Published by the office of Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Member of Provincial Parliament for Kenora Rainy-River on April 13, 2023
Photo taken by Tom Thomson
DRYDEN – The Ontario government is investing an additional $202 million annually in the province’s Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program, bringing Ontario’s total yearly investment in these programs to close to $700 million. The additional funding will help those experiencing or at risk of homelessness and support community organizations delivering supportive housing.
This includes a funding increase of over $8.6 million for Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services, bringing the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program allocation to $31.1 million for 2023-24.
“Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS) does exceptional work throughout the province and our government is proud to support them for the betterment of urban and rural First Nation, Inuit and Metis people across the province,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Member of Provincial Parliament for Kenora Rainy-River. “By increasing our investment in both the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supporting Housing Program, we are ensuring that organizations like OAHS can continue their important work, creating vibrant communities throughout Ontario.”
The additional funding, announced in the 2023 Budget, represents a 40 per cent increase in funding by the government to support the most vulnerable by providing supportive housing and homelessness prevention services. Under the $202 million, $190.5 million each year will be allocated to the Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP), which gives Ontario’s 47 Service Managers greater flexibility to allocate funding and make better use of existing resources to focus on delivering supports.
The remaining $11.5 million each year will be invested in the Indigenous Supportive Housing Program (ISHP), which provides Indigenous-led, culturally appropriate long-term housing solutions and support services to Indigenous people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
“I am very please to see the Ontario Government support the continued work of Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS) under the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program (ISHP),” said Ross Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie. “The increase of $8,620,500 in funding to a total of $31,120,500 for 2023-24 will support the great work of OAHS from their head office here in Sault Ste. Marie and all across the province.”
“We know Ontario’s housing supply crisis impacts all Ontarians, no matter their background or budget,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “That’s why we’ve increased funding for our homelessness prevention programs by more than 40 per cent. These measures complement the bold and transformational change we are implementing to tackle the housing supply crisis and get more homes built faster across Ontario.”
