Despite offering $100,000 to agencies willing to provide warming centre services across Simcoe County for the 2022/23 season, the County of Simcoe says only two out of five municipalities received offers, leaving Collingwood, Midland and Alliston scrambling to find places for their homeless populations to keep warm as the cold weather approaches.
In a report to be considered by County of Simcoe council during their committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 11), councillors will be receiving an update on the status of warming centre operations for this winter.
“We’re working with the county and our partners to look for solutions,” said Sara Peddle, executive director of the Busby Centre – South Georgian Bay on Friday, noting she would have more information to share next week following those discussions.
Warming centre operations are provided in addition to emergency shelter (overnight) operations across Simcoe County to address the growing need for homelessness support.
The key difference between a warming centre and an emergency shelter is an emergency shelter typically runs overnight and has beds, whereas a warming centre is a drop-in centre.
Back in May, County of Simcoe council voted to spend $100,000 on the centres for the 2022/23 winter season funded through the province’s social services relief fund, to be split between five centres to be located in Barrie, Orillia, Alliston, Midland and Collingwood.
Only the Barrie and Orillia RFPs returned bids, with one bid each.
A contract was awarded on Sept. 6 to the Lighthouse Shelter for warming centre operations in Orillia. In Barrie, the county staff report notes that an award letter has been issued however the report does not name the successful proponent.
The operating model for both centres include overnight warming that will be initiated when the temperature falls below -15 Celsius, or when public health puts out an advisory.
Earlier this year following the closing of the COVID-19 emergency shelter motel program, county council approved an additional one-time allocation of $60,000 each to Supporting Hope for Individuals and Families Today (SHIFT) in Alliston and the Busby Centre – South Georgian Bay in Collingwood. Neither municipality has a permanent homeless shelter.
County of Simcoe council and committee of the whole meetings are planned for Tuesday, Oct. 11 starting at 9 a.m., and will be livestreamed on the county’s YouTube channel. The meeting marks the first in-person meeting since 2020 for councillors and the public to attend at the County of Simcoe’s administration building at 1110 Highway 26 in Midhurst.
