By Jerry Martinovic, Housing Services Manager
CONTACT Community Services
As most of you are probably aware, many parts of the province are currently experiencing an affordable housing crisis. What many of you may not be aware of, is how serious the problem is in South Simcoe and how that impacts our families, friends, and neighbours. Simcoe County consistently has some of the highest residential rental rates in the country, and at one point in 2021, we actually had the highest rent costs in the entire country, higher even than Toronto and Vancouver. In South Simcoe (Essa, Innisfil, New Tecumseth, Bradford West Gwillimbury, and Adjala-Tosorontio), we have the highest rental rates in all of Simcoe County. While there has been some slowdown in home sales recently, that has not yet been reflected in the rental market, and we’re not likely to see a significant improvement in rental costs any time soon.
It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t been affected by the affordable housing crisis or knows someone who has been. And it’s not just people experiencing homelessness trying to access housing, but seniors who are being evicted from homes they’ve rented for years faced with the challenge of finding a place they can afford to rent, working families with children struggling to find a suitable home within their budgets in the community they love, and many long-term residents who are being priced out of the community.
The Housing Department at CONTACT Community Services is the first point of contact for low-income households who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. We can help to identify the appropriate support services available through the local, provincial, and federal governments, assist with completing and submitting applications, and direct people to emergency shelters in cases where people have nowhere safe to spend the night. We do our best to support people through their housing search and challenges. Sometimes, this means developing new and innovative programs to support these populations as much as is possible with limited funds and resources.