Bruce County’s housing cross-functional team was able to highlight its major accomplishments and share what it’s focusing on this year to tackle housing availability and take on homelessness.
In a progress report shared with County Council this week, they shared the development of the Housing & Homelessness Strategy and the new Housing Action Plan.
Planning Commissioner Claire Dodds says that while the county may not have every tool or resource to combat housing challenges, they do have actions to take in the jurisdiction with the help of their partners, which have the potential to impact the supply and affordability of housing.
“We’re focused on actions that assist non-profit organizations, as well as private housing developers to deliver housing solutions, as well as being ready to participate in what may be broader housing and infrastructure programs that could be proposed by other levels of government over the next two years,” says Dodds.
She says that the Housing Action Plan focuses on housing options for low-market rental and ownership, housing options, private rental options, and housing ownership.
Housing Services Manager Tania Dickson told council, “Specifically, staff are identifying non-profit housing providers and various community agencies where the potential exists to expand capacity and resources.”
The team is going to be engaging with the councils of lower-tier municipalities in order to secure the commitments of local communities to prioritize surplus land that can be used for affordable housing development.
This year, they also want to maintain collaborative efforts with community partners and healthcare providers to increase access to housing supports.
Manager of Land Use and Planning Jack Van Dorp shared actions being taken by the cross-functional team from a planning perspective
“With respect to research and monitoring, we do know that there’s a huge amount of innovation going on, not just within Bruce County, but across Ontario and nationally,” says Van Dorp. “We are keeping an eye on that innovation, and how we can bring it to bear for our local communities, as well as share some of the innovations that we come up with.”
He says that that includes tracking what gets approved and built in the county.
“[We’re] tracking and reporting on the approvals that we do through our planning applications, and their match to ongoing community needs. So there’s what gets approved, what gets built, and then how that aligns with what the community needs are.”
In 2024, the Homelessness Prevention Program is also going to be comprised of a Housing Stability Fund, which will help individuals and families who are unhoused or at risk of becoming homeless to secure affordable, permanent housing within Bruce County.
It also works with the YMCA Grey Bruce Housing Program to provide housing and support services.
Last year, over $1.5 million in provincial funding was spent on the HPP’s programs to prevent or combat homelessness.
As a requirement of the Housing Services Act (HSA), 2011, Bruce County is required to develop, approve, and report on housing and homelessness plans.