November 08, 2006
A new pilot program will help provide homeless people with the services they need to become more independent. The provincial government will invest $16 million in the program over the next two years.
The funding directly responds to a proposal brought to the government by seven Alberta municipalities and organizations that serve the homeless. The group submitted a report to the government in August.
The report requested funding for new prevention and support services, including 24-hour, seven-day-a-week outreach support teams and other initiatives to help people find and stay in transitional or affordable housing.
The program will be available to the absolute homeless, as well as those living in transitional housing. This includes:
- adults
- families
- youth
- those with addictions or mental health issues
The province will now discuss details of the program with the group that submitted the proposal. This will include how to distribute funding and develop local initiatives, as well as expected outcomes for the pilot project.
This funding is in addition to the $23 million the province provides each year for the operating costs of emergency shelters and transitional housing spaces, and the $3 million provided to municipalities for projects that meet the needs of the homeless in the province’s seven major municipalities (Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Red Deer).
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