2023-24 and 2024-25 Planned Funding Allocations for Provincially-Delivered Housing and Homelessness Prevention Programs

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Office of the Minister
777 Bay Street, 17th Floor
Toronto ON M7A 2J3

February 3, 2023

Bruce Killah
Board Chair, Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB
210 Mead Boulevard
Espanola ON P5E 1R9

Dear Bruce Killah:

Re: 2023-24 and 2024-25 Planned Funding Allocations for Provincially-Delivered
Housing and Homelessness Prevention Programs

I am pleased to be writing to you today with important details regarding your planned
funding allocations for community housing and homelessness prevention programs for
2023-24 and 2024-25 where available.

Our government’s policies have delivered historic results in getting more homes built
faster and complement our nearly $4.4 billion in investments to create community and
supportive housing, respond to COVID-19, and address homelessness over the past
three years. Community and supportive housing are critical components of our
commitment to build 1.5 million new homes over the next 10 years, which will ensure
that all people in Ontario, especially our most vulnerable, have a home that meets their
needs and budget.

We are committed to ensuring our partners have certainty and stability in funding for
their housing and homelessness services and will continue to fight to ensure Ontario
municipalities receive their fair share of funding under the National Housing Strategy –
and I would urge you, as municipal leaders, to join us in making the case to the federal
government. We are committed to continuing our vital work with you to provide
affordable housing and homelessness prevention options in our local communities.

Today, I’m pleased to inform you that the province is investing a further $11.5 million in
both 2023-24 and 2024-25 though the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit for women and
children escaping violence.

Additionally, a further $33.9 million in 2023-24 is being allocated through the Canada-
Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI). Recognizing that the COCHI funding
allocation model was based on outdated 2018-19 Social Housing Agreement funding
levels, the ministry has updated the funding model for 2023-24 onwards to provide a
more equitable, needs-focused approach based on social housing stock and core
housing need. This is intended to help achieve the COCHI objectives, such as
preserving and creating new social housing units across the province. Importantly, the
revised allocation model ensures that all participating SMs and IPAs see an increase in
COCHI allocations from the 2022-23 amounts.

To assist with your local planning, we are providing your specific planned funding
allocations for 2023-24 and 2024-25 fiscal years.

Please be aware that the ministry is conducting a review of the funding allocation model
for the Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP). Given the ongoing review, funding
allocations under HPP may be subject to change although any change would not result
in a reduction to the planning allocation provided.

All funding allocation amounts included below are for planning purposes only and are
subject to confirmation through the province’s annual budget planning process. The
National Housing Strategy initiatives are dependant on agreement with the Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation on the National Housing Strategy Bilateral
Agreement amendments. Updated program materials including Transfer Payment
Agreements, Program Guidelines and Investment Plan templates for the National
Housing Strategy initiatives will be released in the coming weeks.

Planning Funding Allocations – Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB
 

Notes:
1The allocation amount for COHB is funding available to enroll new participants in the program for the
fiscal year, including SM administration payments. Allocations exclude the funding required to support
existing participants. As the cost required to support existing participants in 2024-25 depends on the
2023-24 participant take-up, the 2024-25 allocations will not be available until early 2024. Housing
Program staff will be in touch with you to discuss estimates for the number of applications you should
plan to enroll with the 2023-24 funding amount.
2The 2023-24 allocation amounts for HPP are under review and will not decrease from the 2022-23
amount shown. Once finalized, allocations for 2023-24 and 2024-25 will be confirmed.

For more information on the programs listed above, please see the enclosed Appendix.

Again, we sincerely appreciate your efforts to assist vulnerable residents and to keep
people safe. I look forward to continuing our work together.

Yours truly,
The Honourable Steve Clark
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing


Enclosures
c. Donna Stewart, Chief Administrative Officer
Lori Clark, Director Integrated Social Services
Cindy Couillard, Team Lead, Municipal Services Office


Appendix – Program Descriptions

Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI)

To support Ontario’s Community Housing Renewal Strategy, COCHI was launched in
fiscal 2019-20. COCHI funding is provided under the National Housing Strategy and
represents a reinvestment of federal funding that has been declining under the Canada-
Ontario Social Housing Agreement.

COCHI provides an opportunity for Service Managers and housing providers to address
the challenges associated with social housing projects reaching the end of their
operating agreements and/or mortgage maturity. This initiative provides flexible funding
for social housing affordability support, repair and/or new supply.

Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI)

In addition to launching COCHI under the Community Housing Renewal Strategy, the
Ministry also launched OPHI in fiscal 2019-20. OPHI provides significant flexibility to
address local priorities in the areas of housing supply and affordability, including new
affordable rental construction, community housing repair, rental assistance, tenant
supports and affordable homeownership.

Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB)

Launched in April 2020, the COHB is a joint federal/provincial housing allowance
program under the National Housing Strategy.

The purpose of the COHB is to increase the affordability of rental housing by providing
an income-tested, portable housing benefit payment directly to eligible households in
housing need that are on, or are eligible to be on, a social housing waiting list, and to
households in housing need living in community housing.

Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP)

Launched on April 1, 2022, HPP is a provincially-funded program that supports
Ontario’s 47 municipal Service Managers to provide affordable housing and support
services for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The objective of the
program is to support Service Managers in preventing, addressing and reducing
homelessness, including chronic homelessness.

It combines three previous programs and is intended to be streamlined and flexible so
that Service Managers can target funding where community need is greatest and can
make the most impact.