BARRIE -- A quilt was on display today with patches containing various names, Wendy...Brian...Gary, names of those who the City of Barrie said will not be ignored.

"It's not just the names on a quilt. It's the names that are not on the quilt, that didn't make it to the quilt, and it's about people not being forgotten," explained homeless advocate Crystal Moore.

The quilt was part of a powerful tribute held on Friday to put a face to homelessness.

"It shows that it's not going to just go away and get swept under the rug," Moore stated.

Nearly 700 people are living on Simcoe County streets, 300 of those in Barrie alone.

Officials point the finger at the lack of affordable housing right across the country.

Statistics show the City of Barrie has some of the highest rental rates in Canada, averaging between $1400 and $1700 per month.

Lucy's Place in Barrie recently opened. It's a new four-year transitional home in partnership with Redwood Park Communities and the David Busby Centre. The former motel offers more than a dozen people who once called the streets home a fresh start.

Redwood Park will open the doors to a new housing project on Lillian Crescent, expected to open in 2022.