The exterior of the supportive rapid rehousing project on West Street South in Orillia could soon get a facelift.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, city politicians agreed to offer the County of Simcoe unspent city funds set aside for the project, with the goal of bringing landscaping and fencing to the temporary housing facility.
As part of its role to bring the project to the city, council approved up to $100,000 in funding from the affordable housing reserve fund, with a balance of $27,188 in approved funding remaining.
City funding for the project was allocated as follows:
- $57,883 for service connection/tipping fees;
- $900 for a building permit;
- $570 total towards lot grading fees, and entrance and road occupancy permits;
- $1,440 towards 480 garbage tags, meant to last five years;
- $4,914 towards 1,872 transit ride tickets for five years; and
- $7,105 towards recreation passes for five years
Although a budget for the proposed landscaping and fencing has not been determined, councillors agreed to offer the remaining funding to the county to see if such a project is feasible.
Coun. Janet-Lynne Durnford said she heard the inside of the facility is “homey,” and some work on the outside of the facility could help make it an even more liveable space.
“The inside of the supportive rapid rehousing project is just so homey and does not feel at all institutional, and is quite different from the outside,” she said. “I just think it will really go a long way toward making that site just that much more livable for the participants there.”
The project was completed earlier this month, and will support unhoused youth aged 16 to 24 over its five-year duration.
While council voted in favour of the move, some council members suggested the county should pay for additional work on the property.
“I think the county has a responsibility to do exactly what needs to be done and … I would like to see that $27,000 go into the affordable housing reserve,” said Coun. Ralph Cipolla.
“I will be supporting this for no other reason than it's the decent thing to do. The folks who are going to be using this facility need as much privacy as we can possibly afford them,” said Coun. Tim Lauer. “What I have an issue with is … why are we paying for this?”
Lauer highlighted the facility will house youth from across Simcoe County, and that the costs, moving forward, should be paid by all county municipalities.
“If there's an Orillian down in Alliston and they're going to use the facility down there, it makes sense as long as Alliston is also committing above and beyond what everybody else has, as we are doing in this case,” he said.
“Going forward, I think the simple solution is we shouldn't be expected to make any contribution – it should be a part of the costs for everybody right across the county.”
City staff said that while some fencing is planned for the property around an outside gazebo area, the county does not have the funds to install fencing along the broader property.
“This fencing, I understand, the interest is to see it placed along West Street South,” said Ian Sugden, the city's general manager of development services and engineering. “At this point, the county does not have either the budget or the immediate interest in doing that themselves, but wouldn't argue with the city, I think, if we were to install that.”
Council approved offering the remaining funding for fencing and landscaping in a 5-4 vote.
