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Lucy’s Place in Barrie, Ont., is expanding its mission to address chronic homelessness with the addition of six apartments.
On Thursday, the supportive housing community run by Redwood Park Communities and the Busby Centre welcomed six new residents, bringing its total to 24.
The six new apartments were built from shipping containers.
“We are excited to welcome our six new residents to Lucy’s Place, some of whom we have had the pleasure of knowing through our shelter and outreach services for many years. We feel privileged to be part of this supportive housing journey as it is essential in our community in the battle to end chronic homelessness,” stated Sara Peddle, executive director of the Busby Centre.
Jennifer VanGennip, director of communications and advocacy for Redwood Park Communities, said the need in the community is high, with more than 400 people on a By Name List experiencing homelessness in the community.
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This addition is Phase 2 of the conversion of the old Barr’s Motel into Lucy’s Place, adding the six new units to the existing 12 apartments in the main building and six bedrooms of shared accommodation in the house next door.
The shipping containers were craned into place at the Essa Road location on June 13, and staff say the North America-wide backorder delayed construction on a specific part needed to connect the hydro.
Despite delays, residents were able to move in on Thursday.
“It’s been truly exciting waiting to move in. I was worried that it wasn’t real,” said one of Lucy’s Place’s newest residents, who goes by T.
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“I’m happy that with the help of so many people, I’m ready for this fresh start. Let’s do this!”
Funding for the expansion came from the province, with each new unit having its own kitchen and bathroom.
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Lucy’s Place, which opened in 2019, is a joint effort between Redwood Park Communities and the Busby Centre to address long-term homelessness in Barrie.
Redwood manages the property owned by Simcoe County and provides side-by-side support, while Busby staff facilitate the supportive housing programming with on-site 24/7 support and case management.
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“People are able to have housing they can afford that’s more specifically set up with programming for people who may need more support to help get stabilized to reach some goals they want to set for themselves around housing stabilization and any cycles in their life that they want,” VanGennip said.
Offers of housing at Lucy’s Place are made through the Simcoe County List, a part of the Coordinated Access System.
It is a centralized list on which agencies in the community register their clients, with their consent to help find permanent housing.
People on this list are prioritized and then matched to housing for an offer that is a good fit as they become available. Residents pay the housing portion of their Ontario Works or ODSP benefits or equivalent, and the county subsidizes the rest of the costs.
