Chatham-Kent is getting some additional support for social services from the province.
On Wednesday, MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington Rick Nicholls announced that the municipality will receive an additional $415,300 in social services relief funding.
The latest funding dollars are in addition to previous social services relief funding that Chatham-Kent has received from the province, which now totals just under $3.4 million.
The discretionary funding can be used towards a variety of different avenues including delivering critical services, protecting homeless shelter staff and residents, renovating shelter facilities, working towards longer-term housing solutions and preparing for future emergencies.
According to Director of Employment and Social Services for Chatham-Kent Polly Smith, the municipality has not received its allocation letter that outlines the criteria for allowable expenses for the latest funding announcement. Like previous social services relief funding dollars, the latest allocation must be spent by March 31, 2021.
Smith said the money that the municipality has gotten so far towards social services has been put to good use.
"[It's] being used to fund feeding programs distributed through United Way, previous operation of an isolation shelter and now emergency housing in hotels as well as cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment for social housing as well as homeless prevention like rent and utility arrears and first and last months rent to get people housed through the Employment and Social Services Division," Smith explained. "Each night we have 40-50 people including families staying safe in emergency housing and each month we place 16-20 individuals and families into permanent housing."
The latest funding for Chatham-Kent is part of the province's overall investment of $510 million through the Social Services Relief Fund to help protect the health and safety of vulnerable people across Ontario.
"It will continue to be the goal of Employment and Social Services to work with our partners to get these funds out to effectively help those who need it," said Smith.