MHCC receives major grant from City of Vancouver

CALGARY, Feb. 19 /CNW Telbec/ - The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) has received a $500,000 grant from the City of Vancouver. The funds will help operate part of a research demonstration project on mental health and homelessness at a downtown hotel.

The 100-unit Bosman Hotel is being converted into supportive housing for some of the participants in the Vancouver At Home/Chez Soi project. It is part of the MHCC's four-year national research initiative.

The initiative is taking a 'Housing First' approach to finding the best ways to help homeless people who also live with a mental illness. Similar projects are being carried out in Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Moncton. 2285 homeless people living with a mental illness will participate nationally and 1,325 people from within that group will be given a place to live.

"This is terrific news," said Mr. Michael Kirby, Chair of the MHCC. "It is wonderful to see such a strong commitment and we look forward to working with the City of Vancouver and other partners over the course of this initiative."

This latest grant is in addition to a 1.1million dollar contribution to the project previously made by Vancouver's "Streetohome Foundation" (www.streetohome.org). That donation included a $275,000 grant from the "Vancouver Foundation" (www.vancouverfoundation.bc.ca). Both organizations are helping tackle homelessness in Vancouver.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada is a non-profit organization created to focus national attention on mental health issues. The MHCC does not provide services, but rather acts as a catalyst for action. www.mentalhealthcommission.ca

For further information: Nujma Bond, Mental Health Commission of Canada, [phone]; Catharine Hume, Vancouver At Home/Chez Soi project, [phone]