Transitional & Supportive Housing
Life Stabilization
Project Summary:
About:
Northern Pines is a 60-unit transitional and supportive housing campus located in North Bay. The campus was developed in three phases that focus on life skills development:
- Phase 1 – consists of 16 transitional housing units. This phase is designed for individuals that require moderate-level supports. Phase 1 officially opened in November 2021.
- Phase 2 – consists of 20 self-contained supportive housing units. These units are for individuals that require low-level supports. Phase 2 is anticipated to open in late 2022.
- Phase 3 – consists of 24 transitional housing units. Phase 3 is designed for individuals requiring a high level of support. Phase 3 is anticipated to open in the Spring of 2023.
Northern Pines is a co-ordinated, multi-disciplinary health and social services delivery plan that prevents and reduces homelessness and provides relief and support for tenants with addictions and mental health concerns. The program offers well-defined community care pathways across health and social service providers, some of which are on location where people live. It embeds trauma-informed care in daily practice.
The service delivery model incorporates and applies the foremost leading practices supported by the best practice evidence; most notably, it integrates Health Quality Standards with supportive housing best practices and trauma-informed care for the first time.
The program is designed to mitigate situations of elevated risk. It is consistent with the North Bay Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. Key benefits include reductions in hospital stays, emergency room visits, visits to community-based health providers, incarceration and police contact, consistent with the findings of the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s At Home / Chez Soi Report.
The Northern Pines program is within the planning scope of a subcommittee of the Nipissing Wellness Ontario Health Team, Health and Housing Working Group and is governed by the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board, the local agency designated in legislation to provide homelessness mitigation services. The program is contracted to Crisis Centre of North Bay for the delivery and operation of the services at Northern Pines.
Reason for Creation of Northern Pines:
The urgent need for this project was first identified by the City of North Bay Mayor’s Roundtable on Mental Health and Addictions' Action Team in 2020, which elicited a community-wide call to action for mental health, addictions, and homelessness. The report entitled Integrating Social Services and Mental Health and Addiction Services for Vulnerable Populations can be found below.
Nipissing has a higher homeless population than the five largest municipalities in Ontario on per capita basis, similar to other districts in Northern Ontario. Opioid-related emergency department visits increased by 616% in the North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit District, between 2016 and 2020. The most recent Nipissing point-in-time homeless persons count (Oct. 2021) identified 300 individuals who were homeless, 39% of which are experiencing chronic homelessness.
DNSSAB is a proud sponsor of Nipissing District Homelessness and Housing Partnership's See the Person campaign.
FAQs:
Northern Pines is a transitional housing program for the chronically homeless in the Nipissing District. Through 60 transitional units individuals are provided with varying levels of supports based on need.
There are three phases making up the program and it is expected to be fully operational by Spring of 2023. Crisis Centre North Bay operates the program on behalf of DNSSAB.
Until now, individuals experiencing homelessness have had access to emergency shelters (and warming centres in the winter); however, health and social service supports are critical for mitigating chronic homelessness.
Growing, evidence-backed data – even before the COVID-19 pandemic – pointed toward the urgent need for supports to housing. DNSSAB research reports (available below) that were referenced in creating Northern Pines were the 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan, the Mayor’s Roundtable Report and the Homelessness Action Plan. The Northern Pines program is being developed by a subcommittee of the Nipissing Wellness Ontario Health Team, Health and Housing working Group. DNSSAB has been designated through legislation to provide homelessness mitigation services.
Northern Pines, at $5,600/unit/month, is a more cost effective solution than other interventions:
- Hospital bed - $10,900/month
- Incarceration - $9,600/month
- Shelter bed -$9,500/month
Individuals at Northern Pines are provided with the supports they require.
The Chippewa site was selected for transitional housing based on zoning and availability. The Low Barrier Shelter was relocated to the Chippewa site during the pandemic out of urgent necessity.
Yes, the building is under lease for 20 years.
Related Documents:
Research Reports:
Reports to the Board:
| Type | Title | Download |
|---|---|---|
| PDF Document | HS47 21 Homelessness Action Plan | Download |
| PDF Document | HS46 21 Homelessness Landscape Report | Download |
| PDF Document | HS10 21 Shelter Update March 2021 | Download |
| PDF Document | HS39 20 Phase 2 SSRF Briefing Note For Information | Download |
| PDF Document | HS27 20 Emergency Low Barrier Shelter Update | Download |
Media Releases:
| Type | Title | Download |
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