Modular Bridge Housing - Update October 2023
In the coming days, 50 people experiencing homelessness who indicated that they would like to live in the new Modular Bridge Housing community will be told that they have been selected for one of the units.
Social Services outreach workers and the organization that is expected to operate the site, the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough, will speak to each of the prospective tenants to confirm their intention to move into the units once they are installed.
Construction and installation are expected to start on the Rehill Parking Lot property on Wolfe Street in September with occupancy in the fall.
Throughout the summer, outreach workers have been engaging with people who are experiencing homelessness and who are living on the property to share information, offer assistance with the planned changes, and start coordinating the transition of individuals into the new modular bridge housing.
The Modular Bridge Housing project uses modular units to provide supportive temporary housing for people who are unsheltered with the goal of assisting them to move into more permanent housing.
Selection of the individuals who will receive a Modular Bridge Housing unit is being done through a collaborative process between Elizabeth Fry Society and the City of Peterborough.
One City, which is a community agency that provides services to people experiencing homelessness, and FourCAST, which is a community-based addiction treatment provider, were consulted in the development of the process and will provide ongoing services to individuals.
The selection criteria developed in consultation with the community agencies considers:
- each individual’s specific needs;
- the barriers they may face accessing other shelter options;
- the acuity of their needs;
- a standardized housing assessment tool; and
- information about where the individual currently lives.
Modular housing is an important tool in the City’s overall strategy to end chronic homelessness and complements other actions by the City.
Working with Elizabeth Fry Society to confirm tenants for each of the 50 units is the next major step in the project, said Councillor Alex Bierk and Councillor Keith Riel, the Housing and Homelessness portfolio chairs on City Council.
“We’re providing a new housing option for people who are experiencing homelessness. There’s certainly a sense of urgency to get these homes in place before winter. We’re consulting with the neighbourhood through a liaison committee and speaking with individuals experiencing homelessness to move this project forward,” the Councillors said in a joint statement.
In response to the homelessness crisis, City Council decided in May 2023 that the City-owned 210 Wolfe Street/Rehill Parking Lot properties will be the site of new modular bridge housing with secured storage, security, and washroom facilities for 18 to 24 months.
Elizabeth Fry Society is expected to be the site manager for the Modular Bridge Housing community, with an agreement to be finalized.
“The Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough is excited to be able to develop the Bridge housing program that will support this alternative housing option for people who are facing barriers in our community - it will protect them from the elements and ultimately keep people alive,” said Debbie Carriere, Executive Director of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough.
“This project represents a community coming together to make a real and concrete difference and will be based on what we have learned from other similar communities, our own housing projects, and will honour the voices of the people who will ultimately live in these units. Housing is a human right and in the midst of a housing crisis we need to be innovative in creating new options that reflect the communities we serve and bring us all together like never before.”
Each cabin, or Modular Bridge Housing unit, will measure approximately 107 square feet and will be furnished and equipped with electricity, heating and cooling.
The Wolfe Street building, where the overflow shelter bed program currently operates, will be converted to provide amenities like common space and washrooms, laundry services.
There will be an office for security staff at the main entrance to the site.
The location will be staffed 24/7 including support services and security.
Background information on the project, project updates, and a Frequently-Asked-Questions section is posted on the City’s online community engagement site, Connect Peterborough, at connectptbo.ca/Modular-Bridge-Housing.
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