The Lakehead Social Planning Council now has funding for five more years to tackle homelessness in our community.
Social Researcher Bonnie Krysowaty tells us they’re getting over $1.3 million over five years to continue programs she says have been very successful.
Those include a manager position at Shelter House, housing units at Alpha Court for those dealing with addiction issues and homelessness, and a Social Navigator at the John Howard Society.
The Social Planning Council official tells us the announcement also includes around $2.7 million over five years for similar work at the Indigenous Friendship Centre.
It will let her group and the Friendship Centre continue developing a system to access affordable housing. The Social Planning Council is getting around $450,000 for its part in developing the housing system.
“That really is one of the major solutions to homelessness in every community, is developing a housing access system,” she explains, explaining it involves cooperation between all of the housing and service providers in a community.
She emphasizes it will be important for her group and the Friendship Centre to work together on creating the housing system.
