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Affordable Housing Spotlight #4 – Lanark County
Lanark County is the upper tier municipality in our area and plays a different role than us when it comes to affordable housing and social housing. All programs, subsidies and projects relating to social housing is the responsibility of Lanark County. This spotlight will highlight what Lanark County is doing relating to homelessness, next week we will look into social housing projects and programs.
Lanark County is a service manager which means that they are responsible for overseeing subsidized housing, administering homelessness programs and distributing funding from provincial and federal governments.
So what does that mean and what is Lanark County’s doing to help our homeless population?
1. Homelessness programs including studies
Lanark County has in place a 10-year housing and homelessness strategy aiming to improve access to safe and affordable housing for Lanark county residents. This plan includes 5 key areas of focus:
(1) increase the supply of affordable housing;
(2) plan for diverse housing needs, meaning that housing options should be available for all groups of the local population;
(3) stabilize and grow current social housing stock;
(4) making sure that there is support and adequate supply of universal housing
(5) educate the community on local housing needs and provide incentives to build affordable housing.
2. Partnership with Lanark County Mental Health
In 2021, Lanark County entered into an agreement with Lanark County Mental Health (LCMH) for up to $100,000 to employ a registered counsellor/psychotherapist. The position would be an employee of LCMH but would work with county staff to provide support to residents of Lanark County who may require mental health support while dealing with housing uncertainty.
3. By-Name List
The provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has introduced by-name lists across Ontario. It is an ongoing, real-time list of people experiencing homelessness in our community. The by-name list can be used to connect people to a range of housing options and supports. The list will include information about people’s needs to help prioritize and coordinate housing services and supports, and it is updated on a regular basis.
To learn more about Lanark County Social services be sure to check out their website. Next week our spotlight will focus on sustainable housing projects and programs that Lanark County is responsible for and some exciting new projects on the horizon.
