2024 Annual Report Draft

Strengthening Communities Grant: Responding to homelessness in the Comox Valley

Data from principal partner agencies on grant impacts

Since 2022, the City of Courtenay has adminstered the $1.96 million Strengthening Communities Grant, including securing an additional year of funding to continue delivering essential services through to August 2024. Funded through the Union of BC Municipalities, the grant aimed to provide immediate assistance to individuals without shelter, addressing basic human needs and improving safety and well-being. Funding supported a range of critical services, including: • A temporary emergency warming centre. • A temporary emergency overnight shelter. • A daytime community access hub. • Rural outreach on Denman and Hornby islands. • Peer-led outreach and clean-up services. • Community engagement and anti-stigma initiatives. • Training and capacity-building for municipalities and community organizations. Over the course of three years (2021–2024), these services provided immediate relief and long-term benefits for individuals experiencing homelessness: • 100–150 people received daily access to shelter, food and medical supplies. • 799 responses to toxic drug poisoning were recorded, saving lives. • 48 training sessions were delivered, engaging 910 participants, including frontline workers and staff. • The initiative increased awareness and understanding of homelessness, its root causes and how to reduce stigma. • People with lived or living experience were empowered to share their voices, secure employment, support peers and build connections. The grant also supported policy development within local government and community organizations, leading to lasting, systemic changes that promote long-term solutions to homelessness and better support for vulnerable populations.

Advancing menstrual and

City of Courtenay | 2024 Annual Report

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