Ontario Helps Municipalities and Indigenous Partners Respond to COVID-19

Province delivers more social services relief funding to protect the vulnerable

The Voice of Canada News:

The Ontario government is allocating an additional $120 million to help municipalities and Indigenous community partners protect the health and safety of vulnerable people during COVID-19. This investment builds upon the second phase of social services relief funding announced this fall and brings the government’s total allocation to $510 million.

“Our government is responding to the ongoing challenges of the pandemic by targeting $120 million of the Social Services Relief Fund to where it is needed most,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “This additional funding will help our community partners respond to local housing pressures and help vulnerable Ontarians find – and keep – the housing they need.”

Municipalities and Indigenous community partners can use the discretionary funding to improve the delivery of critical services, protect homeless shelter staff and residents, renovate and purchase facilities to create longer-term housing solutions, add to rent banks and support plans to prepare for potential future outbreaks and/or emergencies.

The Social Services Relief Fund is part of the up to $4 billion being provided to Ontario municipalities under the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement. The Agreement will help municipalities protect the health and well-being of the people of Ontario while delivering critical public services, such as public transit and shelters, as the province continues down the path of economic recovery.

Quick Facts

• In March, Ontario launched the Social Services Relief Fund with an initial allocation of $148 million to help protect the health and safety of the province’s most vulnerable people during COVID-19.
• In October, over $241 million was allocated to municipalities and Indigenous community partners to help improve shelters and create opportunities for longer-term housing.
• Ontario was the first province to call on the federal government to help municipalities with the challenges they were facing as a result of COVID-19. This led to a historic $4 billion investment through the Safe Restart Agreement.