Construction has started on a unique multi-million dollar supportive housing project to help tackle the city's housing crisis. The badly needed housing facility will provide much needed hope to some of the community's most vulnerable residents.
The low-rise apartment building will feature:
- 14,000 square foot two-storey building
- 12 supportive housing units
- Fully furnished two-bedroom units for families in crisis
Crews just started working on the new development behind the Salvation Army's Citadel Church at 151 Lillian Crescent in Barrie.
The project is a joint initiative between Redwood Park Communities, a Barrie-based charity, and The Salvation Army. The facility will also be somewhere for families to get support from outreach workers and others who share their struggles.
Barrie Today reports that the Salvation Army's Barrie Bayside Mission in partnership with Redwood, will provide the necessary day-to-day support to families through housing-based case management and resources focused on stable long-term housing solutions.
"This will not only be a structure for habitation but a home where families can reconnect with themselves and each other, where relationships are formed and strengthened, and where cycles of homelessness in the fullest sense of the word are broken."
Redwood Park Communications Director | Jennifer van Gennip
Van Gennip stated that a good portion of the site services have been done for drainage and water supply, and hydro and gas will be done later as the building is further along. Tender packages are out and some bids have already been received and will be reviewed shortly.
Through community support and work done by the capital campaign team, van Gennip said $2.4 million has already been raised for the project. An additional $700,000 is still needed.
To help bring the project to reality, Lt. Col. Shawn Critch of the Salvation Army announced that the Salvation Army Ontario Division is providing $500,000 toward the building of the 12 new supportive housing units, in addition to providing the land on which the housing project will be built.
Construction of the supportive housing project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2023.