Chatham-Kent is getting $282,800 from the province to help wind down homeless encampments in parks and public spaces and move vulnerable people into safe accommodations.
The municipality's funding is part of a $75.5 million provincial announcement on Monday to create more emergency shelter spaces and affordable housing units that will provide vulnerable Ontarians with appropriate short-term and long-term housing alternatives to encampments.
Two-thirds of the overall provincial funding is geared towards ready-to-build affordable housing projects near completion and waiting for additional funding to open their doors faster.
The rest is to expand shelter capacity and create additional temporary accommodation spaces and to top up the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit to immediately free up emergency shelter spaces for people living in encampments by helping people living in shelters move into longer-term housing.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent said it is able to provide rent supports to 51 households who are currently living in shelter or experiencing homelessness.
Chatham-Kent Manager of Corporate Communications Eric Labadie said municipal staff will work with current clients to apply to this program once they secure housing, adding staff are continuously working with clients to find and secure housing in the private market.
"This announcement will have a positive impact on those that qualify and will free space in our emergency shelter. Given the scope of homelessness across Chatham-Kent, we do not predict it will free the necessary space and funding is needed in order to eliminate all encampments," said Labadie.
The Ontario government said municipalities will be required to report back to the province on the number of people moved from encampments into new accommodations.
They will also be required to submit spending plans to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for review and approval to ensure the province's $700 million yearly investment in the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program is being used effectively and in line with the shared provincial and municipal goal of ending encampments by providing safe and stable housing for people at risk of homelessness.