TBDSSAB unveils new 10-year strategy to tackle housing and homelessness
A new 10-year housing and homelessness strategy is calling for hundreds of new affordable and supportive housing units in the District of Thunder Bay while strengthening services aimed at moving people out of homelessness.
The District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) officially launched its new housing and homelessness plan, “Under One Roof – Chapter 2: 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan 2026-2036” (available below), following a homelessness service system forum that brought together 125 participants from 37 organizations on Wednesday.
The plan was developed in response to a provincial requirement under Ontario’s Housing Services Act that all service managers establish and submit updated 10-year housing and homelessness plans. According to TBDSSAB, the document will serve as a roadmap for meeting housing needs throughout the District of Thunder Bay over the next decade.
Aaron Park, Manager of Housing and Homelessness Programs with TBDSSAB, says the new plan follows the completion of the board’s previous 10-year strategy.
“We had a 10-year housing and homelessness plan that has now expired. We were able to complete all of the recommendations from the previous plan, so that was something that we were very excited about,” Park said. “This Chapter 2 is the next iteration, the next 10 years.”
The strategy was developed through broad community consultation and detailed analysis conducted by OrgCode Consulting Inc., a firm specializing in homelessness and housing systems.
Hundreds of new housing units identified as a need
Among the most significant findings was the need for additional affordable and supportive housing throughout the district.
“We need to add approximately 300 rent-geared-to-income units to the community,” Park said. “About 250 long-term supportive housing units. We definitely need more transitional and what’s called bridge housing as well in the community.”
Bridge housing, he explained, provides intensive short-term accommodation and supports for people transitioning out of shelters or encampments.
In total, the plan contains 54 recommendations aimed at improving outcomes across the entire housing continuum, from people experiencing chronic homelessness to those seeking stable private-market housing.
Improving coordination across the housing system
While some recommendations focus on creating new housing stock, others are aimed at improving coordination among agencies already delivering services.
“Some of the recommendations are definitely how does the system work better as it exists now without necessarily radical changes to that system,” Park said. “There’s a lot of good organizations doing a lot of good work. It is somewhat coordinated, but it could be tightened up.”
One example involves formalizing partnerships between organizations involved in encampment outreach to better define responsibilities and ensure resources are used effectively.
“One thing that they were really pleased to see is the collaboration that happens throughout the system,” he said. “There’s a lot of willingness to work together. There isn’t a lot of silos.”
Tracking outcomes and measuring success
The plan also puts a stronger emphasis on measuring outcomes, particularly how individuals can move from homelessness into stable housing.
“Our main key indicator is what are we seeing on people moving from homelessness and outflowing into housing,” Park said.
Work on the strategy is already underway. Park said TBDSSAB has identified 10 priority recommendations and has begun implementing several of them, including a centralized application system for transitional housing programs.
“That’s an example of something we’ve already sort of sunk our teeth into and have actually rolled out,” he said.
Bringing services directly to tenants
Beyond housing construction and service coordination, the plan also emphasizes bringing support services directly to residents. One recent example is a partnership with the NorWest Community Health Centres, which provides on-site services in TBDSSAB housing buildings.
“The more we could bring to our housing buildings, I think the better their service,” Park said. “People don’t have to worry about transportation or leaving a building in the winter when it’s cold. The services are right there for them.”
The strategy extends beyond Thunder Bay and addresses challenges faced by smaller communities throughout the district, where homelessness is often less visible.
“What we typically see in the district communities is homelessness is much more hidden,” Park said. “It’s much more couch surfing, staying in sheds, maybe sleeping rough.”
He noted that many communities outside Thunder Bay face both affordability challenges and an overall shortage of housing units.
“Sometimes there’s just a demand for units beyond even affordable or rent-geared-to-income units,” Park said. “It’s less affordability and it’s more just stock in general.”
TBDSSAB says the new plan aims to create a coordinated approach that combines housing development, prevention efforts, supportive services, advocacy and strategic investments. The organization’s goal is to reduce homelessness, strengthen communities and improve access to safe, stable and affordable housing across the district over the next decade.
