Investing in Supportive Housing
Strengthening supports for individuals with mental health and addictions challenges
Today, our PC government was pleased to announce that it is investing more than $47 million towards providing supportive housing for individuals with severe mental health and addictions challenges who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
This includes creating a new Back to Home program to help patients transition from hospitals to permanent housing, and will help the province alleviate hospital capacity pressures, moving us one step closer towards our goal of ending hallway healthcare.
This funding, which is part of the government’s $176 million investment this year to enable the Roadmap to Wellness plan, will help to support and empower individuals living with severe mental health and addictions challenges and help them to live independently, alleviate hospital capacity pressures, and provide landlords the resources they need to upgrade and maintain supportive housing and provide a safe and comfortable home for their tenants.
As part of the $176 million, the province’s targeted investment for mental health and addictions supportive housing includes:
- $13.7 million to create a Back to Home program that will provide supportive housing for patients in hospitals with mental health and addictions challenges who do not need hospital-level acute care;
- $6.6 million to help up to 25 supportive housing providers across Ontario that maintain housing units for those at risk of homelessness;
- $1.9 million to assist with the transition of the Homes for Special Care program to the modernized Community Homes for Opportunity program, which will provide enhanced support services for tenants, such as the purchase of electronic devices to ensure tenants can maintain connection with family and participate in virtual appointments;
- $850,000 in rent supplements to retain supportive housing properties where agreements with Ontario are expiring;
- $10 million to strengthen mental health and addictions supports for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in communities hit hard by COVID-19;
- Over $14 million for supportive housing programs designated for justice involved individuals.