Government of Canada supports innovative project to address homeless youth

OTTAWA, Oct. 13, 2017 /CNW/ - Far too many young people face homelessness in Canada, including over 25,000 youth who used shelters in 2014. This is why the Government of Canada is supporting the development of new and innovative approaches to reducing youth homelessness through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy's (HPS) Innovative Solutions to Homelessness funding stream, which is delivered nationally.

Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced that the Government is providing $396,896 to HireUp Technology Inc. for their innovative project, HireUp 2.0—a platform which provides employers with the opportunity to connect with and hire youth who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

HireUp 2.0 will not only help over 5,000 vulnerable youth find employment, but also provide social metrics to assess the impact that projects like these have on preventing youth homelessness. The work being done by HireUp Technology Inc. is an excellent example of the innovative projects being undertaken in partnership by the government, not-for-profit and private sectors to address enduring social issues across Canada.

Quick Facts

• To give more Canadians access to housing that is safe, adequate and affordable, Budget 2017 introduced a National Housing Strategy, supported by an investment of more than $11.2 billion over 11 years, starting in 2017–2018. It is expected that this strategy will help thousands of Canadian households in need find adequate, suitable and affordable housing.
• As part of the National Housing Strategy, Budget 2017 announced a total investment of $2.1 billion from 2018–2019 to 2027–2028 to expand and extend funding for the HPS.
• This investment builds on funding provided through Budget 2016 of $111.8 million over two years ($57.9 million in 2016–2017 and $53.9 million in 2017–2018). It is also an addition to the program's existing five-year investment of nearly $600 million over five years (2014−2019).
• Since April 1, 2014, the renewed HPS has helped more than 5,000 Canadians who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless begin education and nearly 5,000 begin job training; more than 10,000 Canadians have received help to find work, half of which began full-time jobs; more than 500 new beds have been created, 50 percent of which were in permanent supportive housing; and the program has helped place over 32,500 people in more stable housing.

Quotes

"The Government of Canada is proud to support organizations like HireUp Technology Inc., which are taking innovative approaches to help reduce youth homelessness. The HireUp 2.0 platform is a great example of how employers can connect with at-risk youth who have boundless potential and talent. Supporting Canada's youth is one of the greatest investments we can make to give more Canadians a real and fair chance to succeed."
– The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

"HireUp exists to support at-risk youth in overcoming barriers to work. With the support of the Government of Canada's Homlessness Partnering Strategy, our platform will ensure at-risk youth are screened into—not out of—employment opportunities and enhance the supports needed to be successful in their lives and in their careers."
– Preston Aitken, Chief Executive Officer, HireUp Technology Inc.

Associated Link

Homelessness Partnering Strategy
Funding: Innovative Solutions to Homelessness

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Backgrounder
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Innovative Solutions to Homelessness funding stream

The Innovative Solutions to Homelessness funding stream is delivered nationally and supports the development of the best innovative approaches to reducing homelessness.

Funding can be used to support activities in three key areas:

• supporting community-based innovative projects to reduce homelessness and/or the cost of homelessness;
• building strategic partnerships with key stakeholders; and
• testing and/or sharing tools, social metrics, and research findings geared towards homelessness.

Homelessness Partnering Strategy

The Homelessness Partnering Strategy is a unique community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness by providing direct support and funding to 61 designated communities in all provinces and territories.

Through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, qualified organizations and other eligible recipients may receive funding for projects to help prevent and reduce homelessness in Canada. These projects are funded through regional and/or national funding streams.

Regional projects

Funding delivered regionally focuses on the needs of homeless and at-risk individuals at the local level, and aims to help individuals gain and maintain a stable living arrangement. The three regional streams are:

• Designated Communities
• Rural and Remote Homelessness (non-designated communities)
• Aboriginal Homelessness

National projects

The national funding streams help develop a better understanding of homelessness based on local data collection, and make surplus federal real properties available to organizations that plan to use the facilities to address homelessness. The three national streams are:

• National Homelessness Information System
• Surplus Federal Real Property Initiative
• Innovative Solutions to Homelessness

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

For further information: Émilie Gauduchon-Campbell, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, 819-654-5546; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [e-mail]

Related Links

https://www.canada.ca