London is getting more funding from the province to combat homelessness.
Deputy Premier Deb Matthews announced on Friday the city will receive an extra $1.7-million over the next three years from the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative. That raises the province's total contribution in the fight against homlessness in London to $41.7-million over a four year period.
“Our government is working hard to put an end to homelessness by 2025. We’ve come a long way so far but there’s still more to do. That’s why I’m delighted we have partners like the City of London to help us tackle this important issue," said Matthews.
The city will decide how the money is divided up among local social service agencies, that will use the funds for services such as long-term and transitional housing and education programs to help prevent eviction.
Last year, the initiative helped nearly 40,000 homeless families and individuals obtain housing across the province.
The announcement was made at Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) on Richmond St., which plans to start a shelter for homeless youth with its share of the funding.
“The housing first emergency shelter for youth represents a shared investment between the City of London and the province. YOU is thrilled to be working with these funders and our partners to help vulnerable young people experiencing homelessness find their way home. This is major part of solving youth homelessness in our community,” said Steve Cordes, executive director, YOU.