Preventing and addressing homelessness in Huron County: Bridge Housing and Stability Program

Huron County, Ontario - The County of Huron is proud to announce the launch of the Bridge Housing and Stability Program which will begin in November 2024. This program is a collaborative effort with the Canadian Mental Health Association Huron Perth Addiction and Mental Health Services (CMHA HP), to prevent and address homelessness in Huron County. ​

In the past, the County of Huron has worked closely with various community partners to provide temporary emergency shelter to individuals experiencing the crisis of homelessness. ​ The program initially started with the Congregate Shelter model, known as Out of the Cold, which offered seasonal, overnight accommodation and support from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. ​ In 2022, the program transitioned to the Motel Model, providing seasonal, 24-hour temporary emergency shelter and support. ​ Building on these successes, the County of Huron is excited to introduce the Bridge Housing model, which will offer year-round, 24-hour temporary emergency accommodation and support. ​

The Bridge Housing program aims to immediately transition vulnerable individuals out of homelessness and into a temporary living space that provides stability. ​ The ultimate goal is to facilitate their placement into permanent housing. This model fosters collaboration and more efficiently supports the most vulnerable members of our community. ​

Huron County Warden, Glen McNeil, expressed his enthusiasm for the program, stating, "This model is a great step forward in preventing and addressing homelessness. ​ I'm incredibly proud of and grateful to our staff and partners for their continuous improvement approach to emergency housing."

Huron County Bridge Housing Quick Facts

• The Bridge Housing program will provide a safe environment for individuals to obtain much needed rest, food, and connection to appropriate services.
• 14 Bridge Housing beds will be made available (6 beds provided by CMHA HP and 8 beds provided by the County of Huron)
• Participants in the program will have a maximum stay of three months to work with the CMHA HP stability staff on goal setting and housing acquisition.
• The program will provide a home environment where staff can support clients with activities of daily living. With access to a kitchen, staff will be able to further enhance and build skills with clients such as meal planning, cooking, cleaning, and general housekeeping responsibilities.
• Huron's Housing Stability Team will continue to support both Bridge Housing and provide individual case management of those experiencing homelessness, with up to 100 case management spaces each year.

For more information on this program please refer to the June 26, 2024 Report to Council titled Proposed Model for Bridge Housing and Stability Program: https://agendas.huroncounty.ca/agendapublic/MeetingView.aspx?MeetingID=558&MinutesMeetingID=-1&doctype=Agenda