By Brendan Burke [1]
BELLEVILLE – The Ontario government is upping its financial commitment to help house families as part of a continued effort to eradicate “chronic homelessness” by 2025, according to a media release issued Thursday.
Announced at the Native Women’s Centre [2] in Hamilton, the boost in funding will see 20 per cent of the allocated funds reserved for initiatives in support of Ontario’s Indigenous people.
According to the release, the province’s investment influx will mean “new supports,” for addiction and counselling services, as well as skills training programs aimed at providing homeless people suffering from mental health and addiction issues with permanent housing.
The move is part of a three-year funding plan for housing outlined in the Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy [3]– an investment road map updated in March of 2016. Municipalities participating in the new program will be selected by the provincial government in the days following Thursday’s pledge.
Thursday’s statement from the province adds that efforts to work alongside Indigenous leaders to halt homelessness are an important part of Ontario’s path to truth and reconciliation [4].
According to the media release, the jump in funding will help keep a roof over the heads of 6,000 families province-wide.
More to come.