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PRESENTATION CONCERNING THE COUNTY OF SIMCOE SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Greg Bishop, Arfona Zwiers, and Wendy Hembruff, County of Simcoe provided a presentation concerning the County of Simcoe Social and Community Services.
Mr. Bishop, Ms. Zwiers, and Ms. Hembruff discussed slides concerning the following topics:
• The legislated role of the County as a service manager;
• Cost sharing breakdowns of the Social Services Division for the Cities of Barrie, Orillia, and the County;
• A balanced approach to affordable housing using capital and operating programs;
• Social housing within the City of Barrie;
• Federally, provincially, and municipally funded affordable housing programs;
• Federally, provincially, and municipally funded affordable rental and supportive housing development before the Affordable Housing Strategy;
• Future affordable and supportive housing projects on Rose Street and Tiffin Street;
• Affordable housing funding allocations;
• Children’s services, such as licenced childcare/early years and childcare subsidy;
• The two types of Ontario Works assistance;
• Reviewing Ontario Works case loads to adjust staffing and resources;
• The homelessness services funding envelopes for both annualized funding and the pandemic specific funding;
• The number of beds used in emergency shelters;
• Data from the three funded services providers to deliver the Housing First Program;
• The Social and Community Investment Fund;
• The warming centres in the City of Barrie and other communities; and
• City Council directed leadership going forward.
Members of the Committee asked questions of Mr. Bishop, Ms. Zwiers, and Ms. Hembruff and received responses.