North Bay, Ont. transitional housing complex expanding with 24 more units

James McDonald is proud of almost everything in his home. The TV. The futon. The area rug. The kitchen where he loves to bake.

After years of couch surfing, the 59-year-old moved into the Northern Pines transitional housing complex in North Bayback in 2021.

He's receivedhelp with his lifelong struggles with mental illness, while furnishinghis apartment with money he's saved from his social assistance cheques, from which he's also squirrelled away $1,000 to visit his brother in B.C.

"Super. The staff is good. The program is really good. Like we have chores to do. We have to do our chores and keep clean. Cut the lawn. I enjoy cutting the lawn," said McDonald.

"My dad always told me to always enjoy life."

McDonald is one of 52 people who have found a roof over their head thanks to the transitional housing complex built out of an old OPP station.

"There's lots of success stories," said program supervisor Trevor Lablond.

Northern Pines is also home to a 21-bed "low-barrier" homeless shelter, whichLablond says is full almost every night.

Many of those clients end up being moved into transitional housing, where there is a range of support programs to help people get out of the cycle of homelessness.

"We do have folks who are living rough and living on the streets and I think this program partially addresses that problem and it gives people an opportunity to actually have a place to live," said Sue Rinneard,the executive director of Crisis Centre North Bay, which operates the shelter.

"Each time I come over and I speak to the clients and I see how much better they're doing, the pride they have in the property, it warms my heart. Because a lot of the folks living here could still be living on the streets."

The third phase, with 24 apartment units expected to open this fall, will bring the total at Northern Pines up to 60.

A 40-unit transitional housing complex is currently under construction in Sudbury and is expected to open before the end of the year.

"My goal is to change the way people think about homelessness," said Lablond.

"They're people's kids, they're people's sons and daughters, parents and grandparents, they're people just like you and I who have had some struggles and they need some assistance and some help to get out of those struggles."