HAMILTON — Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and Member of Parliament for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, on behalf of Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, alongside Lisa Hepfner, Member of Parliament for Hamilton Mountain, Chad Collins, Member of Parliament for Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, Nina Tangri, Ontario’s Associate Minister of Housing, Neil Lumsden, Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, and Donna Skelly, Member of Provincial Parliament for Flamborough–Glanbrook, opened 12 new supportive homes for people experiencing homelessness in Hamilton through a combined investment of over $3 million.
The conversion of the current Wesley Building, located at 195 Ferguson Avenue North, will provide permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness on Hamilton’s By-Name Priority List. These new supportive homes are being delivered through a partnership between Wesley Community Homes and the Good Shepherd. The project includes eleven one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit created through the conversion of office space within the existing Wesley building.
Funding for this project is as follows:
- $2.25 million from the federal government through the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) Cities Stream under the National Housing Strategy (NHS);
- $750,000 from the provincial and the federal governments through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI), an initiative of the Canada–Ontario Bilateral Agreement under the NHS;
- $259,121 from the City of Hamilton.
The conversion is complete and The Verrall Place is ready to welcome residents in their new homes.