Fears in northern Ont. as cuts to homeless funding would affect front-line workers

Social services agencies across the north are sounding the alarm after funding cuts on homelessness programs were recently published.

The cuts range from 50 to 70 per cent in the north, as the federal government’s Reaching Home program ends in two years.

Service providers in North Bay said they are shocked.

“At a time when the federal government has a mandate to end chronic homelessness in the country, it is quite a shocking blow to our funding to have that funding cut by 58 per cent during a housing crisis,” said Stephanie Hopkin, chair of the Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services Board.

Hopkin said the end of the program will mean that five outreach worker positions from the Canadian Mental Health Association and John Howard Society will be eliminated.

There are between eight and 10 of these positions currently funded by the social services board.

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“Some of these workers are caseworkers that work directly with getting people housed or keeping people housed in the community,” Hopkin said.

“Some of them focus specifically on Aboriginal clients who are experiencing homelessness in Sault Ste. Marie, and some of them work with those who are experiencing homelessness and also experience mental health and addictions in Sault Ste. Marie.”

The 11 northern social service boards got together to ask the federal government to change course -- or at least match the provincial funding for the next three years.

But in the three months since the request was made, the boards have not received a response.

“At least we have that two-year runway to do the advocacy piece and see what we can do here internally to absorb,” Hopkin said

“But it will have a direct impact on our service delivery if it is not adjusted in the next couple of years.”

CTV News contacted the federal Ministry of Housing for a response on the cuts, but did not receive a response.