City Council has chosen Mushkegowuk Fire Keeper Patrol to lead a pilot project for outreach services starting later this month.
The project is designed to provide an enhanced level of community outreach for people who are experiencing homelessness and sleeping outdoors. The $260,083 cost is being recovered from the City’s portion of the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT), with the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB) contributing $125,000 towards the project.
“This pilot project will fill a critical gap in outreach needed for unsheltered community members,” said Mayor Michelle Boileau. “Mushkegowuk Fire Keeper Patrol is a highly skilled team dedicated to connecting individuals with housing and well-being supports. The level of outreach provided is culturally-appropriate, bringing an Indigenous lens and perspective, with traditional culture values and teachings.”
The City’s outreach services connect individuals with housing and other wellbeing supports in order to move them off the street, out of encampments, or couch surfing into long-term
stable housing. The City recently formalized an encampment protocol to prioritize outreach as a first step to ensuring that individuals in encampments have access to safe, indoor spaces and essential supports.
Outreach services will be offered daily between 4:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m., 365 days per year. This is a 12-month long pilot project.