Richmond awarded funding to support Homelessness Action Plan


18 August 2021

The City of Richmond has received $3.3 million from the BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs to support strategies in the City’s 2021 Homelessness Action Plan in Response to COVID-19 and residents living without permanent shelter.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in our city and throughout the province, and our vulnerable populations have often experienced the most severe impacts,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “This funding will help address COVID-19-related health and safety risks for homeless residents, as well as advance several key initiatives in our comprehensive Homelessness Action Plan.”

This one-time funding is distributed through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities’ Strengthening Communities’ Services Program which provides local governments and modern Treaty Nations additional capacity to address the impact of homelessness and keep communities safe and healthy as they recover from the pandemic.

Some of the key initiatives this funding will support in Richmond include:

  • Enhanced community awareness and engagement about the needs of people experiencing homelessness as part of the City’s ongoing commitment to reduce stigma and improve understanding.
  • A new training program that will enable City staff to better respond to the needs of Richmond residents experiencing homelessness.
  • A food outreach initiative that will supplement existing food delivery resources for people experiencing homelessness so they can have regular access to nutrition and social connections.
  • Enhanced mental and physical health supports for Richmond residents experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Several of the initiatives will enhance existing partnerships with local service providers such as Vancouver Coastal Health, The Salvation Army and Turning Point Recovery Society. With these additional resources and the assistance from non-profit partners in the community, residents will be able to receive more of the supports they need to transition out of homelessness.

For more information on the City of Richmond’s Homelessness Strategy (2019-2029), visit www.richmond.ca/services/communitysocialdev/homelessness/hlstrategy.