Homelessness: Simcoe County unveils bold 10-year plan to tackle affordable housing and homelessness
Courtesy Barrie360.com and News Release
By Newsroom, November 26, 2025
Simcoe County Council has approved a new 10-year affordable housing and homelessness prevention strategy, Building Up Simcoe County – Our Community Blueprint for Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention, setting ambitious targets to address housing needs across the region.
“With this strategy, we’re committed to serving 20,996 households between 2025 and 2035 – including 5,081 through new housing units and subsidies, and 15,915 by addressing affordability gaps,” said Warden Basil Clarke. “This is an aggressive target, but it is one that we know that we can achieve through sustained investments from all levels of government and partnerships throughout our communities with municipalities, non-profits, and the private sector.”
The plan builds on the County’s previous strategy, which concluded in 2024 after creating approximately 3,700 new affordable housing units.
Three Pillars Driving the Strategy
The blueprint focuses on three key pillars designed to create a balanced and sustainable housing system:
- Increasing Supply – Through new builds, modular bridge housing, secondary suites, and conversions.
- Keeping People Housed – With prevention programs, rent supports, and home repairs.
- Managing the System – By improving data coordination, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring transparent reporting.
Unlike previous approaches that focused solely on units built, the new strategy introduces a “households housed” target, combining results from both capital projects and operating programs. It also includes a broader “households served” target, which accounts for prevention and diversion initiatives—providing a clearer picture of the County’s overall impact.
A Community Effort
Warden Clarke emphasized the importance of collaboration, “By partnering with our communities, residents of Simcoe County will continue to thrive, become stronger, and create places that people are proud to call ‘home.’”
To learn more and view the full strategy, visit simcoe.ca/ourahhps.