$1M from province to help combat homelessness in Huron County

One of the largest affordable housing developments in Huron County's history is nearing completion in Goderich.

The $13 million, 40-unit project near Goderich's downtown should be ready to take on low income tenants next year.

It is the centrepiece of Huron County's homelessness prevention plan that is seeing more than $20 million invested in nearly 70 new affordable housing apartments across the county.

"We are really proud of the work that's being done here to support folks who are in crisis or are very vulnerable, or in precarious housing," said Huron County's Homelessness Housing Programs Supervisor Erin Schooley.

Schooley said they know of at least 131 unhoused people in Huron County, at least 20 of those being families. That's up from 96 unhoused people earlier this year, but down from nearly 200 back in 2021.

An unhoused male sleeping in Courthouse Square park in Goderich in August 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

Schooley said last year, nearly 50 of those unhoused households found permanent long-term housing.

"Homelessness is everywhere. There was a time it was just in the large cities, now it's everywhere. We're very appreciative of our provincial government recognizing what Huron County is doing to address homelessness," said Huron County Warden Glen McNeil.

A little over $1 million in provincial funding was handed over to Huron County Monday to combat homelessness, including a switch away from putting unhoused Huron County residents in motel rooms for the winter.

A 40-unit affordable housing complex is seen under construction in Goderich on Oct. 7, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

"We have switched from the motel model to a bridge housing program that's going to allow us to do that program all year round. That is a shift from the way we've run the programs, our emergency response programs in the past, which have just been in the coldest months of the year," said Schooley.

Schooley said while there have been successes in minimizing the number of homeless in Huron County, it's an uphill battle that needs to be tackled one of 131 homeless residents at a time.

"I would say about 90 per cent of those are chronically homeless in Huron, so they're in a deep crisis at that point. So, we need to shorten that length of time that people are experiencing homelessness and not make it reoccurring at all," said Schooley.

Although it's still months away, the arrival of 40 low-income units on Goderich's Gibbons Street will help, according to Huron County officials.