Midhurst/February 27, 2025 – Back for its eighth year, the County of Simcoe Age-Friendly Housing Grant program opens March 1. This program provides $500,000 in annual funding to help support seniors in their efforts to continue to live independently in their communities by implementing designs that are accessible, adaptable, and inclusive.
The grant program was originally recommended as part of the Simcoe County 2018-2023 Positive Aging Strategy. In 2024, 95 applications were approved.
“The County’s Age-friendly Seniors Housing Grant Program has been instrumental in supporting more than 440 projects over the past seven years”, said Warden Basil Clark. “These projects ensure that older adults can continue living independently in their homes, enhancing their quality of life and fostering a more supportive, age-friendly community.”
Grants will be awarded under three streams: accessible housing design for seniors; design for individuals with dementia; and the provision of support services for housing that incorporates enhanced aspects of accessibility over and above compliance with the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and building code standards for residential units.
Projects are required to be located within Simcoe County (excluding the cities of Barrie and Orillia), and applicants who were successful in obtaining an Age-Friendly Seniors Housing grant in the past three years are not eligible to apply again in 2025. Applicants can be homeowners of principal residences or developers, who wish to include accessible, adaptable, and inclusive design modifications for occupants aged 60 or older. Grant amounts will be distributed based on the number of applications received and ability to meet funding criteria.
An Age-Friendly Grant Selection Sub-Committee will evaluate each grant submission in accordance with established evaluation criteria. The deadline for 2025 application submissions is May 31, 2025. For further details, or to apply to the Age-Friendly Housing Seniors Grant program, please visit simcoe.ca/agefriendly.
The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.
