The City of Nanaimo was granted $2.5 million by the province to tackle the ever growing issue of homelessness. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

big money

Nanaimo granted $2.5M from province to tackle homelessness

Aug 13, 2021 | 5:35 AM

NANAIMO — It’s hoped a substantial influx of cash will help the City of Nanaimo provide solutions to the ever-expanding homelessness crisis.

The province announced $2.5 million for the City’s Homelessness Community Response Initiative on Thursday, Aug. 12.

How the money will be spent by the City is unclear beyond the general type of response, such as housing and hygiene supports for vulnerable populations, an additional temporary shelter and more funding for Nanaimo’s rent bank.

Mayor Leonard Krog told NanaimoNewsNOW the money will also help the City “recoup costs we’ve already incurred dealing with this crisis.” He couldn’t specify how much the City has spent and how much of the grant would be used to recoup costs.

Krog has talked at length around the council table about how tackling the homelessness and housing crisis should be funded by the provincial and federal governments, but couldn’t detail how the influx of senior government funding would help.

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“We have some discretion…in how we use the monies as long as it falls in the criteria of the program. It’s not exactly a gift with no strings but certainly the province and federal governments are relying on us to spend it wisely as we spend it within the perimetres of the program. We want everybody to get their acts together and have the monies to do so.”

The number of people living rough on Nanaimo’s streets has grown substantially in recent years, despite two large temporary housing projects and many smaller projects.

The most recent point-in-time homelessness count from 2020 estimated upwards of 600 people were experiencing homelessness in Nanaimo. This was nearly double from two years before.

Another count is expected in spring 2022 with the numbers expected to roughly double once more.

The City and BC Housing are in the province of building a sweeping amount of supportive housing at multiple sites throughout central and south Nanaimo. The first, at 702 Nicol St., is expected to open in the fall.

The City was one of 48 municipalities which received over $76 million in funding to “combat the impacts of homelessness and keep their communities safe and healthy as they recover from the pandemic.”

The funding must be spent by June 30, 2022.

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spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt