$1.6 Million To Help Homeless

http://www.1075kiss.com/news/headlines/ (Pete McIntyre)

Vernon is getting 1.6 million dollars as part of the province's efforts to reduce homelessness. Okanagan Vernon M-L-A Tom Christensen announced the funding near an apartment complex on 28-th Avenue Friday. He says the money is going to the Canadian Mental Health Association to purchase two existing buildings for 23 units of transitional housing. "This building was at risk of being sold so this will allow the Canadian Mental Health Association to purchase and own this building so that we know in the long term its here and available for people who are struggling with mental illness and who are at very high risk of being homeless."

Sandy Rysen, the executive director for Canadian Mental Health says it will make a difference to the city's growing homeless problem."It's very hard to work on the issues that make people homeless when they don't have a place to live because that's their main focus. We all need basic shelter and then we can work on life's basic problems, so this is just wonderful news." Rysen says at any given time, there's 200 people on a wait list to get into Vernon's affordable housing units. Provincially, the government will provide 196 million dollars over 35 years, or 5.6 million a year, to fund 750 housing units.

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Don Quixote Note: This 1.6 million is spread over 35 years. One year = $45,714

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NEW UNITS UNDER PROVINCIAL HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVE

Gov B.C. Backgrounder

Kamloops The John Howard Society of the Thompson Region 48

Kamloops New Life Mission 18
Kelowna Resurrection Recovery 18 (two projects)
Kelowna The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Central Okanagan 18

Vernon Canadian Mental Health Association, Vernon Branch 23 (two projects)