Landlord partnership program helps get people off Simcoe County streets

A program with Empower Simcoe helped to give Candiss Everingham a place to call home for the first time in four years.

"I feel more secure and safe than living on the streets," she said. "You don't know what's going to happen in those situations."

In January, Everingham got the keys to her Waubaushene apartment through a Landlord Partnership Program called The Journey Home.

The program was launched last November in partnership with the County of Simcoe and encourages property owners to offer affordable housing at or below the poverty line.

"With the rising cost of housing, it really makes it unattainable for individuals receiving government assistance to find housing," said Laurie Straughan with Empower Simcoe.

Straughan said the goal is to keep people off the streets as the motel shelter model used throughout the pandemic comes to an end.

"With the province reopening, we wanted to work with landlords to increase the housing stock, so the individuals in the motel had permanent housing to go to," said Straughan.

The program offers incentives for landlords, including three months paid rent upfront, paid insurance deductibles and vacancy loss mitigation.

Michael Preston with Lakeview Realty Inc. is one of more than 50 property owners across Simcoe County who have inquired about the program.

To date, he and his team have helped six people and their families find housing.

"It's been a disaster as far as near-zero vacancy rates, so our phones are ringing off the hook all the time," said Preston. "I think the community and the government, we all have to work on those solutions together."

In all, 16 families now have a place to call home thanks to the program, which is open to property owners across the county until the end of March.