Addendum B to the Community Homelessness
Prevention Initiative Program Guidelines
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Program Guidelines – Social Services Relief
Fund Phase 2
1 Introduction
The housing and homelessness sectors in Ontario have had to alter the ways in which they provide services to vulnerable populations due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Social Services Relief Fund (SSRF) Phase 2 will provide $362 million in provincial and federal funding (federal funding through the Safe Restart Agreement) to help a diverse range of vulnerable people, create longer-term housing solutions for people in need, and ensure that the housing and homelessness sector has the tools and support that they need to safely and successfully transition to recovery.
SSRF Phase 2 builds on the province’s initial $200 million investment under the Social Services Relief Fund announced on March 23, 2020. The initial SSRF was a shared initiative between the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS), with funding provided under two streams:
$148 million in block funding provided to Service Managers and Indigenous Program Administrators to support municipalities and organizations that administer social services in their response to the COVID-19 outbreak (administered by MMAH); and
$52 million to individuals in financial crisis with no access to other supports, and those currently on social assistance requiring additional resources (administered by the MCCSS and delivery partners).
The initial SSRF was intended to support a range of vulnerable populations, including people living in community housing, supportive housing, people with low incomes, social assistance recipients, and others who require social services support as well as those experiencing homelessness.
Phase 2 brings the total SSRF investment for Service Managers and Indigenous Program Administrators to $510 million (i.e., $148 million in initial SSRF funding announced on March 23, 2020, $150 million in SSRF funding announced on July 2, 2020, and $212 million in additional SSRF funding announced on August 12, 2020).