The Provincial Homelessness Initiatives Fund (PHIF) was announced in November 1998 and provides 100% funding to municipalities and DSSAB’s to support the development of innovative new approaches to addressing homelessness in their communities.

The PHIF has three clear goals:

ü to help get people off the street
ü to help get people out of the hostel system and into permanent housing
ü to help people at risk of losing permanent housing

Since 1999, the DTSSAB has allocated $5,000/month to the Cochrane-Timiskaming Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, which is used to assist in the funding of the Timiskaming Housing Help Project.

Timiskaming Housing Help Program Description:

As a sponsor of the Housing Help project, the Canadian Mental Health Association, under the direction of the Housing Advisory Committee, will provide an assessment of the present housing conditions throughout Timiskaming and develop a plan of action to provide assistance to vulnerable persons in their efforts to resolve housing crises.

Timiskaming Housing Help Goal:

To prevent homelessness throughout Timiskaming, by supporting the retention of permanent accommodations.

Timiskaming Housing Help Objectives:

• to work in collaboration with existing services and services providers
• to assess the current availability of resources for emergency and permanent accommodations
• to move people off the streets and into emergency accommodations
• to move vulnerable persons from emergency to permanent accommodations
• document the scope and cause of accommodation problems leading to homelessness
• prepare and substantiate recommendations to minimize the incidence of homelessness

Timiskaming Housing Help 2003 Statistics:

To Access Timiskaming Housing Help: