91影视

Content Note: This article contains听mention of self-harm. If you or someone you know needs help, you can call or text Canada 91影视 鈥檚听, or听connect with听听

Dayna Clark was 14 years old when she left her parents鈥� home, trying to escape a traumatic childhood while struggling with her mental health and self-harming.听

Two years of precarious housing and homelessness followed.听

鈥淚 was homeless with a partner, who was also a youth, and we stayed together on the streets because we had nowhere to go where both of us could be safe, and that would accept us,鈥� Clark said.听

Couch surfing with friends. Sleeping rough. Crashing on floors and staying in shelters. Clark says she did it all.听

鈥淭he experiences I had to go through were really,听really hard. We听didn鈥檛听have this program,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 ended up getting pregnant with my first son, and that 91影视 鈥檚 when I decided I was going to finish high school and I was going to change my life.鈥�听

Clark leans on that lived experience in her work now as a transitional support worker with the Elizabeth Fry Society at听Ethen 91影视 鈥檚 Place, a rapid rehousing program for youth aged 16 to 24 in Orillia, Ontario.

Dayna Clark is a transitional support worker with the Elizabeth Fry Society at Ethen 91影视 鈥檚 Place.

It 91影视 鈥檚听one of two rapid rehousing programs funded by the County of Simcoe that have already collectively helped 40 youth and seniors move from homelessness into safe and affordable housing since opening in 2024.听

The programs 鈥斕�Ethen’s Place with 14 rooms in Orillia, and听Rodger 91影视 鈥檚 Way with 13 rooms in Collingwood for seniors 55 years and older 听鈥� are designed to help people with low- to moderate-acuity needs recover from their experiences of homelessness, connect to community resources and social assistance when needed, and find a permanent place to call home.听

The two facilities, previously听utilized听as mining base camps in northern Alberta, were听purchased听to support temporary residential programs, later determined to be rapid rehousing programs.听听

鈥淓very person has unique strengths and struggles, so a range of different housing and support options are needed to ensure that everyone can have a safe place to call home,鈥� said Ashley Barnes-Cocke, the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness鈥� lead听Improvement听Advisor for the County of Simcoe.听

“These two rapid rehousing programs 鈥� alongside the County 91影视 鈥檚听Bridge to Stability bridge housing project听鈥� are important, complementary initiatives that are reducing homelessness by building out that spectrum of options,鈥� said Barnes-Cocke.听

Ethen 91影视 鈥檚 Place:听鈥楾he first time I felt safe ever鈥�听

Clark says she knows of one youth who was sleeping for quite some time in a tunnel under a bridge, before a friend found out and asked his family to take him in for a couple of years.听

After some time at a shelter, that youth moved into听Ethen 91影视 鈥檚 Place.听

鈥淭hat 91影视 鈥檚听an example of a story where youths听didn鈥檛听want anyone to know their circumstances and听didn鈥檛听want to ask for help. If it听wasn鈥檛听for a friend who said, 鈥榗ome stay with me and my family,鈥� who knows what could have happened,鈥� said Clark.听

鈥淚鈥檝e听had many kids come here and tell me,听鈥榯his听is the first time I felt safe ever.鈥欌��听

When Violet* moved into听Ethen 91影视 鈥檚 Place, she had just spent the entire summer sleeping on the couch of a friend 91影视 鈥檚 family, after several turbulent years.

Ethen 91影视 鈥檚 Place is a rapid rehousing program for youth aged 16 to 24 in Orillia, Ontario.

After her parents separated, Violet says she and her mother often got into disagreements and her mother would threaten to kick her out of the house.听

One time, Violet said her mother dropped her off at an emergency shelter in downtown Barrie, saying she听couldn鈥檛听stay at home any longer.听

鈥淚 was texting my mom begging and saying I was sorry. And then close to 2 a.m., she was finally like, 鈥榦kay,听I鈥檒l听give you some grace. You can come sleep in the garage,鈥欌�� recalled Violet, as tears rolled down her face.听

She ended up sleeping in her room that night. The next morning, Violet packed some of her things and went to high school. Instead of going home after, she started crashing at friends鈥� houses for as long as听they鈥檇听let her stay.听

Violet was on the County of Simcoe 91影视 鈥檚 By-Name Data list as a youth experiencing homelessness and was later connected through Coordinated Access to听Ethen 91影视 鈥檚 Place.听听

A housing benefit is essential to making rent affordable听

It took some time to settle into the program, but Violet says she eventually started setting goals, and working toward achieving them. She was connected to a therapist, who helped her to stop self-harming and to work through her anxiety and build self-confidence.听

Within six months, Violet was offered a spot in Elizabeth Fry Society 91影视 鈥檚听Oxford Street听location, a three-bedroom house where youth can live for up to one year, receiving some support from an intensive case manager while looking for a more permanent private market rental.听

Violet received some work training, and with the help of a case worker, was able to get a part-time job. Then it was time to start looking for her own place.听

鈥淚 just听didn’t听know what to look for.听Everything’s听so expensive that听I’m听not going to be able to afford rent. I have听pretty good听pay for where听I’m听working as a first-time job, but with how much everything costs,听it’s听not enough,鈥� she said.听

The case worker came in clutch again, helping Violet find a place she could afford with the help of the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit 鈥� a monthly rental benefit jointly funded by the provincial and federal government to assist people with lower incomes, in more vulnerable conditions, afford to pay rent in the private market.听

Now, Violet says she feels safe and secure in her own home, for the first time in years.听

While average market rental rates are starting to decline in many cities across the country, the price of market rent is still too high for many people with low-income or听relying on social听assistance, said Maggie Rodrigues,听CAEH 91影视 鈥檚 Government Relations Lead.听

鈥淰iolet 91影视 鈥檚 story听demonstrates听the power of a portable housing benefit. Expanding access would help end homelessness for more Canadians by supporting them to access the rental market,鈥� Rodrigues said.听

Rodger 91影视 鈥檚 Way:听Rapidly rehousing seniors in Simcoe听

More than 60 years older than Violet, Pierre found himself in a similar situation, dropped off outside a shelter in downtown Barrie.听

It 91影视 鈥檚听a situation听he 91影视 鈥檚听still struggling to understand, after having several successful careers over the course of his lifetime, as a restauranteur, an international trade representative promoting Canadian businesses in Europe, and later a car dealership owner and executive director of a non-profit.听

He retired to support his wife when she was diagnosed with cancer, and shortly after she died, Pierre himself was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had to have emergency surgery.听

A few years later, Pierre had a second surgery for colon cancer, but experienced significant complications leading to multiple comas and a four-month stay at the hospital. When he was finally healthy enough to be discharged, he learned that his savings account had been drained, and he had been evicted.听

鈥淟ost my car. Lost my rent. Lost my family. Lost everything. I was in the streets with just a little plastic bag with two shirts and two shorts,鈥� said Pierre.听

鈥淚 was ready to die. Where was I going to go? What will happen with me? And all my life, I was like a winner, and suddenly … people听don鈥檛听know how stressful it is to be homeless.鈥�听

Eventually, Pierre was connected to a place at听Rodger 91影视 鈥檚 Way Home听in Collingwood through the County of Simcoe in late 2025. The County 91影视 鈥檚 By-Name Data meant that county staff knew who Pierre was and what kind of supports he needed to help him exit homelessness, and Coordinated Access allowed the county staff to match Pierre to听Rodger 91影视 鈥檚 Way听as soon as a room opened up for him.听

鈥淢y health is better here than there. Mentally, I feel better too,鈥� he said.听

The staff with Contact Community Services, the agency听operating听the program, are helping Pierre heal from his experiences, and look for an affordable place to live that can meet his accessibility and mobility needs.听

Lacey De Beer, the supportive rapid rehousing program supervisor, says seniors experiencing homelessness from across Simcoe County come to the program from living in shelters, vehicles,听encampments听and the streets.

Lacey De Beer is the supportive rapid rehousing program supervisor with Contact Community Services.

鈥淲e鈥檙e听kind of trying听to rebuild them and give them听a strong foundation听so when they leave听here听they feel confident that听they鈥檒l听be able to live independently and be successful. We want them to feel that confidence in their bones,鈥� De Beer said.听

Residents pay rent, set at 30 per cent of their income, and have their own rooms, with access to the kitchen, and 24 hours of support to set and achieve their听objectives听and find their own permanent home.听

The program staff also provide at least six months of support after a resident has moved into their own place.听

So far, it听seems to be听working, De Beer said. All 17 of the former residents who have moved into a new home are still housed now.听

Pierre says he has a few places that听he 91影视 鈥檚听going to look at soon, to see if they could be a good fit for him to move into.听

鈥淚 would like to continue my life as it was before … thanks to [the program staff], I鈥檓 still a happy man, and I still believe that tomorrow will be good,鈥� said Pierre.听

*This Bright Spot is funded by the Government of Canada.