The City of Peterborough has received the highest honour from the Peter J. Marshall Innovation Award Jury for its Modular Bridge Housing Community project, a transitional housing initiative aimed at addressing homelessness in the city.
The award was presented to Mayor Jeff Leal during the 2024 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference held in Ottawa.
Launched in May 2023, the Modular Bridge Housing Community was developed in response to a long-term encampment in downtown Peterborough. The city constructed 50 modular homes, along with shared washroom facilities and a central service hub, with the support of the provincial Homelessness Prevention Program. The project was completed in just six months, demonstrating a swift and effective response to a pressing community issue.
Key to the project’s success was the city’s engagement with residents of the encampment. Community outreach workers gathered input from 75 individuals who lived at the encampment, ensuring that the modular home community was tailored to their needs. This input shaped various aspects of the project, from site design and location to security, operations, and even pet policies.
The new housing community was built on the original encampment site, with residents temporarily relocated to a nearby parking lot during construction. By November 2023, the first residents began moving into their new modular homes, achieving an impressive 98 per cent move-in rate—far exceeding the typical 40 to 60 per cent seen in similar transitional housing programs.
The impact of the project has been significant. Within the first six months of operation, four residents secured employment, one individual transitioned into permanent housing, and emergency service calls decreased by 90 per cent compared to when the site operated as an encampment. Additionally, staff reported notable improvements in the mental and physical health of the residents.
“I am incredibly proud that Peterborough’s transitional housing project has been recognized with the prestigious Peter J. Marshall 2024 Municipal Innovation Award,” said Mayor Leal. “This award is a testament to our city’s commitment to addressing homelessness with compassion, creativity, and a focus on practical solutions. As a Council, we knew we had to move beyond the natural tendency to stop when faced with an overwhelmingly complex challenge like homelessness. We knew we had to pick a lane. We learned from the experiences of others and our professional staff delivered this project with urgency and expertise.”
Dave Smith, Member of Provincial Parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha, also praised the initiative: “The modular home program at Wolfe St. is a great example of a municipality thinking outside of the box to properly use the Homelessness Prevention Program to reduce homelessness in Peterborough’s vulnerable community.”
The Peter J. Marshall Award is an annual competition that recognizes municipalities for their creativity and success in implementing innovative public service solutions. Sponsored by AMO, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks & Treasurers of Ontario, the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships, the Municipal Finance Officers’ Association, and the Ontario Municipal Administrators’ Association, the award is a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of municipalities across Ontario.
In addition to the City of Peterborough, the Town of Midland and the Regional Municipality of York also received recognition with plaque awards.
