Mayor welcomes additional homeless funding

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens welcomed new funding for homeless supports announced by Premier Doug Ford Thursday but noted much more must still be done.

Ford announced that the province will be providing an additional $150 million to municipalities to continue to protect vulnerable people from COVID-19 by improving shelters and creating longer-term housing.

“While we do not yet know the allocation for the City of Windsor, support from the Province of Ontario is always welcomed,” Dilkens said. “The recent COVID-19 pandemic exposed some of the institutional weaknesses within our local social services networks and I committed to bring a renewed focus to addressing housing and homelessness supports in our community.”

Ford announced that the province is doubling its investment in the Social Services Relief Fund for a total of $350 million. This is money municipalities can access to provide vulnerable residents with food and shelter as they weather the pandemic in the short term, and can also be used for more long-term housing projects.

“We’ve heard from service managers that our investment is helping to save lives, and today’s announcement will help them continue responding to COVID-19 right now,” said Steve Clark, minister of municipal affairs and housing.

There are 47 service managers across the province.

Dilkens said Windsor will be focused in the coming months on finding new solutions to the problem.

“As a result of the hard work of many within the City of Windsor’s social services department, I expect that city council will be able to have a substantive discussion this summer, and make recommendations regarding future delivery models,” Dilkens said.

“As a community, we recognize that robust and comprehensive social policies are also prudent economic policies. Addressing housing and homelessness drives economic investment and supports localized renewal, particularly within the downtown core.”

He said the city will be seeking widespread input on how to create a better system for the future.

“I’m looking forward to receiving the Emergency Shelter Services Review and to having a thoughtful discussion with my council colleagues, and key community partners, about the path forward,” Dilkens said.

“With support like the funding provided by the Province of Ontario today, Windsor will be able to take a comprehensive approach toward implementing a renewed vulnerable persons strategy in the near future.”

Ford said Ontario’s cities still need access to more money as COVID-19 continues to put significant pressure on their budgets.

He called on the federal government to make it happen by providing every province and territory with additional funding, and allowing the provinces to determine their own priorities, providing the money to municipalities in Ontario’s case.

“Cut us a cheque, gives us the flexibility,” said Ford.

“All the premiers agree — we need one thing, we need flexibility,” Ford said. “We’ll work within their guidelines, but we need the flexibility to put the money where it’s needed. The feds, with all due respect, they don’t know where every single province needs the money.”

— With files from The Canadian Press