The Ontario government is providing municipalities and urban Indigenous community partners with an additional $150 million to improve homeless shelters and create opportunities for longer-term housing. Today’s announcement more than doubles the funding currently flowing to local municipalities for this purpose.
Municipalities and urban Indigenous community partners will be able to use this funding for long-term, innovative housing solutions resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. They can renovate shelters or purchase new facilities that will help with physical distancing in the short term and support longer-term, more sustainable solutions to homelessness. In addition, this funding could also be used to provide vulnerable people with food, shelter and supplies.
With this additional funding, the total spend on the emergency projects will provide $350 million through the Social Services Relief Fund. The action plan provides enhanced screening and testing in high-risk settings such as shelters and homes, including for those with developmental disabilities, and provides personal protective equipment and training so staff will know what to do in the event of an outbreak.
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