Homelessness

The Cold Weather Program for the upcoming winter will be located at 590 Chippewa Street West, which is the current location of Northern Pines and the Low-Barrier Shelter.

Northern Pines 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. Northern Pines aims to prevent and reduce homelessness and provides relief and support for tenants with addictions and mental health concerns.

No. Northern Pines and the Low-Barrier are not safe consumption sites and there are no plans for a safe consumption site at this location.

DNSSAB is committed to exploring transportation options that would reduce foot traffic.  Furthermore, the Crisis Centre indicated they are looking at options to provide food on site.

Potential locations were identified by DNSSAB staff, as well as through discussions with City of North Bay staff, and DNSSAB’s Realtor on Record. Each identified site was reviewed for suitability based on the site considerations listed in the recent Homelessness System Review and Feasibility Study.

For over a decade, a cold weather program has operated during the winter months in North Bay to help shelter homeless individuals from the cold and harsh winter conditions. The need for this service is exacerbated by the increase in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness, especially those with additional barriers including mental illness and substance use.

By November 1, 2024, or possibly sooner.

The Crisis Centre North Bay will operate the program and already operate the Low-Barrier Shelter and Northern Pines on the site.

The daytime program will be offered from 8:00am-8:00pm, in conjunction with the Low-Barrier Shelter which currently operates from 8:00pm-8:00am, therefore the site will provide services 24/7 for the upcoming winter months.

The Cold Weather Program is offered during the winter months to provide daytime shelter and navigational services to individuals experiencing homelessness. The Integrated Homelessness Hub is a year-round service that includes shelter and daytime services. An Integrated Homelessness Hub would provide a wide variety of on-site services to improve housing and health outcomes.