The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), Comox Valley Coalition to End Homelessness (CVCEH), and the City of Courtenay have received more than $1 million in grant funding to help offer support for people experiencing homelessness.
The money is being distributed by the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) on behalf of the province and the federal government.
The CVCEH plans to use the funding to hire more community outreach workers, build another emergency overnight shelter, increase awareness about homelessness, and help train government workers who provide frontline services.
The CVCEH also hopes to expand the capacity of Connect, which is a program that provides a safe space for individuals who are homeless.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant funding as it will help address the urgent and immediate needs of our community’s unsheltered homeless population and the related community health and safety challenges that we continue to face,” said CVRD board chair Jesse Ketler. “By working in partnership with the City of Courtenay and the Coalition to End Homelessness, we hope to strengthen our available supports and connections within the Comox Valley.”