The federal government is providing new funding for homelessness programs in Guelph and Wellington County.
Alongside Warden Kelly Linton, MP Lloyd Longfield announced on Friday that the county would receive $1.48 million over the next five years through its ‘Reaching Home’ program.
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The program directly funds municipalities like Wellington County, which is responsible for housing programs in the area, including within Guelph.
“This is a big increase we’re getting now,” chair of the Community Advisory Board Jane Londerville said.
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She said the while the funding will not be used to build new houses, it will go toward expanding existing homelessness programs.
The board will decide where the money goes during a meeting in the fall.
The Reaching Home program replaces the government’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy and is committed to spending $2.2 billion over 10 years.
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“Guelph and the County of Wellington have been working together to reduce homelessness and find collaborative approaches to end the challenges across the country,” Longfield said.
“I am pleased to see the government of Canada supporting our community through this investment.”
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