoe, CONTACT Community Services, The Common Roof and the Town of Collingwood, among other partners, are pleased to announce that the Supportive Rapid Rehousing Program (SRRP) in the Town of Collingwood will welcome its first residents, through a phased approach, in the coming weeks.
CONTACT Community Services, the agency operating and managing the program with the South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre, will provide comprehensive, 24/7 on-site services, staffed with trained professionals. The program can house and support between 10-13 seniors (aged 55+) at a time (excluding staff/support teams). Full operating details will continue to be posted to simcoe.ca/SRRP.
About the Supportive Rapid Re-Housing Program (SRRP) in Collingwood
The Supportive Rapid Rehousing Program (SRRP) aims to provide services, housing and support to individuals who have fallen on difficult times and helps to place them into permanent housing quickly. These individuals in the Collingwood program will be seniors (55+) who have been identified as situationally homeless. This SRRP gives wrap around, in-house support to find and integrate individuals into permanent housing. This is NOT a shelter, it’s a temporary home for individuals as they prepare for independent living situations.
Supporting vulnerable individuals in our community
The County of Simcoe and the Town of Collingwood are committed to expanding support for and availability of supportive housing in the area. Through the County, this expanded system provides capacity to better transition individuals who have been identified as situationally homeless into permanent housing while alleviating pressures on regional shelter systems. This strategy is one of the pillars within the County’s 10-Point Homelessness Prevention Strategy.
Affordable Housing has been a key priority for Collingwood Council and staff for many years. The Town recently completed an Affordable Housing Master Plan (AHMP) in November 2023, which provided the Town a set of 26 recommendations for tackling the housing issue. The Town is committed to collaborating with other levels of government to facilitate affordable housing initiatives that bring much-needed housing to our community.
Quotes
“We are so pleased to officially reach this milestone and work with our partners to house and support residents through this unique and impactful program. We want to thank all our partners who have joined together to build up housing options in the Collingwood area and we look forward to helping change lives, together.”
~Warden Basil Clarke, County of Simcoe
“This is such welcome news for those seniors (55+) experiencing situational homelessness to now have a place to live not only for temporary housing but also to get assistance securing long-term housing. Thank you once again to the County of Simcoe, The Common Roof, and CONTACT Community Services for working together to bring this much-needed initiative to Collingwood.”
~Mayor Yvonne Hamlin, Town of Collingwood
“CONTACT Community Services is excited to collaborate with the Collingwood community in delivering this vital rehousing program for seniors in need. Collingwood is a friendly and inclusive community, and we eagerly anticipate working closely with the Town and the South Georgian Bay Community Health Clinic to ensure the program's success.”
~ Brenda Pufek, Interim Executive Director, CONTACT Community Services
"We are excited to partner in supporting the SRRP model at the Collingwood Common Roof and Rotary Hub and look forward to working alongside CONTACT as they begin delivering vital support services to those in need. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has worked tirelessly to bring us to this point, and congratulations to all the partners involved in this collaborative effort to deliver a much-needed service to our community."
~ James Thomson, President and CEO, The Common Roof
About the County of Simcoe
The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.
About The Town of Collingwood
The Town of Collingwood is a progressive community located in the heart of a four-season recreation area on the southern shore of Georgian Bay. The area is well known for its many natural amenities and its rich heritage. Collingwood is a destination for tourism and many business, sporting, and cultural events Collingwood acts as a gateway to the South Georgian Bay region, with stunning landscapes that encourage an active lifestyle, and inspire the local arts and culture community. Downtown Collingwood might just surprise you with 30 plus restaurants, 60 plus boutique shops, spas for relaxing, and live music for grooving…all in the only downtown core recognized by Canada’s Registrar of Historic Places! More recently, the harbourfront area is emerging as an extension of the downtown district. Plans for expanding the amenities and events in the harbourfront area promise to make this a much more prominent tourism destination.
About CONTACT Community Services
For more than 40 years, CONTACT Community Services has proudly served the communities of South Simcoe. CONTACT Community Services is a proactive leader in South Simcoe providing responsive services in housing, employment, and community support. CONTACT remains an active, innovative, and responsive community leader. Today, they have a community office in Alliston, an employment office (with housing support) in Bradford, and community thrift stores in two locations.
About The Common Roof
The Common Roof seeks to lead in the development and empowerment of strong, compassionate social communities through innovative shared services. We are a community-based social enterprise providing sustainable and professional workspace for human-service not-for-profit agencies. At its core, The Common Roof seeks to inspire and empower change in the following areas:
• Encourage organizations to operate efficiently and effectively.
• Mobilize community support to meet local community identified needs.
• Develop and manage philanthropic investment.
The Common Roof is a registered charitable organization based in Simcoe County.
Together, we are building inclusive, healthy communities for children, youth, and their families. To learn more about The Common Roof, to donate, or get involved please visit www.thecommonroof.ca, follow us on social media X (Twitter) and Facebook or sign up for The Common Roof Newsletter.
