KINGSTON - The Honourable Peter Milliken, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, today welcomed the announcement from the Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Health, of funding for a project that will assist homeless populations in Kingston.

The Social Planning Council of Kingston and Area will receive a grant of $104,043 under Health Canada’s Population Health Fund to lead the project over 12 months. The goal is to increase dialogue and build relationships between landlords and individuals or families without access to affordable housing who are seeking shelter.

“This project will demonstrate how our community can mobilize to develop healthy public policies and practices for persons who may be socially or economically disadvantaged, said Mr. Milliken. “It will help to improve the conditions that are needed for good health.”

Health Canada is funding the Kingston project because its approach to population health recognizes that many factors have a strong influence on health and that prevention and positive action on those factors that can affect the health of the population as a whole, or that of specific population groups.

A group of organizations in Kingston advised Health Canada that homelessness is a condition of risk for marginalized populations, and that six local populations that require increased social supports: people leaving institutions; youth; single mothers; street homeless; laid-off/downsized workers; and people with mental health issues.

The Kingston project will work with a variety of partners toward increasing the supply of housing available for these populations. For example, it will identify the existing supply of single-room housing available in the area and will build a support system for potential landlords and the marginalized populations.

Health Canada is initiating a number of projects in Ontario, including this one, as a coordinated effort to address local issues of social and economic health determinants.

The Social Planning Council of Kingston and Area provides leadership in identifying the need for social services and social supports of Kingston and the surrounding counties of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, and promotes the social goals of the community.

This funding was provided for in previous budgets and is therefore built into the existing financial framework.

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