Millions of dollars in new provincial funding are coming to battle homelessness in the Quinte region.
During a presentation on Monday, MPPs Todd Smith and Ric Bresee announced the increase in provincial funding for local homelessness support groups.
Prince Edward Lennox and Addington Social Services is going to receive $2,454,600, a 125% increase over the previous year. Hastings County is set to receive $6,142,600, which is an 80% increase in provincial funding.
The funds are coming as part of Ontario’s Homeless Prevention Program.
Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith said that this was only part of the solution, and that this funding increase is part of a larger plan to reduce homelessness.
“This announcement builds on several provincial initiatives that are working to address the trend in our communities. We’ve committed $3.8 billion in the roadmap to wellness,” said Smith.
Hastings Lennox and Addington MPP Ric Bresee said that homelessness isn’t something that can be ignored by small communities as a big city problem anymore.
“There was a time when we all thought homelessness happens in Toronto, in Montreal, in the big cities. I think all of us have come to realize that homelessness happens everywhere. Homelessness is happening right now, in our small communities,” said Bresee.
The money will go to fund programs by local social services to help homeless people across the region, and to initiatives designed to prevent more people from becoming homeless.
