What does our current shelter system look like in Northumberland?

Throughout Northumberland, there is growing demand for housing and homelessness services. At a glance, as of December 2023:

• At any given time, there are 75-80 people on Northumberland’s By-Name list — a list of people currently experiencing homelessness, who provide consent to receive supports, and are engaged with the support system.
• Northumberland residents face one of the lowest rental vacancy rates in Ontario at just 1%
• Community members are dealing with higher rental cost compared to neighbouring communities.
• The County provided close to 1,100 shelter and housing benefits to homeless or at-risk residents in 2023.
• The waitlist for subsidized housing has surged to more than 1,000 households, with 391 names added in the last year alone.

Transition House is Northumberland’s only emergency shelter for adults experiencing homelessness. With escalating demand for services, staff have increasingly been grappling with the limitations of the current century-home facility.

• The current facility located at 10 Chapel Street in Cobourg has just 4 rooms equipped with bunk beds, which can accommodate a maximum of 22 individuals.
• Staff can further accommodate up to 15 individuals through arrangements with local motels, as an overflow measure.

The purchase of 310 Division Street will enable Transition House to consolidate operations to a single site, ensuring consistent wrap-around services for all clients.