The Ontario government has introduced a new Homelessness Prevention Program.
As a result the Kenora District Services Board is receiving $5,020,000, an increase of more than $115,000.
The new program will streamline operations so municipal service managers can spend less time on paperwork and more time working with their clients to help find housing options and provide support to those at-risk of not having a home.
The initiative will give the KDSB more flexibility to target funding where it is needed the most.
It will also allow for greater accountability by measuring service managers’ progress in reducing and preventing homelessness in their communities.
Local MPP Greg Rickford says, “As a government, we are proactively mitigating the risk of homelessness before it becomes a larger community issue, and we are committed to supporting service providers with the tools they need to deliver meaningful resources in Kenora-Rainy River.”
KDSB Chair Barry Baltessen says, “In communities such as Red Lake, this funding has allowed the community to create enough housing with supports throughout the housing continuum to operate at ‘Functional Zero’, meaning homelessness has become manageable through the availability of services and resources. This additional funding will continue to give the KDSB, our communities and community partners the flexibility to collaboratively work together in addressing the challenges and factors that are unique to the region, as more work needs to be done.”
The Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board is getting $540,500, an increase of over $41,000.
The government is also investing an additional $6.7 million in the Indigenous Supportive Housing Program, bringing the total annual investment to $30 million.
