How Halton Region is Working to Prevent Homelessness

At today's (Feb. 12) Halton Regional Council meeting, we received a staff report updating council members on homelessness prevention initiatives in Halton, what programs are available and how they are/can be funded.Halton Region administers two homelessness prevention funding programs: one that is provincially-funded and another that is federally-funded. The Provincial partnership program is call the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI), while the federal partnership program is called Reaching Home.For more background on each program, please click this link to the full Halton Region staff report: SS-01-20 - Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative and Reaching Home Investment Plan Recommendations.docx.The Region has allocated approximately $6.6 million in Provincial CHPI funding for April 1, 2020-March 31, 2021 — this funding would be used to assist Halton residents to keep their homes and prevent homelessness.The staff report stated, for 2020-2021, there was $755,856 available in federal funding and $400,000 in regional funding for the 2020-2024 Reaching Home Investment Plan (formerly the federally-funded Homelessness Partnering Strategy).This funding plan would support seven agencies, including the Halton Children's Aid Society, Wesley Halton Housing First, Halton Multicultural Connections, Halton Housing Help, Home Suite Hope (Homeward Bound Halton), Support and Housing Halton, and Salvation Army Halton.BY THE NUMBERS: Halton Region's Emergency ShelterThe staff report gave us data for 2019 around local evictions and homelessness prevention rates:

• 94 families were provided emergency shelter;
• 75 families moved into permanent housing;
• 842 individuals accessed shelters;
• 286 individuals moved into permanent housing; and
• Through Halton Region's Housing Stability Fund:
  • 512 families secured permanent housing;
  • 295 evictions were prevented;
  • 720 beds and pieces of furniture were secured;
  • 152 utility disconnections were prevented; and
  • 353 families were assisted in moving and storage of their possessions.

To view more details and highlights from the charts we received in the staff report, please click the following links:

• Attachment #1 - Emergency Shelter Dashboard 2019.pdf
• Attachment #2 - Housing Stability Fund Dashboard 2019.pdf

— Mayor Marianne Meed Ward--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist