Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness and the County of Simcoe launch Bridge to Stability project in Barrie to reduce unsheltered homelessness

County of Simcoe logo (CNW Group/The County of Simcoe)

Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness bilingual logo (CNW Group/The County of Simcoe)

BARRIE, ON, Feb. 6, 2026 /CNW/ - Today marks the launch of an innovative 40-unit Bridge Housing project in Barrie, marking a big step forward in the ongoing work to ensure everyone in Simcoe County has a safe place to call home.

The project is a partnership between the County of Simcoe and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) to house people experiencing unsheltered homelessness who have complex needs, facing multiple and often overlapping barriers to permanent housing.

"Communities across Canada are facing surging homelessness, especially unsheltered homelessness," said Tim Richter, President and CEO of CAEH. "Simcoe County and the City of Barrie have been tackling this issue head on, which makes this the perfect place to test a promising new rapid response to unsheltered homelessness that we hope to see scaled across the country."

Bridge Housing is a short-term, service-intensive model providing a safe, stable place for people to regroup and recover, receive health care, connect with addictions and mental health supports, and ultimately move into their permanent home. Participants receive focused, individualized support to resolve the practical issues preventing them from securing housing--whether that's getting a birth certificate, applying for income assistance, or connecting with health services.

"We are proud to launch the Bridge to Stability program that will help ensure that no one seeking a safe, warm place to stay is left out in the cold," said County of Simcoe Warden Basil Clarke. "This is one of our many innovative investments in Barrie and throughout Simcoe County aimed at addressing homelessness and housing shortages. We thank the Government of Canada and our partners at the CAEH for working with us to build up our communities."

The Bridge to Stability - A County of Simcoe Bridge Housing Program for Unsheltered Homelessness project is receiving nearly $1.7 million over the next year from the Homelessness Reduction Innovation Fund (HRIF) - a $45-million-dollar federal initiative led by the CAEH to fund innovative projects that rapidly and measurably reduce homelessness in communities across the country.

"Everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home. Through the Homelessness Reduction Innovation Fund, our government is supporting innovative, community driven solutions that help make that a reality," said Jennifer McKelvie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing & Infrastructure. "The Bridge to Stability project will have a significant impact on reducing unsheltered homelessness in Simcoe County and represents an important step forward in ensuring people can access the housing and supports they need."

Unsheltered homelessness has increased by 300% nationwide over the last six years, according to the 2024 Point-in-Time Count. Much like the rest of the country, Simcoe County has seen a considerable increase in the number of people staying in encampments, sleeping in tents and other makeshift shelters.

The aim of the Bridge to Stability project is to reduce unsheltered homelessness across Simcoe County, with a goal of moving its first cohort of people into permanent housing within one year.

The County of Simcoe project will pilot a Bridge Housing model, a solution that all parties hope to see scaled across the country. CAEH is providing one-on-one coaching and support to the County to adjust systems, collect data and track progress.

"Through our 10-point Homelessness Prevention Strategy, we are deeply committed to finding new and innovative ways to prevent and reduce homelessness. The much-needed Bridge to Stability initiative complements this strategy by lifting people with the most acute needs, sleeping outdoors and in encampments, into housing," Warden Clarke said.

"This project is an all-hands-on-deck, community-wide response to a crisis that can and will be solved. Simcoe County is paving the path for other communities to follow, offering a rapid, dignified, housing-focused approach that will measurably reduce unsheltered homelessness," Richter said.

This project could not have happened without close collaboration with the CAEH, federal and regional governments, and with additional funding from the County of Simcoe to purchase and transport the converted modular facility.

Quick Facts

• The Homelessness Reduction Innovation Fund (HRIF) was first announced by the federal government in 2024 as part of their $1 billion commitment to Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy. It is a $45-million fund being led by the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) over three years.
• The first round of funding was announced in October 2025, with $7 million flowing to 16 communities across Canada to implement a range of initiatives that will prevent people from falling into homelessness and accelerate people exiting it. Communities received the one-time grants ranging in amount from $100,000 to $1.7 million.
• There will be five rounds of funding through HRIF. Simcoe County's Bridge Housing project is one of the first to be announced as part of the second round of funding. The expression of interest for the third round of funding opens in February 2026. The program will run until 2028.
• To apply for funding to the HRIF, communities must have quality By Name Data that allow them to track the movement of individuals into and out of their homeless system in real time. Communities work with the CAEH and use this data to identify opportunities to reduce inflow into homelessness or accelerate housing outflow from homelessness. Once they identify opportunities for reduction, they can apply to HRIF for a one-time grant to test an intervention that will either reduce inflow or accelerate outflow to achieve a reduction in homelessness.
• The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness is already working with more than 60 communities across Canada to create strong homelessness response systems. They have helped 48 communities to gain real-time data of homelessness in their communities, 38 communities to develop coordinated homeless systems, 13 communities to achieve measurable reductions in chronic homelessness, and four to achieve functional zero chronic or veteran homelessness.
• Reaching Home is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding and support to urban, Indigenous, territorial, rural and remote communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.

SOURCE The County of Simcoe

Media Contacts: Collin Matanowitsch, County of Simcoe, [email protected], 705-734-8386 (mobile); Logan Turner, Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, [email protected], 647-629-7413