New homelessness plan focuses on prevention

Luke Edwards

Grant Haven Media

If current trends hold, an estimated 780 people a year will experience homelessness in Norfolk and Haldimand, but a new plan aims to reduce that number.

Norfolk councillors have approved a new 10-year housing and homelessness presented by Haldimand Norfolk Housing and Social Services. Staff said it focuses on five priorities: keeping people housed, protecting existing affordable housing, creating more housing opportunities, strengthening the system and measuring results.

“Housing pressures have changed significantly over the last decade. More residents are struggling to find housing they can afford. Community housing wait times remain long,” said Becky Lala, director of housing and social services. Increasingly complex needs also makes providing services a challenge.

“This plan responds to those pressures by shifting the focus from individual programs to a coordinated housing mobility framework with stronger emphasis on prevention, accountability, and long term planning.”

An estimated 428 people experienced homelessness across Norfolk and Haldimand in 2025.

“Based on current trends that number could increase to approximately 780 people by 2035 if conditions and resources remain the same,” Lala said.

Projections in the plan suggest Norfolk requires 2,930 new homes in the next 10 years, including 730 affordable units, to meet the need. Haldimand, meanwhile, will require 4,575 new homes, 1,450 of which would need to be affordable.

While it’s two counties under one plan, its authors acknowledge unique needs between Haldimand and Norfolk and Lala said they’ll take county-specific approaches based on those needs.

“The destination is the same but the path to get there may look different in Norfolk than it does in Haldimand,” Lala said.

For instance, the plan recognizes the central role Simcoe plays for services in Norfolk, compared to a more spread out base in Haldimand. And while home ownership dominates in both counties, rentals make up a slightly larger share of Norfolk homes.

Accepting the plan doesn’t commit the county to any future projects or costs. Anything of that nature that comes out of the plan will come before council in the regular process, she said.

Councillors at the Sept. 9 meeting where they approved the housing and homelessness plans also received an update about a proposed amalgamation of Dunnville Non-Profit Homes and South & Metcalfe Non-Profit Housing Corporation under the Haldimand Norfolk Housing Corporation banner. While no decisions were made by councillors, the report said HNHC has accepted both requests in principle, and staff will return to council following the upcoming municipal elections to provide information on next steps.