More Money for Homeless Shelters

Friday, October 12, 2007 12:49 PM

The Province is kicking in another $41 million dollars for measures to “help break the cycle of homelessness.”

Four new and expanded measures have been identified:

* Increase funding for emergency shelters so they can be open 24 hours a day/seven days a week to provide better services and assistance for those who are homeless;

* Expanding homeless outreach services to 27 new and existing communities to connect homeless people to housing and support services, including a new Aboriginal component;

* Provide 750 rent supplement units to assist the homeless in the private market; and,

* The Province will fund pre-development costs to ensure city-owned sites will be ready for the start of construction of new supportive housing within a year. Pre-development costs include costs for third-party work, such as architectural, geotechnical and environmental plans and studies.

In addition to the new and expanded measures, 39 emergency shelters across the province will receive $2.4 million in one-time capital funding and annual operating funding increases.

The chart below shows how that one time finding will be distributed in the interior and the north:

North

Shelter	Funding	Municipality
Association Advocating for Women & Children (AWAC)	$150,000	Prince George
Prince George Active Support Against Poverty (ASAP)	$35,852	Prince George
Prince George Native Friendship Society - Ketso Yoh	$68,907	Prince George
Ksan House Society	$69,000	Terrace
Salvation Army - Fort St. John	$52,835	Fort St. John
Red Lion Inn	$2,849	Chetwynd
Total	$379,443

Interior/Okanagan

Shelter	Funding	Municipality
Kamloops Christian Hostel	$64,052	Kamloops
New Life Mission - The House of Ruth	$98,000	Kamloops
NOW Canada - Alexandra Gardner Safe Centre	$60,256	Kelowna
Kelowna Gospel Mission	$348,617	Kelowna
Kelowna Drop-In Centre	$143,121	Kelowna
Cariboo Friendship Society	$132,000	Williams Lake
Salvation Army - Penticton Men's Shelter	$35,000	Penticton
John Howard Society	$85,355	Vernon
Total	$966,401

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Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 12:49 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Harbinger on October 12 2007 8:49 PM

Hope they don't erect posters across Canada to attract homeless bums freezing back east. What with our toasty warm pre-global warming temperatures here.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on October 12 2007 9:01 PM

Must be good times for the people in the homeless industry. Lotsa money floating around.

Posted by: slider71 on October 12 2007 10:18 PM

Kelowna must be hurting.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on October 13 2007 10:35 AM

Good idea..build it and they will come!

Posted by: Becca on October 13 2007 11:00 AM

Wow! Do you actually think people prefer to be homeless? That it is a personal flaw that lands these people on the street? It is interesting how easily people will cast judgement on those who need a helping hand (don't we all at one time?)because it costs them through tax dollars. What about the big-wigs that cheat and kiss gov ass so they don't have to pay taxes they owe. Therefore robbing us and leaving those who are in need to blame for gov costs!
PS if it is so warm here, why do you have your heat on in your house?

Posted by: metalman on October 13 2007 2:50 PM

"if you build it, they will come" how prophetic, andyfreeze. I agree, more handouts = more hands out.
Why must we perpetuate and increase the problems by giving the help to any and all? Why not restore their dignity by requiring something in return for a basket of food, or some winter clothing? Yes, I mean to make them earn it. It does not have to be a lot, just lets get something accomplished, the people accepting the help will appreciate the goods a lot more if they had to do something for it. We all know that many people do not respect what they did not have to earn. RESPECT. Gee, that word does not come up much anymore.
metalman.

Posted by: northman on October 13 2007 5:51 PM

I agree, make them work! If they are given work to do in exchange for shelter and handouts then they will be building work/life skills and at the same time being noticed in the public by potential future employers. There is pelnty they could be doing. Cleaning up garbage, landscaping, cleaning parks, brushing ect ect...Im sure you guys can think of lots more.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on October 14 2007 7:53 AM

I hired a couple street people for the summer. You can take them off the street, but you can't take the street out of them. The streets have an attraction that seems to be addictive.

Posted by: thereasonableman on October 15 2007 12:24 AM

41 Million !? Wouldn't it just be cheaper to put them all on payroll ?

I have to agree with the above comments about not just throwing money at the problem, let's try to work it from a more social level.

Sometimes, you can help people too much and end up carrying them.