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OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, October 16, 2009 · 4 Halton earmarks $3M for crisis housing Money going to 11 `quick win' programs By Tim Foran METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP EcoCelebration Halton Region will spend $3 million over the coming years to increase the amount of available beds and housing units for people in crisis situations. Council last week approved the funding, with about 22 per cent of the money coming from the federal government's Homelessness Partnering Initiative and the majority of the remainder from the Region's housing stabilization reserve fund. The money will be used to fund 11 `quick win' projects that will provide immediate housing options for people in need as well as eviction prevention initiatives, according to Regional staff. According to staff report, SS-46-09, major recipients for the funding include: · Halton Multicultural Council, which will receive approximately $814,000 to create two additional housing units to the four it already has in Burlington for newcomer families, and to provide two years funding for a full-time transitional housing worker to assist newcomers with settlement and housing services. · Catholic Family Services Hamilton, which will receive about $268,000 for its Hoarding Initiative in Oakville and Burlington. This program identifies -- about 20 in Halton so far -- and assists individuals in social housing suffering from the mental health disorder called Diogenes Syndrome, characterized by hoarding issues. · Halton Children's Aid Society, which will receive approximately $816,000 for two separate programs. The first program, receiving two years funding, will allow the agency to continue and expand its Bridging the Gap program, which does outreach to hundreds of homeless and at-risk youths in Halton, and create four host homes for four homeless youths at a time. The second program will help the agency buy, furnish and operate a four-bedroom transitional house for homeless youths in Milton, considered a high priority due to the numbers of Milton youths requesting such a service, as well as providing two years funding for a similar existing facility -- Bridge House -- in Burlington. · Support and Housing ­ Halton, which will receive approximately $560,000 for two different programs. The first program will allow the agency to buy a house in Acton for five homeless youths who would receive mental health support from the agency. The second program is for the agency to provide five new rent subsidies of $500 per month for five years for youths with serious mental illnesses. As the focus of the funding is on crisis housing, it won't help to reduce the existing wait list for public housing in the region, said Adelina Urbanski, Halton's Commissioner of Social and Community Services. However, solutions to reduce that wait list, in the form of medium and longer term housing initiatives, will be included in recommendations coming forth from the Region's Housing Task Force when it reports to council in November. LIESA KORTMANN/OAKVILLE BEAVER ENVIRONMENTAL SHOWCASE: Sunningdale School Eco Executive members (l-r) Marissa Hay, Caila Warren, Hazel Gard and Lauren Clewes examine posters on display at the annual Halton Student EcoCelebration, a showcase of environmental initiatives and achievements of Halton elementary and secondary students. The event was held Thursday in the south auditorium at the Halton Regional Administrative Building. a r p ro ud are prou d t o p re s en t .. . ou res e nt . . e n & SO LLE! I A KV KS O N THA UT O LD T The True North the OTMH Candlelight Ball A New Tw is t! N ew w s t Ne w Twi st ! e We a re p l ea se t o p ar tner wi t h f a e d We are please d to pa rt ne r with fa m ed C a n ad i a n c h e fs re e as ed ase a r tn e w it n ad fs M ic hael Bonacini & Mark McEwan to he lp us de ve lo p a c h ae l Bo n ac in i M ar k M c Ew a n t o h el p u s d ev el o a el B o a ci n e c ar E wa w e eve o ne-of-a-kind c u l i na r y ex pe ri en c e ­ d o n't miss o ut on n e- of - a- k i n d culinary e xp e r ie nc e - o f- a n ar experien a xp en n ' mi ss u t o n m is s s t h ex cl us iv e op po r tu t y! th i s exclusive oppo rt u n i ty ! e xc lu s v o p p o xc u y Saturday November 7, 2009 Net ro ed Net proceeds from this year's Candlel ht Ba wil Net proceeds from this year's Candle ight Ball will e th year's Candlelight a ea and e benefit the Diagnost c Imaging Department at OTMH benefit the Diagnostic Imaging Department at OTMH en ene t the Diagnostic ag ng Department h ag n epa men TM 6:30pm at the Burlington Convention Centre for more information please visit www.otmhcandlelightball.com