New housing units open for homeless people in Hamilton
Published July 17, 2023 at 3:44 pm
Twelve new supportive homes for homeless people opened in Hamilton on Monday with help from more than $3 million in government funding.
Through a partnership with Wesley Community Homes and the Good Shepherd, The Verrall Place at 195 Ferguson Ave. N. opened 11 one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit on July 17. Supportive housing provides both affordable housing and services to help individuals suffering from chronic physical and mental health issues.
The Wesley Building’s office space was converted into permanent supportive housing for individuals on Hamilton’s priority list of people who don’t have housing.
“Hamilton is currently in the midst of our most critical shortage of safe, affordable housing for our communities. We are very proud and humbled that Wesley Community Homes was able to develop and provide stable, supportive housing through funding received from the Rapid Housing Initiative,” said Tracy Geddes, president of Wesley Community Homes, in a statement.
Geddes said Hamilton still has a huge need for affordable housing. At the end of 2022, she said 6,110 households were on the centralized waiting list for housing, and 1,536 individuals were designated “homeless.” “Let’s continue to work together, at all levels of government, and throughout the housing sector, to fix our housing crisis and give Ontarians a safe foundation for a better life,” Geddes said.
Hamilton MP Filomena Tassi, fourth from left, joins other politicians and officials in announcing the opening of The Verrall Place on July 17, 2023. COURTESY GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
Filomena Tassi, MP for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, announced today (July 17) that the supportive homes were made possible through a combined investment of over $3 million from Ottawa, Ontario and the City of Hamilton.
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“This investment helped people overcome barriers and will help them reach their full potential,” said Tassi in a statement. Tassi is also the minister in charge of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
The funding for the project comes from the following:
- $2.25 million from the federal Rapid Housing Initiative Cities Stream
- $750,000 from the provincial and federal governments through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative
- $259,121 from the City of Hamilton.
“This is a significant step forward in our efforts to create a more supportive and inclusive city for all Hamiltonians,” said Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath in a statement.
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