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The County of Renfrew and Carefor Health and Community Services are partnering to bring supportive bridge housing to the community.
RELEASE DATE:
June 18, 2024
County of Renfrew and Carefor working in partnership on initiative
The County of Renfrew is proud to announce the launch of a new initiative to provide supportive bridge housing for residents in our community. This initiative is in partnership with Carefor Health and Community Services, a non-profit organization renowned for its holistic care and support services for residents.
The County has signed a three-year lease at the Carefor Mackay Centre, located at 700 Mackay Street in Pembroke. This lease is for a separate area within the facility that is currently vacant. Renovations of the space are expected to be underway later this month to create rooms for up to 14 residents with an occupancy target of late Fall 2024.
Bridge housing is a short-term, continuous stay accommodation that helps people ‘bridge’ the gap from homelessness to permanent housing. As part of this collaborative approach to providing compassionate care, the County is exploring opportunities to partner with other service providers within the community to provide necessary staffing and innovative programming for residents.
This move is part of the County’s recently introduced Mesa initiative, a comprehensive plan to better support individuals struggling with mental health, addictions, and homelessness. The goal is to provide wraparound support services to individuals, enhancing their housing stability and overall health.
Addressing these needs is part of the County of Renfrew’s strategic plan goal of Community Wellness and Health Care. While individual departments and organizations have been providing services in these areas, this initiative provides an opportunity to move beyond the silos and align existing efforts to offer wraparound care for all community members to thrive. Mesa also addresses gaps identified through the Housing and Homelessness Strategy.
In conjunction with this, the County has engaged OrgCode Consulting to prepare an update to the 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan. To ensure that this plan reflects the needs and perspectives of the community, a series of public engagement sessions will be held this week. We invite all residents to participate in these sessions to share their feedback and insights.
Public Engagement Sessions:
- Date: June 19, 2024 | Time: 5:00 - 7:30 pm | Location: Renfrew Legion
- Date: June 20, 2024 | Time: 5:00 - 7:30 pm | Location: Algonquin College, Pembroke
- Date: June 21, 2024 | Time: 5:00 - 7:30 pm | Location: Arnprior Legion
In addition to the in-person sessions, an online survey has been made available. We encourage everyone to share their feedback through this survey, which can be accessed at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/RRKB8QG. The survey closes June 20.
Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon said the County of Renfrew is excited to partner with Carefor to bring much-needed bridge housing to our community.
“This initiative, combined with our ongoing collaborative efforts through the Mesa program, underscores our commitment to working with community partners to better support individuals struggling with homelessness, mental health, and addictions challenges,” he said. “Success for all in our area starts with the community providing stabile housing and supports through various linked and coordinated programs.”
Councillor Anne Giardini, Community Services Committee Chair, is interested in the feedback from the engagement sessions.
“Public input is crucial in shaping our 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan. We look forward to hearing from residents across the County during the upcoming sessions and through our online survey,” she added.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Craig Kelley Chief Administrative Officer 613-735-7288
Tina Peplinskie Media Relations Coordinator 613-735-7288
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