By Cecilia Nasmith

Following the Provincial announcement in March of Social Services Relief funding to support community response to COVID-19, Northumberland County council received an update from staff Wednesday outlining how these funds are being used to protect the health and safety of vulnerable populations during this health emergency.

In addition to sustaining operation of the emergency homelessness shelter established at Cobourg Collegiate Institute in March, this investment is also supporting a range of homelessness-prevention measures in the community that reinforce a coordinated response.

Community and Social Services Director Lisa Horne extended her thanks to the province for this investment.

“Homelessness system partners have acted quickly to ensure supports are in place to respond to community needs during this unprecedented period,” Horne stated.

“Social Services Relief funding has reinforced these efforts, supporting immediate shelter system relief measures in Northumberland, along with housing and outreach services, and planning for transition back to standard operations post-pandemic. This funding has provided important flexibility to create local solutions that address local challenges.”

The Social Services Relief Fund makes $14- million available to communities to reinforce emergency housing and shelter system services and supports in response to the global pandemic, of which the county received $1,397,700 in one-time funding. This allowed the county to team up with homelessness system partners to co-design a three-pronged plan to deliver the greatest impact for Northumberland people in need.

Emergency shelter - $636,527 for temporary shelter operations, including staffing, food and facilities management, as well as quarantine and shelter-over flow contingency planning. This also includes costs related to post-pandemic wrap-up of operations at the temporary shelter.

Housing supports - $427,103 for transitional housing accommodations and homelessness outreach support and diversion programming.

Outreach and support services - $332,070 for peer-support programming, food-insecurity initiatives and pandemic sustainability funding for non-profit housing.

The Social Services Relief Fund also directs provincial funding to the Ontario Works program to provide emergency financial assistance for individuals or families in immediate financial crisis. To inquire about emergency assistance, contact Northumberland County Community & Social Services at 1-800-354-7051.

“We are doing our part to show the Ontario spirit and to ensure no one gets left behind,” Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini stated in the press release.

“Partners like Northumberland County Community & Social Services are doing critical work right now to help the most vulnerable Ontarians in our community during these difficult times. These provincial funds help ensure we are able to respond quickly to local needs, to protect and serve our most vulnerable populations, and support long-term measures that will boost our collaborative and coordinated response to homelessness.

“The plan for these funds have been well thought out by Social Services staff and system partners, and really focus on creating sustainable local solutions,,” Piccini added.

“With this global pandemic requiring that we adapt our approaches to delivering the services on which residents rely, this allocation from the province has been vital to support the critical work of our Social Services staff and system partners in responding to the needs of at-risk community members during COVID-19,” Warden Bob Sanderson said.

“The health and well-being of all Northumberland residents remains our top priority. We appreciate the Province’s partnership in ensuring supports are place to protect vulnerable populations during this unprecedented period.”