NEWS RELEASE
ROSS ROMANO, MPP SAULT STE. MARIE
*************************
The Ontario government is providing $420,800 to the Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services Administration Board to help protect the health and safety of the province’s most vulnerable people in response to the outbreak of COVID-19.
This funding can be used by municipalities and social service providers such as homeless shelters, food banks, emergency services, charities and non-profits to support delivery of critical services, hire additional staff, acquire more personal protective equipment, and find ways to promote social distancing and self-isolation to keep people safe and healthy. The Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services Administration Board will determine how this funding is distributed locally to provide people in the community with the support they need.
“We are acting quickly to support those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless during this unprecedented time,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “This funding is going straight to communities, who know best what the immediate needs are on the ground.”
“This announcement will go a long way to support members of our community at this difficult time,” said Ross Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie. “Now more than ever, we need to ensure we are taking the necessary precautions to keep ourselves and those around us healthy. I want to encourage everyone to continue to practice social distancing and stay at home to help flatten the curve with respect to COVID-19.”
We are providing $148 million to local service managers and Indigenous program administrators all across Ontario to give them flexibility to expand the key services they already offer to meet their local needs. For example, this funding could be used for emergency loans for people having a hard time paying rent. It is up to communities to respond to local needs.
Additional resources
- This money is part of Ontario’s $200 million services relief funding to help protect the province's most vulnerable people.
- Visit Ontario’s website to take the online COVID-19 assessment or to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.
*************************
