October
15, 2002 Kingston Youth Shelter will undergo renovations to improve living conditions KINGSTON,
ONTARIO—The
Kingston Youth Shelter Project (KYSP) received funding today to carry out
necessary renovations that will ensure the safety of its residents.
Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, the Honourable Peter
Milliken, welcomed the announcement of $18,522 in funding under the Youth
component of the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative (SCPI), of the
National Homelessness Initiative (NHI), by the Honourable Claudette Bradshaw,
Minister of Labour and Federal Coordinator on Homelessness
for efforts to help alleviate homelessness in Kingston. “I would like to commend the Kingston Youth Shelter
Project on its commitment to helping ensure that youth who are homeless in
this city have access to a safe, supportive environment,” said Mr. Milliken. Funding for this project will
enable the Kingston Youth Shelter Project to purchase materials and complete
renovations to the shelter. Improvements
to the facility include the installation of fire doors and alarms, as well as
roof and chimney repairs. This
will ensure that the shelter meets safety regulations and that its residents
are safe. “The Kingston Youth
Shelter appreciates the support of our federal partners,” said Jayne Negus,
Executive Director, Kingston Youth Shelter.
“With their help we will be able to do the necessary renovations to
our building and thus provide a safer and more comfortable environment for the
homeless youth who stay with us. Besides giving them a bed for the night, we
provide them with information and referral to the other community resources
that they need.” Since
the National Homelessness Initiative was launched in December 1999, the
Government of Canada has supported 70 projects to alleviate homelessness among
youth in Ontario. The National
Homelessness Initiative is making a difference in addressing homelessness by
encouraging the development of local solutions to this issue.
Funding for the project is part of the Government of Canada’s national
$753-million Homelessness Initiative. Under
the Initiative, the Government of Canada is providing $59 million to expand
existing federal programs for youth to address homelessness.
This includes a number of initiatives under Canada’s Youth Employment
Strategy, such as the Youth Internship program that provides unemployed,
underemployed and out-of-school youth with the opportunity to acquire
meaningful work experience and transferable skills. Funding
for the Initiative was provided for in the December 2001 federal Budget and is
built into the existing fiscal framework. -
30 - For more information on the Government of Canada’s National
Homelessness Initiative, visit our Web site at www.hrdc.gc.ca/homelessness For more
information, contact: Bob Howsam, Government of Canada - (416) 954-7810 David Klug, Minister Bradshaw’s office - (819) 953-5646 Jayne Negus, Kingston Youth Shelter Project - (613) 544-3400 ext. 2246
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