A provincial funding announcement Tuesday will “make a real difference in people’s lives,” says Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop.
The province provided $6.2 million to Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS) so the organization, in partnership with the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO), could purchase two modular, three-storey apartment buildings recently constructed on Elgin Street.
“These 27 new homes will provide vulnerable Indigenous people immediate access to safe and affordable housing,” Dunlop said at today’s virtual press conference. “About half of the units are already occupied and the rest will be occupied soon.”
Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, called today’s news “a really great announcement.”
He said COVID-19 has had a negative impact on “vulnerable populations in communities including those that are homeless and at risk of being homeless in Indigenous communities.”
Clark said the province is “committed to working with our Indigenous program partners to ensure that Indigenous people in Ontario get the support and the services they need.”
He said the pandemic and stay-home orders have “shed a light on the importance of having a place to call home,” stressing it’s “why this announcement is exciting but it is needed now more than ever.”
The $6.2 million is part of the government’s $510-million social relief fund; the OAHS is receiving over $19.5 million, in total, for critical housing services and supports and to “develop longer-term solutions for housing like the affordable apartments on Elgin Street,” said Clark.
Justin Marchand, the executive director of OAHS, thanked Clark for his “personal commitment to making life better for Indigenous people.”
Marchand, who said at least 6% of people in Orillia are Indigenous people, thanked the previous owners - Chris and Tracy Small and Steve Marshall of Northern Shield Development - for building a “quality development we can be proud of.”
He said the acquisition of the apartment buildings is meaningful, but said there is more work to be done.
“To the people we serve and more so to the people we don’t yet serve, your strength gives us strength,” said Marchand. “We hear you, we ache for you and we won't stop until every person has access to safe, affordable, culturally-appropriate housing we all deserve.”
Marchand told OrilliaMatters that, at least for now, there will be a mix of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people living within the building made from repurposed shipping containers.
However, he stressed “there is a significantly disproportionate need among Indigenous people in the city of Orillia,” saying it’s almost 50% higher among Indigenous people.
“So this development is absolutely intended to help those most in need and that does mean for Indigenous people living in Orillia,” he said.
Marchand said the MNO is the property manager and will be handling applications.
“We’re expecting these will fill up and will be oversubscribed, literally, by hundreds of applications,” he said. “The housing need in Orillia is that high for all people and certainly for Indigenous people.”
Joanne Meyer, the chief operating officer of MNO, hailed today’s announcement as “innovative and unique.”
She said “discrimination is often a significant barrier facing urban and rural First Nation, Métis and Innuit peoples, forcing many into inadequate accommodation.”
Meyer applauded the OAHS, the largest Indigenous housing provider in Canada, for their work and said today’s announcement is important.
“Providing safe, accessible culturally-appropriate and affordable housing is fundamental to securing positive outcomes in addressing Indigenous people’s overrepresentation in need of affordable housing,” said Meyer, who thanked the province for their support.
“With this investment of over $6 million, this modern, energy-efficient, modular building will create longer-term housing solutions for Indigenous people in need while addressing chronic homelessness and affordability Indigenous people face in Orillia.”
