Northumberland County council approved an operating model change to 310 Division Street in Cobourg that will see the shelter transition the focus to serving lower to moderate acuity individuals.
The plan was first presented at the July 30 Social Services Committee meeting and was advanced to Wednesday’s County council meeting for final approval.
Changes came as a result of a directive from County council June 18 to change the operating model while also closing the 24/7 drop-in cooling/warming hub at the facility.
On Wednesday, August 13, 2025, Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland said there were questions at the recent standing committee meeting about defining the barrier levels and heard there would be clarifications of differences between the old and new operating models.
“I think what we have here is a community looking for details and to understand sort of what is changing, what isn’t changing,” Cleveland said, also asking about the timeline to learn of successes and failures. He told the County’s Homelessness Services Manager Bill Smith that his preference would be within six months.
“If this model is approved by council then we will give notice to the operator of our intentions and the required 30-day notice to open up the service agreement,” Smith said. “At that point we’ll start to negotiate some of the changes that are going to happen with the operator as far as budgets, processes, codes of conduct…as well as we’ll have to change some of the operations with security.”
Smith said the intention is to provide updates to County council at the three and six months and one-year marks.
An information page that didn’t make it to the agenda in time was distributed to County councillors, staff and was shown on the video screen.
Smith said residents stay for three months to four years depending on housing stock and individual needs.
“There was a time when housing stock was more available that an emergency shelter stay would be maxed out at 90 days,” he noted. “Things have changed drastically in the last decade so basically if you are still engaging in your housing focused search, we are not going to create homelessness from our emergency shelter.”
Individuals will sign an occupancy agreement outlining rules, eligibility, and obligations of their stay.
Support services will include regular unit inspections, mental health or addiction services, life skills training, employment or education support, assistance in finding permanent housing and case management.
“Part of that case plan is going to touch on basically every aspect of an individual’s life,” Smith said, noting that includes things like how they lost their housing, what the goals are, education, employment, mental health, and physical health.
The target populations for transitional housing in Northumberland will be low acuity and close to housing ready clients. Smith said transitional housing is neither an emergency shelter or permanent housing, but rather an intermediate step.
The goal is to provide safe, stable housing while residents develop the skills and resources needed to maintain independent living in permanent housing.
“Acuity in general is fluid and at any time life circumstances can change your acuity, your need for support,” Smith said. “Something tragic could happen and suddenly you need a different type of support that would raise your acuity level and we would be working within those needs and supports throughout their entire stay, not just at the beginning, not just when they do an intake, but identifying and addressing those needs as they move forward.”
Low acuity is an individual who has some factors or circumstances that need to be addressed to become stably housed. The example provided was “Mark was evicted when his landlord needed to perform extensive building renovations. He works full time in a low-paying job and cannot find a suitable apartment within his budget. He has never experienced homelessness before.”
Moderate acuity means there are several factors or circumstances with the example being “Anita is a senior and has been living in her vehicle for three weeks. She receives a fixed pension income. She has arthritis-related mobility issues and no family nearby.”
The example for high acuity which has many factors is Jordan has cycled between living unsheltered and couch surfing with friends for several years. Jordan sustained a brain injury in a motor vehicle accident as a teenager and has moderate substance use concerns. They have previous involvement with the justice system and have recently experienced interpersonal violence.”
Following the information Smith presented, Cleveland said “I guess what I’m looking for is the terminology I can use moving forward to ensure that I’m speaking with some knowledge and some understanding so we’re not talking about raising the barrier, we’re talking actually about determining who 310 can best serve is what I’m sort of understanding from this and the language that I’m to use is acuity so 310 is more designed now for individuals with lower acuity so they don’t need as many wraparound or potential services.”
Cleveland also asked if it was fair for councillors to receive a report within six months.
Smith, who earlier noted the plan for three month, six-month and one-year updates, agreed.
Cleveland wondered about the individuals with high acuity.
“Now that we know that 310 is going to be a model where people who don’t need as much help are able to find their way out of homelessness and into stable housing, the people with high acuity, those suffering on our streets with severe mental health issues, what are we to do with them to ensure we don’t avoid having them continue to walk the streets in disrepair and suffering in this heat,” he said, though didn’t mention County council voted to close the 24/7 drop-in warming/cooling hub which also had access to washrooms, showers and lockers, effective July 4.
“I’m just sort of trying to understand next steps for those individuals who we see in the community who are no longer to go to 310 because we’re trying to focus those services on those (lower acuity) individuals yet we have these eight to 10 individuals in our community that are suffering. I’m just trying to understand where we’re going with that next.”
Cleveland added to Smith “I don’t know if you have an answer and it’s okay to say there isn’t one right now because that is the system we’re dealing with.”
Smith said “I don’t have a solution, but I do know that my outreach team are visiting and supporting when the supports are wanted to all of those individuals. I think the tougher question is when supports are not wanted and then what the answers are beyond that and that moves to higher levels – that’s the involuntary piece of support that I think the province needs to clarify a little more.”
Warden Brian Ostrander, who is mayor of Brighton, noted “that problem, Mr. Smith, exists whether we have a room for them or not.”
“Correct,” Smith agreed.
Deputy Warden and Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky asked about individuals who have undergone treatment for mental health and addictions and who have stabilized.
“We know that one of the things that’s a key indicator of success is having some housing support in order to continue with the kind of outpatient and wraparound services that are required, but they may not neatly fit into how you’re characterizing according to this metric, either low or medium acuity,” she said.
“Would 310 Division consider bringing those folks in after they’ve successfully completed a program in community to try to provide them that next step in transitional housing?”
Smith said that is being looked into, adding “they would follow the same assessments and the same selection process into either a shelter bed or our transitional housing units within 310. Typically they have follow-up through their treatment facility as well and it makes sense they have a place to go once they’ve successfully completed treatment.”
Alnwick/Haldimand Township Mayor John Logel confirmed that there would still be financial support from the province despite the change in operating model. Smith said it would remain the same under the funding from the Homelessness Prevention Plan.
County council voted to direct staff to proceed with implementing the emergency shelter operating model as outlined in the report from the July 30 Social Services Committee meeting.
SEE RELATED STORY: https://todaysnorthumberland.ca/2025/07/30/plans-for-higher-barrier-model-for-310-division-st-shared-at-social-services-committee-meeting
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
