Hamilton is receiving an additional $6,395,900 in social services relief funding.
Donna Skelly, MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook, says the “flexible” funding can be used for a variety of needs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Skelly says that could include protecting the health of homeless shelter staff and residents, the renovation and purchase of shelter facilities and delivery of other critical services.
She adds “know that COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of having a place to call home, and this additional funding will help ensure everyone can find and keep a safe and secure roof over their head.”
Hamilton’s emergency and community services committee advanced a number of housing initiatives during a meeting on Thursday.
Those include a $1 million reallocation of 2020 surplus funds to be split between the rapid repair of social housing units and a “rent bank” to support tenants that may face housing instability in 2021 as a result of the pandemic.
Other measures include:
- Rent supplements to an Indwell Community Homes project, ensuring almost all of the 95 units will be rented at deeply affordable levels
- $1.065 million to support a partnership between the City of Hamilton, the Hamilton Community Foundation, and Kiwanis Homes on a Kiwanis Homes Down Payment Assistance Pilot Program.
- $950,000 to support the operating costs of an emergency shelter for women, trans-feminine, trans-masculine and non-binary adults.
- Consent to permit the development of 95 new affordable housing units as part of CityHousing Hamilton’s development strategy, which includes a 40-unit affordable housing development on Queenston Rd. and a 55-unit affordable housing development on Bay St. N.
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