THUNDER BAY - The Thunder Bay District Social Services Board will benefit from a new investment of nearly $250 million from the province of Ontario to help keep vulnerable people safe during the pandemic.
The provincial government announced on Wednesday an investment of $244 million for municipalities and Indigenous program partners across Ontario responding to outbreaks of COVID-19 among vulnerable populations through its Social Services Relief Funding.
Of the funding, $2.4 million will be allocated to Thunder Bay to be used for motel and hotel spaces to support physical distancing of shelter residents, hiring more shelter staff, purchasing personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies, and adding rent and utility banks to help prevent people from becoming homeless.
"Our government is once again taking immediate action to save lives by responding to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in some shelters across the province," said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
"This investment will provide our municipal service managers with the financial ability to take any means necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19 in shelter spaces."
In January, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit declared an outbreak of COVID-19 among the homeless population in the city.
The city of Thunder Bay also declared a second state of emergency in February in order to receive financial and human resource assistance for isolation shelters in the city.
“With new COVID-19 variants of concern now in Ontario, there is an increased risk of spread to vulnerable people,” Clark said.
“That is why in addition to new funding, we recently directed service managers to attest that outbreak management plans in all emergency shelter facilities have been updated in accordance with IPAC guidance, to report any gaps in IPAC requirements and planned next steps, and to be transparent about the use of new and existing Social Services Relief Fund spending."
A statement from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing said it is aware of the declaration of emergency in Thunder Bay, and the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre is currently monitoring and engaging with multiple ministries and local agencies on the matter.
