Northumberland County – Transition House Shelter Re-Opens to the Community
Transition House shelter in Cobourg has reopened and is once again providing 24-hour emergency shelter services to people experiencing homelessness in Northumberland.
“We are very pleased to be active once again, providing low-barrier emergency shelter services for the community,” states Transition House Board Chair Catherine White. “We are focused on supporting people experiencing homelessness to secure safe, affordable and stable housing as quickly as possible. We are already engaging with partner agencies and look forward to continued collaboration to ensure a coordinated response to homelessness across Northumberland.”
Northumberland County announced in June that, following an intensive Request for Proposals process (RFP), it would be partnering with Transition House to deliver modernized emergency shelter services for Northumberland. The shelter began accommodating clients on October 15th following a temporary ten-month closure. During this closure, the Board oversaw recruitment to ensure a full compliment of shelter staff, as well as all-staff training in best practices for shelter operations and the ‘Housing First’ Model.
The Housing First model is at the root of the provincial housing policy, and now underpins all local inter-agency collaboration on homelessness. It positions emergency shelters as vital ‘point-of-entry’ hubs within the broader homelessness system, where people experiencing chronic homelessness are connected with resources to enable a transition to safe, affordable and stable housing as quickly as possible.
“With a history of providing compassionate refuge and transitional support to residents experiencing a housing crisis, Transition House is well-positioned to deliver this essential service,” indicates County Director of Community & Social Services Lisa Horne. “Homelessness is a complex issue within our community, and we welcome Transition House’s contribution to the work among partner agencies to strengthen Northumberland’s evolving system of housing and homelessness supports.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love