The House of Friendship's new shelter at 190 Weber St. N. in Waterloo will get $570,000 a year from the Region of Waterloo to cover annual operational costs.
This is "what happens when this community comes together to address the growing crisis of homelessness in Waterloo Region," said House of Friendship executive director John Neufeld in a press release.
"The Region of Waterloo is responding to a complex issue by funding a range of creative solutions, including our ShelterCare model. I am incredibly proud of our community for trying to respond in new ways with compassion, tenacity, and innovation.”
The funding comes on the heels of the 2022 budget which aims to build more affordable homes and improve shelter capacity across the region
It's being done with a $150 million investment that includes $30 million to help residents who face the greatest barriers to finding housing.
The region says the investment is supported by a new housing levy of $5.8 million, which was approved as part of the 2022 budget.
The investment will also provide focused upstream supports that include:
- Expanding the Home-Based Support Program to support people experiencing chronic homelessness to transition into permanent housing with wrap around supports
- Increasing mental health and addiction supports to address root causes and further support those experiencing homelessness on their housing journey
- Continuing street outreach programs to provide more supports to people experiencing homelessness
- Continuing to support 24/7 staffing in emergency shelters, including new locations
The funding increases the region’s investment in affordable housing as detailed in its housing plan Building Better Futures: 2,500 Homes in 5 Years.
The plan builds on a $20 million investment approved by regional council as part of the 2021 and 2022 budgets to increase the supply of affordable housing.
