THUNDER BAY — While many political leaders are in town for a regional conference, Paul Calandra, the minister of municipal affairs and housing, made a significant announcement under the Homelessness Prevention Program.
Four projects will receive a total of $9,238,000 from the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB).
The project receiving the most funding is by Shelter House and NorWest Community Health Centres, which will receive $4,179,000 to create 17 units in a building located at the corner of Donald Street E and Simpson Street.
Shelter House has an ongoing partnership with NorWest Community Health Centres, which will also be utilizing the retrofitted space.
The new executive director of Shelter House, Brendan Carlin, is excited about the funding.
"We're building some managed alcohol spaces and reduced harm spaces. It will allow a couple of things - allow them their private spaces, as opposed to a dorm, they're in a private room.
"There will be more space for health-care providers to give people the support they need, as well as some programming and educational space, so it will be more engaging right now," Carlin said.
"The space that (clients) are in is quite small, and it's very cramped, and the health-care workers don't have the tools and supports in there that they need. So, with this building, we'll be able to house more people and also give them better care."
Carlin explained that the new space is not a detox centre.
"We're a reduced-harm program, where that step in the process is reduced harm. So they still do get a drink every hour and a half, but it's smaller amounts, and they're not going to the hospital as often and not being picked up by police as often.
"They're housed as well, so they can have this step, and then when they're ready, hopefully they can move on to another step in their journey, or they can stay for a while until they figure things out."
Calandra noted the differences in community needs surrounding this funding.
"What is very unique about this is how we're trying that type of funding and understand that every community is different and every community has different solutions that they want to be able to bring forward."
MPP Kevin Holland was given a lot of credit for getting this funding to the city in Friday's announcement. He said it was a team effort with TBDSSAB.
"We're not just using those out-of-the-box funding formulas," Holland said.
"We're actually looking at what the realities are, what the situation is, what the circumstances are and providing the funding that's needed."
Holland said his experience on the TBDSSAB board helped him advocate at Queen's Park for this funding.
"They're on top of the issues and it's just the education component of it provided me with a better understanding of what the situation was and what the needs were.
"The credit goes back to the cases that we're talking about with the Homelessness Prevention program.
"The funding we announced today was the leadership of the TBDSSAB, and the information that they were able to provide and what I was able to learn was key for me to be able to do the advocacy that I needed to do."
St. Joseph’s Care Group and Northern Linkage will be receiving $3,045,000 to create 22 long-term supportive housing units for individuals with mental health issues.
Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services will use its $1,300,000 to help create four units for Indigenous individuals with mental health and addiction issues in the new housing development on Huron Avenue.
Elizabeth Fry Society of Northwestern Ontario will use its $714,000 to help create nine units for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
