Durham Region will receive significant federal funding to combat homelessness and address encampments under a new agreement announced by the Government of Canada on Jan. 22.
The agreement is part of a $91.5-million initiative targeting municipalities in Ontario and Saskatchewan to address the growing homelessness crisis.
Durham is one of nine Ontario municipalities included in the funding package, along with Toronto, Peel, York, Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo, Ottawa and Sudbury. Two Saskatchewan cities, Regina and Saskatoon, will also receive funding.
Ontario communities will share more than $88 million, while Saskatchewan’s cities will receive approximately $8 million. The federal government requires municipalities to match the funding under the agreement.
“In Budget 2024, we made a $250 million commitment to help our provinces and municipalities address the urgent issue of encampments and homelessness,” said Housing Minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith in a statement.
The funding will complement the existing investments under Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, which has delivered $1.6 billion to Ontario and $124 million to Saskatchewan since its beginning.
The new funding will support the implementation of municipalities’ Community Encampment Response Plans (CERPs), which are tailored to the specific needs of each region.
Initiatives include creating new shelter spaces, increasing transitional housing options and providing case management services to help individuals secure and maintain permanent housing.
“These agreements are an important part of our response, but we know there is more work to be done to expedite the development of affordable, deeply affordable and supportive housing to ensure that all Canadians have a place to call home,” said Erskine-Smith in the press release.
According to the press release, the initiative builds on the federal government’s broader efforts, which have helped nearly two million Canadians find housing since 2015.
The federal government indicated that additional agreements with provinces and territories are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.