York Region increasing supports for vulnerable residents
The Regional Municipality of York is increasing supports for individuals experiencing homelessness by adding additional transitional housing with individualized programming to promote life stabilization and autonomy as people transition from homelessness to longer term housing.
Passage House
Located alongside Porter Place and Leeder Place at The Landing (18838 Highway 11 in the Town of East Gwillimbury) is an 18-unit development that has been providing transitional housing with wraparound supports for men experiencing homelessness since fall 2022.
To accelerate completion of the building and help address urgent housing needs, York Region explored innovative construction processes and partnered with the local municipality. Passage House is the Region’s first housing project using prefabricated, factory-built modular components transported and assembled on a foundation built on-site.
In less than two years, the project was designed, received site plan approval, and was constructed.
The Bridge
Located on the Sutton Youth Services site at 20898 Dalton Road in the Town of Georgina is expected to be occupied in early spring. The Bridge will add eight transitional housing units for youth aged 16 to 26, and will allow residents to focus on gaining employment skills, pursuing further education, and increasing life stability.
Both developments were primarily funded by Phase 2 of the Ontario Government’s Social Services Relief Fund (SSRF). The SSRF was designed to help deliver critical services that the community relies on — such as shelters, food banks and emergency services - and create longer-term housing solutions for vulnerable people, including those experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.
The sites will be owned and maintained by York Region’s housing corporation, Housing York Inc. Services and supports will be provided by Blue Door at Passage House and by The Salvation Army at The Bridge.
The developments are part of an overall strategy for the rapid development of affordable housing, adding capacity to York Region’s transitional housing supply and contributing to the Region’s goal of creating longer-term housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness.
Individuals experiencing homelessness and seeking emergency housing can contact the Emergency Housing Central Intake Line at 1-877-464-9675 ext. 76140 or go to york.ca/Housing
For more information on Passage House or The Bridge, please visit york.ca/RapidHousing
