Thank you once again to my colleague for the question. The best way to deal with homelessness is to be proactive and prevent it in the first place. We’ve heard from organizations and key stakeholders across the province who are pleased to see we are increasing funding for the Homelessness Prevention Program and have expressed to us how much this means to them.

For example, the chief administrative officer for the Kenora district, Henry Wall, said:

“The Kenora District Services Board is grateful to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the government of Ontario for this historic increase in the Homelessness Prevention Program and service managers’ ability to better address the needs of our communities. Addressing Ontario’s affordable housing and homelessness crisis will take all levels of government to work together. The flexibility built into the HPP programming will facilitate community-driven solutions to addressing homelessness and increasing supportive housing options for vulnerable people.”

Speaker, local service managers and representatives know their communities best. It is our job to ensure they have the tools and resources they need to deliver effective support to those who need it most.