A planned cut in federal homelessness funding that would have been devastating to local efforts to combat the issue was overturned on Friday.
"Eliminating chronic homelessness is going to take a coordinated effort and the Government of Canada is committed to working with community partners, Indigenous partners and housing partners to achieve this important goal," said MP Terry Sheehan at an announcement Friday at the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board offices.
Just over a year ago, DSSAB received word that federal dollars from the Reaching Home funding stream would be cut by about 50 per cent starting in 2026, while all markers showed an increase in the need for more supports in the Sault.
Sheehan said he received a lot of phone calls about those proposed cuts to the homelessness funding.
"A lot of people were afraid and nervous and maybe they heard stuff. I don't know," Sheehan said.
On Friday, he announced that DSSAB would receive $3,598,335 over the course of four years.
Additionally, $3,387,634 will be allocated to the Indigenous Friendship Centre, also over the course of four years.
In his remarks, Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said tackling homelessness is not just about providing shelter, it's about strengthening the entire community.
"When people have stable housing they have a foundation to improve their health, find employment, and contribute to their local economy. Communities that invest in housing solutions see reduced strains on emergency services, health care, policing, and from the social services aspect, paramedic services as well," Shoemaker said.
DSSAB chair Stephanie Hopkin told SooToday what the effects of the previously expected cut in homelessness funding would have resulted in for the DSSAB and the organizations it supports.
"It would have been devastating. I think the original announcement was over 50 per cent of a funding cut over a period of five years. Quite simply, we're in a position where our funding can't be going down — it needs to be increasing," Hopkin said.
Although the funding announced on Friday helps to avoid the cuts that would have ensued, Hopkin noted it still doesn't fill the gap for the rising need in the community for more homelessness funding.
"There's not enough money currently in the system to address the problem in a meaningful way, so we'll keep pushing the envelope in terms of our federal and provincial partners and doing our share of the work — but we're not quite there yet. We're super happy to see they recognize that the cut wasn't wasn't going to work for us," Hopkin said.
DSSAB CEO Mike Nadeau said Indigenous people make up 50 per cent of people experiencing homelessness in the community, according to the most recent point in time count.
"There is a vast over-representation and a huge need for Indigenous-based services and more funding to the Indigenous Friendship Centre," sad Nadeau.
In his remarks, Paul Gouge, Reaching Home coordinator for the IFC, said his organization supports status and non-status Indigenous people, Métis, and Inuit who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
"Many of the Indigenous members within the urban community of Sault Ste Marie prefer to access services through the IFC, an organization in which they have developed trust," Gouge said.