Opportunity missed for Homelessness and Addiction Recovery funding

By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com

According to a media release from the Canadian Federal Government, it failed to agree with the Government of Ontario about additional funding for homelessness and left the feds to work directly with municipalities on the matter. Moreover, this comes at a time when Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment, also known as HART, funding was denied for the Rainy River District. Furthermore, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and other social services groups identified that more investment is needed to address existing homelessness infrastructure gaps.

“Despite attempts to work out a deal that would see the federal and provincial governments work collaboratively to support the most vulnerable people in our communities, Ontario and Saskatchewan were not able to agree in time to deliver funding before the winter,” reads the release from the federal government. “As a result, the federal government worked directly with key cities in these provinces.

“Today, the federal government announced that agreements to support people living without homes, including in encampments, have been signed with nine additional Ontario municipalities: Durham, Toronto, Peel, York, Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo, Ottawa, and Sudbury.”

While this will bring millions of dollars in funding for the listed areas, this leaves many dealing with homelessness in Northern Ontario, particularly those in the Rainy River District, out in the cold.

“Under these agreements, the federal government will provide a total of more than $91.5 million, over two years.” reads the release. “The municipalities will match federal funding.”

DRRSB applied for HART Hub funding, however, the funding was not awarded.

“The collaborative proposals submitted to enable a HART Hub for the Rainy River District were not selected for funding,” reads a release from the District of Rainy River Services Board. “DRRSB remains committed to this transformative vision of providing a centralized hub for individuals facing homelessness and addiction to access essential recovery and support services.”

While the Rainy River District didn’t receive this much-needed funding, a report from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario suggests rural communities have unique challenges in addressing mounting pressures on homelessness.

“Rural communities also face challenges. Smaller communities often lack shelters, transitional housing, or specialized support, forcing individuals and families to either travel long distances to service hubs or remain in precarious situations,” reads the report. “In housing, municipalities have increasingly stepped in to address mounting pressures” Adding, “However, the scale of this issue – and the infrastructure required to solve it – extends far beyond what municipalities alone can sustainably fund. Chronic homelessness – a flashing red signal for system strain – remains proportionally high and growing.”

In particular, the report explicitly calls for more funding from Federal and Provincial governments, suggesting “municipal governments are tasked with responding to immediate needs.”

Still, Andrew Hallikas, DRRSB Vice-Chair and Mayor of Fort Frances is open to the exploration of future funding opportunities.

“We are encouraged by the progress being made in Ontario and would welcome the chance to revisit this initiative should future funding or opportunities arise,” said Hallikas.