PRINCE GEORGE – This Wednesday’s Speech from the Throne promised to eliminate chronic homelessness, after the government increased funding to reduce homelessness in 2017.
The Social Development website for the City of Prince George lists eliminating homelessness as one of it’s goals.
Lynn Florey, Coordinator for Community Partners Addressing Homelessness says “no, we have not eliminated homelessness.”
Florey says, however, “they have put more units in, and they have increased outreach support workers, as has Northern Health. They have contributed to that. So, yes we’ve seen an increase.”
Florey continues, “all three levels of government generally chip something, but those federal dollars get used for services for sure.”
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) helps carry out the National Housing Strategy’s action plan. The CMHC provides federal funding along with BC Housing, here in the province, and outlines its policy for what constitutes as social housing.
In an email statement, the CMHC said that “Between November 2017 and June 2020, nearly $2.5 billion had been financially committed to BC through the National Housing Strategy. This is funding that will be used to build safe and affordable housing for British Columbians, in all parts of the province, including Prince George.”
On top of this, the federal government announced another $1 billion earlier this week. Governor General Julie Payette mentioned this in the Throne Speech.
Florey differentiates between chronic homelessness, and episodic homelessness. Florey says “it’s the chronic homeless that we’re particularly looking at trying to address first.”
The CMHC is rolling out the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) to help address the urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians. The program plans to create 3,000 new affordable housing units across the country.
Correction: CKPG News published a story saying the City of Prince George website claimed to end homelessness. The website actually lists this under a set of goals.
