Reaching Home – Canada’s Covid-19 Economic Response Plan – Support for People Experiencing and at Risk of Homelessness

We are proud to have partnered with the Government of Canada who are continuing to support people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak by providing $157.5 million to the Reaching Home initiative.

Here is a list of the projects that receive funding for the Reaching Home: Canada’s Covid-19 Economic Response Plan funding:

• $22,781 was invested in the Youth Emergency Shelter to increase the hourly rate of pay for emergency shelter staff by $5.00 per hour per emergency shelter worker plus the additional Mandatory Employer Related Costs (MERCS) expenses due to the increase in hourly rates. The project’s objective is to ensure the shelter has adequate staffing during the global COVID-19 outbreak.
• $45,562 was invested in Brock Mission to increase the hourly rate of pay for emergency shelter staff by $5.00 per hour per emergency shelter worker plus the additional Mandatory Employer Related Costs (MERCS) expenses due to the increase in hourly rates. The project’s objective is to ensure the shelter has adequate staffing during the global COVID-19 outbreak.
• $39,358 was invested in the Youth Emergency Shelter to increase the hourly rate of pay for emergency shelter staff by a maximum of $4.00 per hour per emergency shelter worker plus the additional Mandatory Employer Related Costs (MERCS) expenses due to the increase in hourly rates for the positions. The project’s objective is to ensure the shelter has adequate staffing during the global COVID-19 outbreak. Provide additional support & relief to shelter staff.   Encourage staff to continue working. Help maintain safe staffing levels and the operation of critical services.
• $75,587 was invested in Brock Mission to increase the hourly rate of pay for emergency shelter staff by a maximum of $4.00 per hour per emergency shelter worker plus the additional Mandatory Employer Related Costs (MERCS) expenses due to the increase in hourly rates for the positions. The project’s objective is to ensure the shelter has adequate staffing during the global COVID-19 outbreak. Provide additional support & relief to shelter staff.   Encourage staff to continue working. Help maintain safe staffing levels and the operation of critical services.
• $40,00 was invested in Community Counselling and Resource Centre to hire new staff members to ensure adequate in-office staffing levels for the provided services. To purchase equipment and supplies necessary to provide two Covid-safe workspaces within the Resource Room for clients to use for self-serve housing related activities. To Purchase equipment necessary to create two Covid-safe staff offices for in person appointments with clients that have complex needs. To enable the Recipient to provide Housing setup and prevention funds to ensure needs are met for clients to keep their homes. Housing set up funds can be used to cover the cost associated with setting up a housing unit, such as insurance, first and last months rent, and basic move in supplies and services. Prevention funds will be used to help people at imminent risk of losing their home with rent, utilities, other in-kind supports, and basic moving supplies and services.
• $39,600 was invested in the Canadian Mental Health Association to prevent individuals who are being discharged from public systems from becoming homeless. Individuals recently discharged would be housed in motel accommodations, provided with funds / vouchers for food and transpiration. Funding would be provided for three individuals for one month or one individual for three months. The Recipient would work towards ensuring these individuals were supported beyond this time frame. This funding will also be used to assist individuals that are the victims of housing unit takeovers. These individuals would be provided with motel accommodations, food and transportation funds / vouchers while the squatters are evicted from their units. The units will then be deep cleaned, necessary repairs made, and locks changed. They would then be able to safely return to their units.
• $49,830 was invested in NOGO to fund an outreach program. The program will include the following: hiring one full time outreach coordinator for the project period, to provide housing services, assisting with the cost associated with setting up a housing unit, shelter diversion and prevention services, providing or locating financial and legal services, offering client support services to safely move people into housing, providing access to traditional foods and medicines, helping people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and transportation to and from health and medical appointments for those who need it.
• $40,000 was invested in One City to fund a pilot outreach project aimed at individuals experiencing homelessness and are living outside. The program will focus on the following: training and employing individuals with lived experience of homelessness to be a part of the team, connecting homeless individuals with shelter services and housing programs, distribute “survival” equipment and or supplies, provide outreach during the period of greatest need, and conduct regular check ins with individuals that are not in shelters or housed.
• $28,800 was invested in PARN to support the delivery of harm reduction services provided through PARN’s Harm Reduction services. This funding will focus on the following: to fund the staffing and maintenance of the outreach vehicle, and to support the wages of the trained on-call relief staff necessary due to staffing fluctuations. The project’s objective is to ensure the harm reduction service has adequate staffing during the global COVID-19 outbreak.