ESPANOLA—Low income families in Manitoulin-Sudbury soon will have more help to stay in their homes, thanks to an increase in funding from the province.
The Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board (DSB) received word that funding from the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative has been increased by 46 percent for 2017 over 2016’s funding, followed by an additional 31 percent for 2018 and another 24 percent for 2019.
“We don’t know yet if this is ongoing funding or one time for the three years,” said Donna Moroso, director of integrated social services for the DSB. “And of course, it’s contingent upon future budgets.”
For the DSB, this funding goes toward the direct shelter subsidy. There are currently 110 families who use the subsidy. The direct shelter subsidy helps low income families pay their rent where they live rather then having them move to a DSB-owned property. This allows people in places like Tehkummah, for instance, a community that does not have a DSB property, to stay there.
Wit this increase in funds, the DSB hopes to service 175 families by the end of 2018.
“It comes down to (the equivalent of) 115 new units, without the bricks and mortar,” Fern Dominelli, DSB CAO, explained.
