Ontario building supportive housing in Peterborough
The Ontario government is spending $377,641 to help create two supportive housing units in Peterborough that will support people experiencing homelessness.
Located at 1545 Monaghan Road, The Mount is a former convent converted to provide three small scale housing projects. The building is accessible with ramps, elevators, and wide hallways, as well as space for storing and charging electric wheelchairs and scooters.
Rob Flack, Associate Minister of Housing, and Dave Smith, Member of Provincial Parliament for Peterborough – Kawartha, announced the funding.
“These homes will make a real difference in the lives of people experiencing homelessness, and I’m proud that our government is supporting projects like these all across the province,” Flack said. “The Mount is another great example of innovative solutions to build more housing of all kinds. We’ll keep working with our partners to achieve our goal to build at least 1.5 million homes by 2031 to ensure all Ontarians can find a place to call home.”
Residents will be close to community resources, including transit, grocery stores, schools, and employment opportunities, as well as support programs on site.
The government says the announcement is part of the province’s Social Services Relief Fund, which has provided over $1.2 billion of support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, to help municipal service managers and Indigenous program administrators create longer-term housing solutions and help vulnerable people in Ontario, including those who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.
The government also says it’s investing $202 million each year in homelessness prevention programs – the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program – bringing Ontario’s total yearly investment to close to $700 million. This includes nearly $7.7 million in 2023-24 through the Homelessness Prevention Program for Peterborough.