Since George Pirie took office, first as mayor of Timmins and now as a Tory MPP, he's been working to address homelessness in the city.
Pirie said Friday it's important to him to announce the province is contributing 40 per cent more funding to help prevent and end homelessness.
"We can get over the hump here, we can solve the homelessness problem especially here in a city like Timmins where people do care,” he said.
“They know they can make, every individual person can make a difference.”
Pirie said in the next three years, $11.6 million will be funnelled through the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) from Ontario's Homeless Prevention Program.
“We need to take stock and take a look at this increased funding and be more strategic with it now but still tie every dime we send out the door,” said Brian Marks, the board’s executive director.
“Whether it’s directly delivered through the DSSAB or through our community partners and ensure every dime is tied to our goal of ending homelessness.”
Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau said a team has been working hard to ensure the funding made its way here.
"It's not only the Cochrane District that’s benefitted from the increased funding at the provincial level, but all of northern Ontario has fared out really well with these recent announcements,” Boileau said.
“That’s important because we know the population we're serving with this funding is a transient population and so it’s important that across the north, you know, all communities are equipped to be able to help serve people in need.”
In May, an expert the City of Timmins has been working with to come up with homelessness solutions will be back to meet with council and CDSSAB on how to move forward with the plan to end homelessness by 2025.
Some of this new funding will be tied to strategies in that plan.
