Sudbury and eight other Ontario cities were granted millions of dollars in federal homelessness grants this week.
Sault Ste. Marie received nothing and Mayor Matthew Shoemaker says we weren't invited to apply.
"We did not receive any outreach from the federal government about this funding stream," Shoemaker tells SooToday.
"We do not believe this was an open application process for any municipality to apply to – it appears the federal government reached out directly to nine municipalities, specifically targeting communities with significant encampment issues."
On Wednesday, the federal government announced that agreements to support people living without homes, including in encampments, have been signed with nine Ontario municipalities: Durham, Toronto, Peel, York, Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo, Ottawa, and Sudbury, and two Saskatchewan cities: Regina and Saskatoon.
Under these agreements, the federal government will provide a total of more than $91.5 million, over two years. The municipalities will match federal funding.
A similar agreement with the City of London was announced on Dec. 13, 2024. In total, the federal government is delivering over $88 million to 10 municipalities in Ontario and approximately $8 million to two cities in Saskatchewan.
This is on top of what the federal government is investing through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, a total of $1.6 billion in Ontario and $124 million in Saskatchewan.
Funding will support the implementation of cities’ Community Encampment Response Plans and immediately provide additional support to people living without homes.
Each plan is tailored to the specific needs of a community. A broad range of activities will be supported across these agreements, including creating new shelter spaces, increasing transitional housing options, and providing case management services to help people find and keep permanent housing.
More agreements with provinces and territories are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Is our mayor miffed that we weren't invited to apply for this round of homelessness funding?
"It would be helpful to have the funding accessible by all municipalities equally, but I also think it is relevant to consider the municipality’s level of crisis in determining eligibility for funding," Shoemaker said.
"It’s why I’ve been making the argument the Sault must be at the top of the provincial list for a HART Hub, because the level of crisis demands it."
"Despite attempts to work out a deal that would see the federal and provincial governments work collaboratively to support the most vulnerable people in our communities," Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada said in a news release.
"Ontario and Saskatchewan were not able to agree in time to deliver funding before the winter. As a result, the federal government worked directly with key cities in these provinces," the release said.
– with files from The Canadian Press