Last year, Huron County's housing services helped 74 people transition to a permanent home, but their manager says more can be done.
In the annual update to Huron County council, Housing Services Manager Jayme Koskamp shared the successes of the program in 2025.
However, she also noted that 19 people transitioned back into homelessness, saying there is a need for more funding in order to fill in the gaps.
"We try to assist our population where they're at, one solution might work for one individual but might not work for the next," she told council. "Some of our population struggle with making the transition from homelessness to being housed again. So for as much as we don't want to see them experiencing homelessness again, we are there with the supports that we can offer, knowing that our funding is limited and we are limited on our resources that we can apply."
Housing services receives funding from the Provincial Homelessness Prevention Program, as well as funding partners.
Through a partnership with the CMHA Huron Perth - Addiction and Mental Health Services, the County supported 165 people through the Bridge Housing and Stability Program. Developed in place of the former temporary shelter system, the program provides short-term stability to support the transition from homelessness to permanent housing.
However, Koskamp said the best way to address the housing issue is to do so before people experience chronic homelessness.
"The most cost-effective way to address housing instability is to stop it before it becomes a crisis," she said. "Through some homelessness prevention initiatives, 42 households were able to maintain their housing and avoid becoming homeless altogether."
Other highlights for the past year included the completion of the Gibbons Street development in Goderich. The 40 unit building includes 10 supported spaces.
Koskamp said they'll continue to try and build on these successes over the next decade.
"We are proud of the work we've completed to date, and recognize that our collective work is ongoing. To help guide our next steps, the new 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan has been developed and will be presented to County council at the July 2 meeting."
Housing Services also continues to provide monthly share-outs, along with their annual review.
