Three Newmarket and Aurora community agencies have been awarded provincial funding to help maintain, repair or renovate their facilities.
Kevin Place’s shelter for at-risk youth on Gorham Street, one of three emergency housing locations run by Blue Door Shelters, served as the backdrop for the Feb. 7 announcement that saw Newmarket-Aurora MPP Christine Elliott and Jill Dunlop, associate minister for children and women’s issues, announce a total of $334,000 for the local organizations.
The funding, delivered annually through Ontario’s children, community and social services ministry and known as the partner facility renewal program, will this year see $11.5 million distributed among 124 community agencies to complete more than 350 projects.
Kevin’s Place will receive $134,400 that will be used to replace its fire escape, Community Living Newmarket Aurora will use its $6,000 to install a security system at its renovated Penrose Street building, and Yellow Brick House will upgrade the HVAC system at its local facility, make kitchen repairs, and conduct an audit to prepare for compliance with accessibility standards that will be mandatory by 2025 with its $194,000 in funding.
The ministry provides minor capital funding to agencies to help repair, renovate or upgrade facilities to ensure they are accessible and safe.
Blue Door CEO Michael Braithwaite welcomed the funding and said it will ensure the youth shelter’s safety plan is in place.
“Blue Door is focused on affordable supportive housing for individuals, and last year we supported more than 400 individuals in finding housing in the community, including families, youth and men at Porter Place,” Braithwaite said. “Beyond that, our No. 1 goal always is keeping our staff, our clients and our volunteers safe. Safety is paramount. Yes, you want affordable supportive housing, but it has to be safe housing, and that’s why this announcement today is so amazing for us.”
Community Living Newmarket Aurora District has since 1954 supported people with different intellectual abilities. Yellow Brick House provides emergency housing, counselling and crisis services to abused women and their children.
Dunlop took a tour of Kevin’s Place before the announcement.
“The wide variety of services offered here helps people transition to permanent housing and to move on with their lives,” she said, noting the key role agencies such as Blue Door play in strengthening communities. “Repairs that make buildings safe and sound for years to come lets community agencies focus on giving people the support they need.”
Elliott said that Blue Door is a critical part of the support network for at-risk youth in York Region.
“Everyone needs a place to call home,” said Elliott. “So many individual lives have been turned around with the counselling, wisdom and warm welcome that they received at Kevin’s Place.”
The Ontario government’s 2019-2020 investment of $11.5 million to help agencies provincewide maintain and upgrade their buildings falls below the 2014-2015 funding envelope of $12.2 million.
In 2017-2018, about $16 million was set aside for facility repairs and renovations at Ontario’s community agencies.
