“Our government is giving a hand-up to Canadians with housing needs, and is helping those seeking to break free of the cycle of homelessness and poverty here in Burnaby,” said Senator Martin. “Through this investment, Aunt Leah’s Society will be able to continue to provide transitional housing, and expand existing support services, to help young Aboriginal mothers who are homeless or at risk of homelessness achieve independent living.”

Aunt Leah’s Independent Lifeskills Society will receive $666,500 through the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy to purchase a facility, which the Society is currently renting and using for transitional housing. This will provide a safe and engaging place for young Aboriginal mothers who are homeless or vulnerable to homelessness to learn the life skills necessary for their development. An average of eight to ten mothers a year will go through the program offered at Aunt Leah’s House.

“Through the generous financial support of the Government of Canada, Aunt Leah’s has purchased its first House,” said Ms. Gale Stewart, Founder and Executive Director of the Society. “Aunt Leah’s House is a fully licensed program for Aboriginal teen mothers. This purchase will ensure that vulnerable young mothers always have support and a home to return to.”

In September 2008, the Government of Canada announced an investment of $1.9 billion over five years, until 2014, for housing and homelessness programs for low-income Canadians. This commitment gives the Government the flexibility to work with the provinces and territories and municipalities, and with charitable organizations, to develop ways to improve the effectiveness of federal spending in the area of housing and homelessness.

Canada’s Economic Action Plan has built on these investments by making an additional one-time investment of more than $2 billion over two years in new and existing social housing, and by making available up to $2 billion in loans to Canadian municipalities over two years for housing-related infrastructure improvements. The Government’s investments are creating jobs, stimulating local economies and improving the quality of life for many Canadians. To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, please visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

The availability of safe and stable housing and related supports is an important element in addressing homelessness and helping individuals who are homeless achieve greater self-sufficiency and a better quality of life. The Homelessness Partnering Strategy emphasizes longer-term supportive and transitional housing by focusing on a housing-first approach to help people make the transition out of the cycle of homelessness.

For more information on the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/homelessness.