Brantford-Brant is receiving an additional $7 million from the province to help people who are experiencing or at risk of being homeless.
“This is great news for the people of our community,” Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma said during an announcement at Brantford city hall on Wednesday. “This additional funding will help the city continue to make positive changes for those who need it most.”
Mayor Kevin Davis said the city is grateful for the additional funding, adding that social services staff are working on recommendations to city and County of Brant councilors on how the money could best be spent.
“Homelessness is a very complex and challenging issue and, as such, requires a multifaceted approach involving health care, treatment programs, housing developers, non-profit organizations and social services all working together to develop and implement innovative long-term solutions to support vulnerable populations,” said Davis.
The local funding is part of an additional $202 million annual investment Ontario is putting into the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program, bringing Ontario’s total yearly investment close to $700 million.
For Brantford, the extra money represents a 40 per cent increase in funding for supportive housing and homeless prevention services.
Davis said the housing supply crisis and the rising cost of housing is increasing the number of people who are homeless.
Mary Musson, the city’s director of housing and homelessness, said a “point in time” count being done on April 26 will help determine how many people in the community are homeless or at risk of being homeless.
Volunteers will be collecting data and surveying those who are homeless to better understand current needs.
The data collection is part of an event called Registry Week: Coming Together, which will be held on April 26 from 9 am to 5 pm on the lower level at 1 Market Square. A range of free services will be offered to those who are homeless or at risk of becoming so, including a hot lunch, food and clothing, an identification clinic, housing application support, harm reduction services, haircuts, foot care, and social programming.