April 15, 2004

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, Ontario – Approval of Ottawa’s Community Plan on Homelessness was announced today by the Honourable David Pratt, Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Claudette Bradshaw, Minister of Labour and Minister responsible for Homelessness. Funding of over $17 million will be provided to Ottawa through the Government of Canada’s National Homelessness Initiative (NHI) to help the city’s homeless people. Ottawa area Members of Parliament Marlene Catterall, Eugène Bellemare, the Honourable John Manley, the Honourable Don Boudria and the Honourable Mauril Bélanger joined Minister Pratt in the announcement of this approval.

"Many members of the community in Ottawa helped develop this Community Plan to address homelessness in their neighbourhoods," said Minister Pratt. "It’s a high level of commitment at the local level that makes this Plan particularly effective. The Government of Canada is proud to be a partner and congratulates all the community agencies, non-profit groups, and private sector organizations for their dedication to improve the lives of those who need it most."

"The City of Ottawa is pleased to work with the Government of Canada to help support our community partners in their action to prevent and end homelessness in our city," stated Mayor Bob Chiarelli. "Helping to ensure that the most vulnerable citizens have access to services and support, including supportive housing, continues to be priority for the City."

In consultation with the community and various stakeholders, a set of objectives and priorities have been identified in the Plan that include affordable, transitional and supportive housing; preventing individuals from becoming homeless and assist them when homeless and achieving legislative and policy changes to end homelessness.

The Community Plan is the local vision of how best to help homeless individuals and families. The community identifies assets, gaps and priorities that meet local requirements to both prevent and reduce homelessness. Since the National Homelessness Initiative was launched, the Government of Canada has supported more than 628 projects, with total funding of over $125 million, to alleviate homelessness in Ontario. Funding was provided for in the March 2004 Budget.

Since December 1999, communities across Canada have undertaken over 1,800 projects, funded wholly or in part by the National Homelessness Initiative. These projects will result in: The creation of approximately 8,000 new, permanent beds in shelters, transitional, and supportive houses; The construction, renovation, and enhancement of roughly 1000 sheltering facilities and support facilities, such as food banks, soup kitchens and drop-in centres; The transfer of 50 federal surplus properties worth over $9 million, which will result in the creation of 214 transitional and affordable housing units; and In addition to the Government of Canada investment, partnerships have leveraged over a half billion dollars towards the implementation of homelessness projects in Canada.

For more information on the Government of Canada’s National Homelessness Initiative, visit our Web site at www.homelessness.gc.ca

For more information, contact:

Deborah Wallace
Government of Canada
(416) 954-7302

Denis D’Amour
Minister Bradshaw’s Office
(506) 851-3419

Communications and Marketing
City of Ottawa
(613) 580-2450

Cheri Crosby
City Facilitator, Ottawa
(613) 991-1424