An update on the City of Hamilton’s Hostels to Homes Pilot from Joe-Anne Priel, the General Manager of the Community Services Department, which was provided to the Chair and Members of the Emergency & Community Services Committee of the City of Hamilton.
In May 2007, the City of Hamilton launched the provincially directed Hostels to Homes (H2H) Pilot, a collaborative effort with existing emergency hostels to reinvest community resources to support chronic hostel residents as they move along the housing continuum. Through this initial phase of the Pilot, Hamilton had the capacity to help 80 individuals on Ontario Works (OW) find safe, affordable housing and to provide them with the supports necessary to sustain that housing. In July 2008, the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) approved Phase 2, which will enable Hamilton to house and provide supports to another 40 individuals.