As colder weather arrives, Bruce County is reminding residents that housing and homelessness supports are available throughout the community for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their housing.
Bruce County is the designated Service System Manager for housing and homelessness services in the community. The County plans, funds and coordinates services that help prevent homelessness, respond when someone experiences a housing crisis, and support people in finding and maintaining stable housing.
Bruce County delivers these services in partnership with local health, housing and human service organizations, including YMCA Owen Sound Grey Bruce.
Emergency Housing in Bruce County: Bruce County’s communities are smaller and spread across a large geographic area. To meet local needs, the County partners with the YMCA to provide emergency housing using motel accommodations across the county.
People accessing emergency shelter are connected with workers who help them explore housing options, access community services and work toward stable, longer-term housing.
Emergency shelter is only one part of a broader system of supports the County provides and coordinates. This includes homelessness prevention and housing stabilization programs, financial assistance, outreach and case management, housing placement and landlord engagement, Housing First programming, transitional housing and referrals to health, mental health and addictions services.
Warming Centres: Warming centres are different from emergency shelter. A warming centre is a temporary space where people can find relief during periods of severe weather, while emergency shelter provides temporary overnight accommodation for people experiencing homelessness.
Residents looking for information about warming centres, including available locations and hours of operation, can use 211 Ontario or review extreme weather information from Grey Bruce Public Health.
Help is available:
- Bruce County Human Services: Call 1-800-265-3022 for information about income supports, rent-geared-to-income housing and assistance that may be available for rental or utility arrears, first and last month’s rent, and moving expenses.
- YMCA Rural Housing & Homelessness Outreach: Call 519-371-9222 to make an appointment. Outreach workers help prevent and address homelessness and provide outreach to people experiencing homelessness.
- 211: Call 2-1-1 for after-hours emergency shelter support and connections to community resources, including meal programs and food banks. Service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- 911: Call 9-1-1 if someone is in serious distress or there is an emergency.
Bruce County Outreach and the Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) also bring housing, health, mental health, harm reduction and social supports directly into communities, including encampments, motel shelter sites and rural areas. Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) also bring housing, health, mental health, harm reduction and social supports directly into communities, including encampments, motel shelter sites and rural areas.
For more information about services and how to access support, visit the Bruce County Homelessness Resources page.
