MONTRÉAL, July 12, 2017 /CNW/ - Homelessness is a reality that individuals, families and communities face together on a daily basis. The Government of Canada is striving to promote collaboration between governments, communities, the private sector and not-for-profit organizations to help reduce and prevent homelessness across Canada.
Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced a government investment of over $60,000 to Le Mouvement pour mettre fin à l'itinérance à Montréal (MMFIM) for their project, L'approche SRA (Stabilité résidentielle avec accompagnement) – une pratique à parfaire à Montréal.
MMFIM's project will help improve the collection and use of data by evaluating and publishing information gathered through homelessness projects recently conducted by 12 Montréal organizations. The collective mission of these organizations is to provide support and stable housing to local homeless individuals.
MMFIM and its network of dedicated representatives from both the public and private sectors are taking innovative measures to address enduring social issues. With the help of not‑for‑profit organizations, homeless shelters, businesses, institutions and researchers, the organization is having a positive impact on Montréal's homeless population.
This project is being funded under the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS), which aims to prevent and reduce homelessness by offering funding in all provinces and territories across Canada for community-led responses to homelessness.
Quick Facts
- The Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) provides almost $600 million over five years (2014 to 2019) with a focus on the Housing First approach to help people secure stable housing while providing them with support for underlying issues such as mental health and addiction.
- Budget 2017 proposes a total investment of $2.1 billion over the next 11 years to expand and extend funding for the HPS beyond 2018–19 in order to better prevent and reduce homelessness.
- This new investment builds on funding provided through Budget 2016 of $111.8 million over two years ($57.9 million in 2016–17 and $53.9 million in 2017–18) to give communities the support and flexibility they need to help prevent and reduce homelessness and test new and innovative approaches— particularly among specific homeless populations such as Indigenous Canadians, youth, women fleeing violence and veterans.
Since 2007, nearly 35,000 Canadians who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless benefitted from education and training opportunities; over 17,000 individuals have received help to find part-time work and 17,000 have received help to find full-time employment; more than 6,000 new shelter beds have been created; and over 82,000 people were placed in more stable housing between 2007 and 2014. - In Quebec, the HPS is administered through a formal Canada–Quebec agreement that respects the jurisdiction and priorities of both governments in addressing homelessness.
Quotes
"The work done by Le Mouvement pour mettre fin à l'itinérance à Montréal is essential to addressing unique problems associated with the chronically and episodically homeless populations in Montréal. MMFIM and its network of dedicated representatives from both the public and private sectors are taking innovative measures to address enduring social issues with the ultimate goal of having a positive impact on Montréal's homeless population.
– The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
"The Mouvement pour mettre fin à l'itinérance à Montréal is proud to be working in partnership with Montréal community organizations, the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, the City of Montréal and the federal government through the Homlessness Partnering Strategy. Together, and thanks to the funding received from the designated communities funding stream, we will be able to achieve the long-term goal of ending chronic homelessness within the community."
– Sonya Cormier, Director of Projects for the Mouvement pour mettre fin à l'itinérance à Montréal (MMFIM)
Associated Links
Homelessness Partnering Strategy
Advisory Committee on Homelessness
Minister Duclos announces membership of the Advisory Committee on Homelessness
Backgrounder
About the Homelessness Partnering Strategy
The HPS is a unique community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness by providing funding for community-led responses to homelessness.
Through the HPS, qualified organizations and other eligible recipients may receive funding for projects to help prevent and reduce homelessness in Canada. These projects are funded through regional and/or national projects.
Regional projects
Funding delivered regionally focuses on the needs of homeless and at-risk individuals at the local level, and aims to help individuals gain and maintain a stable living arrangement. The three regional streams are:
- Designated Communities
- Rural and Remote Homelessness (non-designated communities)
- Aboriginal Homelessness
National projects
The national funding streams help to develop a better understanding of homelessness based on local data collection, and makes surplus federal real properties available to organizations that plan to use the facilities to address homelessness and enable the testing of innovative solutions to homelessness. The three national streams are:
- National Homelessness Information System
- Surplus Federal Real Property Initiative
- Innovative Solutions to Homelessness
About the Advisory Committee on Homelessness
The mandate of the Advisory Committee on Homelessness is to support the redesign of Employment and Social Development Canada's HPS beyond 2018–19.
During its mandate, the Advisory Committee on Homelessness will:
- explore in greater depth the ideas and the recommendations heard through the National Housing Strategy engagement process with respect to homelessness;
- undertake targeted engagement with homelessness experts and with communities and other stakeholders from across Canada;
- analyze specific options for the redesign of the HPS; and
- provide the Minister with their findings.
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
Émilie Gauduchon-Campbell, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, 819-654-5546; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]
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