Hamilton to receive $12.3 million to address COVID-19 outbreaks in shelters

The City of Hamilton is getting over $12 million from the province to address COVID-19 outbreaks in homeless shelters.

The money comes from the province’s Social Services Relief Fund and is part of an additional $255 million set aside for municipalities and Indigenous communities.

The government says communities can use the funding to acquire motel and hotel spaces to support physical distancing, hire more shelter staff, and buy more personal protective equipment.

“Our government is once again taking immediate action to save lives by responding to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in some emergency shelters across the province,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, who announced the funding Wednesday morning.

“This investment will ensure our municipal service managers can keep vulnerable people and shelter workers safe by providing them with the financial ability to take any means necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19 in shelter spaces.”

In late February, Ontario added homeless people to the list of those who qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine under Phase 1 of its plan.

Shelter-system residents were to start receiving their initial vaccine doses last week, the city said at the time.

Ontario’s Ministry of Health had previously stated that homeless residents would not be eligible for a vaccine until the inoculation drive entered its second phase.