A timely update for an important Belleville housing project was a highlight of Thursday's Hastings County Council meeting.
 
Hastings County Council decided at the meeting to approve borrowing $7,255,000 that will pay for the construction of the 40-unit Home For Good on Sidney Street that will be home to individuals that are or are at risk of being homeless.

County Chief Administrative Officer Jim Pine talked about the funding after the meeting.
 
"It's a normal capital project -- as we get closer to the end of the project, we go out and get long-term financing."
 
The money will come from the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation and is scheduled to be paid back in twenty years.
 
"What happens is we go out and we borrow the money and then the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing will pay their share annually over twenty years and we contribute our share as well", said Pine.  "It's just long-term financing and a normal practice."
 
Hastings County Community and Human Services Director Erin Rivers was asked about when the complex would open.
 
"Occupancy is -- soon", said Rivers.  "We're hoping by March that we will have occupancy of the tenants.  We will have an official opening where we will be inviting the Ministry representatives and everybody involved in Home For Good, as well as the tenants."
 
Rivers continued, "I would say we're at 90 percent completion.  We're just looking to Hastings County to occupy it and then we'll do the finishing touches before we welcome our tenants."
 
Some of the units will be filled by clients of area agencies including Addictions and Mental Health Services-Hastings Prince Edward and the John Howard Society of Belleville and District.
 
While this is encouraging news, the Home For Good will solve just a small fraction of the homelessness issue in Belleville and the Quinte region.
 
"A building like this certainly will help us with the supply and the demand, but we could use ten more of these buildings", Rivers added. 
 
There are at least two other projects in the region that are in progress or are being looked at.
 
"Right now, we do have a project that's going on in Deloro for an affordable housing complex that will be funded through one of our new housing program initiatives through the Ministry", said Rivers.  "We'll be looking at -- hopefully, in the near future -- an affordable housing project in Quinte West, where we've partnered with the city with regards to property on College Street (in Trenton) where there was a school that was taken down, so we're looking to build something there in the future.  We're always looking ahead."