Grey County Sees Homelessness Rate Stabilize as Provincewide Crisis Deepens
While homelessness rose sharply across Ontario, Grey County saw stable numbers in 2025—but a growing waitlist signals increasing housing pressure.
While homelessness surged across rural Ontario last year, Grey County’s numbers remained relatively steady, according to data shared this week alongside a new provincial report.
A total of 155 households in Grey County were recorded as actively homeless at the end of 2025, down slightly from the previous year. In the same period:
143 households were housed
68 returned to homelessness
and 151 individuals were newly identified as homeless, including 30 youth.
While homelessness in the region has slowed, Grey County’s waitlist for affordable housing has grown 16% over two years, suggesting many residents are barely hanging on.
The figures were released in connection with a joint report from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA), which estimates that nearly 85,000 people experienced homelessness in Ontario in 2025—a jump of eight per cent from the previous year and 50 per cent since 2021.
The report warns the number could double by 2035 without substantial intervention.
Locally, Grey County officials pointed to continued coordination with frontline organizations as key to maintaining stability in the face of rising provincial trends.
The County works with groups including the Canadian Mental Health Association Grey Bruce, United Way of Bruce Grey, OSHaRE, Grey Bruce Public Health, Safe 'N Sound, and others.
The Supportive Outreach Services (SOS) program, launched in 2021, has now provided more than 12,000 support services to residents who are unhoused or at risk. The program was featured at a national cities summit in Ottawa last fall as a model for collaborative local care.
Grey County also directly operates short-term emergency housing, which supported over 375 households last year and helped 176 transition into permanent housing.
But pressures are growing. The waitlist for affordable housing in the County rose by 12% in 2025, climbing from 2,230 to 2,545 households. The previous year saw a 4% increase.
Warden Andrea Matrosovs acknowledged the challenge of meeting demand but said local partnerships are making a difference.
“Our community partners are doing incredible work to support people experiencing homelessness,” Matrosovs said. “We’ve made real progress locally, but addressing the root causes will require collaboration between all levels of government.”
AMO’s recommendations include long-term investment in housing, mental health and addictions care, income supports, and stronger coordination between governments.
Grey County’s full housing and homelessness plan is available at grey.ca/housing.
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