City to receive $1.75 million in ‘social services relief fund’ from province

MPP Laurie Scott has announced that Kawartha Lakes will receive $1,750,249 as part of Phase 2 of the social services relief fund to expand and renovate A Place Called Home in Lindsay. The renovation includes building a new 19-bed shelter along with five new affordable housing units, one four-bedroom house and four one-bedroom apartments.

“Investing in important housing projects like this is critical to help protect our most vulnerable citizens from COVID-19,” said Laurie Scott, MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, in a media release.

“We’re working closely with our community partners to ensure they have the resources and space to help keep people safe during these difficult and unprecedented times.”

“The pandemic has effected everyone, especially our most vulnerable. This funding will help ensure those experiencing homelessness in our community have a safe place to find shelter,” said Hope Lee, manager, Human Services (Housing).

“We thank the province for making this investment in our community. Not only will it assist A Place Called Home to provide a 19-bed emergency shelter that meets public health requirements, it will also create five additional units of permanent affordable housing.”

“This funding represents stability and increased safety for both our staff and residents,” said David Tilley, interim executive director of A Place Called Home. “For the past six months, we have been assisting clients through local motels as our current shelter is unable to accommodate the demands created by the pandemic. This investment will create a strong foundation and provide a launching pad that will result in a new purpose-built shelter and better service to the homeless of the City and County. Our agency is extremely thankful to both the Province and Municipality for their ongoing support.”

QUICK FACTS

• In March, Ontario launched the social services relief fund with an initial $148 million investment to help protect the health and safety of the province’s most vulnerable people in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. In July, an additional $150 million was committed to help improve shelters and create opportunities for longer-term housing. In August, Ontario committed another $212 million in funding, bringing the government’s assistance to service managers and Indigenous program administrators to $510 million.

• Ontario’s service managers and Indigenous program administrators help provide shelter or housing for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, victims of domestic violence, and members of Indigenous communities who are in need.

• In September, the Ontario government passed the Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, which freezes rent in 2021 for the vast majority of Ontario’s 1.7 million renters in both rent-controlled and non-rent-controlled residential units.