310 Division Street: Modernizing shelter services to address community need

With homelessness a rising concern in municipalities across Canada, Northumberland County continues to seek out new opportunities for shelter, housing and services to support vulnerable community members.

To help address the urgent local need for housing and shelter services in Northumberland, the County announced the purchase of a building at 310 Division Street, Cobourg in December 2023. The County purchased the vacant property for the purpose of emergency shelter and transitional housing.

Current Status

On November 12, 2024, Northumberland County announced the opening of the ground floor of 310 Division Street - a drop-in warming space - as of November 13. This 24/7 space will provide individuals experiencing homelessness with a safe and warm place to rest, access washroom and shower facilities, do laundry, and get something to eat.

The opening of the warming space marks the beginning of the transition of shelter services to the newly renovated 310 Division Street location, where a comprehensive range of services will ultimately be available.

• Renovation of the 35 emergency shelter spaces on the second and third floors of the building are progressing well, and are on track to open before the end of 2024.
• 10 transitional housing units on the fourth floor are anticipated to be occupied by early 2025.

Once these renovations are complete, community members will be invited to an Open House showcasing the new facility and the services that will support people experiencing homelessness in our community.

Background

310 Division Street is the former location of the Cobourg Retirement Residence. Operators of the Residence announced in June 2023 that the facility would be closing its doors. The County purchased the vacant property in December 2023 and entered into an agreement with Transition House Shelter for the relocation of shelter services from the current location at 10 Chapel Street, Cobourg to this one central location, to better meet the diverse needs of our community.

The vision is for modernized shelter services that help improve pathways out of homelessness for people in need. This new and improved shelter will introduce a 24/7 hub, offering:

• Drop-in warming and cooling spaces
• Approximately 35 emergency shelter spaces
• Health, wellness and skill-building programming and resources
• Transitional housing spaces, further supporting individuals on their journey to life stabilization.

These services will reduce barriers for couples, 2SLGBTQ+ community members, individuals with pets, and people with disabilities, improving access to shelter for more people in our community.

Community Liaison Committee

Northumberland County is forming a Community Liaison Committee (CLC) to support successful integration of shelter services at 310 Division Street, Cobourg.

The 310 Division CLC will be a volunteer committee of diverse perspectives. Meetings will take place approximately once per month for the first year of operation of the new shelter, with the possibility of extension. Committee members will share information, discuss ideas, and collectively problem-solve concerns.

The Committee will include 12-15 representatives, including shelter neighbours, community members, persons with lived experience of homelessness and housing insecurity, faith-based organizations, the Cobourg business community, Cobourg Police Services, Town of Cobourg, Northumberland County, and Transition House Shelter staff, and community agencies that work closely with the shelter and its clients.

The goals of the CLC are to:

• Help successfully integrate 310 Division Street into the community.
• Ensure ongoing open communication between shelter management and the community to co-create opportunities and solutions.
• Improve the community's understanding of the work happening within the shelter, and help shelter leadership, staff and guests ensure strong neighbour relations.

CLC applications

The process to form this committee began on August 28, 2024. Interested individuals were invited to submit an Expression of Interest to begin their application process by September 18th. The application period is now closed.

All applicants were required to attend a training session on Wednesday, September 25 to learn about Homelessness in Northumberland. After the training session, interested participants were invited to an interview with a panel of County housing and homelessness staff and a representative of OrgCode, consultant leaders in homelessness system transformations.

Applications are now being evaluated based on local priority, related experience, expressed level of interest, and to ensure a well-rounded group with diverse perspectives represented. We received a significant level of interest and there are limited community representative spaces available on the Committee. Not all applicants are guaranteed a spot.

Please check back for further updates on the CLC in November. If you have questions about the CLC or the application process, please email shelterclc@northumberland.ca.

Quick facts

• Northumberland County is responsible for the planning and co-ordination of Homelessness System services across local municipalities, which includes collaborating with community partners on the provision of shelter, resources and supports. 310 Division Street will be one component of the supports available in Northumberland for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
• Northumberland County Housing Corporation (NCHC) manages 373 units of affordable and community housing across local municipalities.
• The County is currently working, with partners, towards an additional 251 new units and rent subsidies to be brought forward over the next 3 years. Increasing the stock of affordable and community housing is critical to meeting the needs of vulnerable and low-income people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
• The County currently has projects underway to support vulnerable residents:
  • Elgin Park Affordable Housing Redevelopment: A partnership with NCHC to increase the number of units at this location from 18 to 40.
  • Ontario Street Affordable Housing Development: A partnership with NCHC, Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS) and Habitat for Humanity Northumberland to open 62 new affordable housing units of various tenure and affordability types.
  • Intensification of 123 King Street, Colborne to provide safe and affordable housing to more individuals in our community.

  • 310 Division Street: Renovation of the vacant apartment complex to support relocation of Transition House Shelter and support services.

Join In the conversation

Community engagement activities for the service planning phase of this undertaking concluded the week of February 12, 2024. The County and Transition House Shelter hosted community information and engagement sessions for residents to share questions, concerns and ideas to help positively shape the integration of this new hub within the broader community.

Concluded presentations and consultations

• Presentation to County Council - Wednesday, December 6, 2023
• Door knocking in the immediate neighbourhood - January 15, 2024
• In-person small group discussions - January 16, 2024
• Virtual small group discussions - January 25 and 26, 2024
• Virtual public meeting - February 6, 2024 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
  • View the presentation slides from this meeting
• In-person Open House with service providers - February 12, 2024

Community Engagement Report

County staff along with facilitators consolidated feedback gathered through the community engagement phase. This included feedback gathered through small group discussions, public information sessions, correspondence and questions submitted to staff and County Council, and delegations to County committees and Council.

A final report was shared with County Council at the regular meeting of Council on March 20, 2024, including an overview of how feedback will be being incorporated into plans.

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