Ontario investing $1.8 mil. to build more housing units for vulnerable populations in Windsor

Representative images of housing in Windsor. Unsplash Jabari Timothy

Windsor/CMEDIA: Helping create 26 supportive housing units for vulnerable populations in Windsor including Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, and those at risk of homelessness, the Ontario government is providing nearly $1.8 million as part of the province’s Social Services Relief Fund (SSRF), which has provided over $1.2 billion of support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

This funding provided by SSRF aimed to help municipalities and Indigenous program partners create longer-term housing solutions and help vulnerable Ontarians, including those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing reportedly has said in a news release that the focus of Premier Ford and the government of Ontario on solving the housing crisis in Windsor is critical to keep our most vulnerable safe and housed, both during the pandemic and into the future.

As highlighted in Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy, this announcement is part of the province’s Social Services Relief Fund, which has provided over $1.2 billion of support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, to help municipalities and Indigenous program partners create longer-term housing solutions and help vulnerable Ontarians, including those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The old office building owned and operated by the housing provider, the Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities of Windsor/Essex County Foundation (APPD), is being converted to 26 supportive housing units to ensure that residents will be close to public transportation, parks, shopping, pharmacies, hospital care, a library, and employment opportunities.

An additional $25 million annual investment is also being provided by the Ontario government in its new Homelessness Prevention Program to simplify and streamline operations to facilitate municipal service managers to spend less time on paperwork and more time working with their clients to help find housing and other supports so that those at risk of homelessness stay in their homes. The additional funding brings Ontario’s total yearly investment in the program to almost $464 million.

#Ontario; #Windsor; #Morehousingunits