A 10-year housing and homelessness plan for the Parry Sound District has been revealed to the final West Parry Sound municipality. The Parry Sound District Social Services Administration Board spoke to Town of Parry Sound council last night to let them know about the three priorities they are working on. The first priority is to focus a homelessness reduction and stabilization strategy for the next five years on the non-senior single adults and lone parents families in the district.
DSSAB Manger of Housing and Community Services Janice Bray says in the Town of Parry Sound, males can afford decent housing, while females can’t.
There are 380 lone parent families in the Town of Parry Sound and 80 per cent are single mothers with a median income of just over $18,000 a year.
The second priority for the town is to focus on developing housing alternatives and support services for seniors living alone, senior couples, and persons with disabilities that are at risk of losing their place in the community. Bray says all district municipalities are facing an increase of seniors.
Bray says seniors and persons living with disabilities can lose their home in many ways including increase costs in utilities, illness, or losing a job.
The third priority is the creation of a central database on the affordable housing needs and homelessness risks at the district, sub-district (East Parry Sound and West Parry Sound), and community levels.