Q & A: What's happened to the $25M donated to help crush London's homeless crisis?

City politicians approved just under $270,000 to extend several drop-in programs for London's most vulnerable at a committee meeting Tuesday, funding that would allow the services to serve people for two extra months. 

The money is set to go to London Cares, at 602 Queen's Ave., which is at risk of closing daytime showers, laundry, washrooms and other basic needs at the end of the month. Safe Space, at 279 Dundas St., is also earmarked for additional funding to continue providing overnight drop-in spaces for women into the spring. 

This was all part of the city's temporary winter shelter service, put in place while agencies continue to set up hubs and supportive housing for the most high-needs individuals who live on London's streets. And the money is there to do it.

In January 2023, an anonymous donor gave the city $25 million, vowing to match any funds raised up to an additional $5 million, to create permanent places where people experiencing homelessness and mental health struggles can get help that will eventually help them find a steady place to live. 

Administered by the London Community Foundation, the Fund for Change has raised an additional $4.1 million from Londoners, matched dollar-for-dollar by the anonymous donor. About $4 million of the fund has been spent on two hubs, one near Parkwood Hospital run by Atlohsa Family Healting Services and the other run by Youth Opportunities Unlimited. 

CBC asked Diane Silva, the foundation's director of philanthropy, for an update on the donation and the hubs. 

Q: It's been just over a year since the money was donated. What's happened so far? 

A: The money has already started working. Atlohsa is providing an Indigenous hub services and YOU has two locations working as hubs (six beds so far). We gave them capital dollars, to help them retrofit their spaces, get the beds they need, the equipment that goes into the hubs. 

When you're dealing with people who have been chronically homeless and have been living rough, they have complex needs and you have to provide comprehensive services to help them, everything from medical care, food, all the wrap-around services, they need, all in one place, and those hubs are doing that. 

Q: Why can't you build a giant hub to help all the people at once? 

A: There are 600-plus people who are considered high acuity. For the safety of the clients being serviced, and the people that are providing the care, they want to keep things small. Keeping it small is very intentional. 

Q: Atlohsa was already using the Parkwood site. How is this different? 

A: Atlohsa was providing winter response and homelessness initiatives, but they weren't using the space fully. The missing factor was the medical care, which wasn't integrated into the system. Now they have a medical clinic that's been developed on that site, plus 10 individual rooms for high acuity people so they can live in their own rooms, not the open concept space. Plus they have 12 homes that are more like trailers, and those serve as transitional beds. 

Q: A third hub was supposed to open but didn't. The goal was to have five hubs operating by the end of 2023. How many do you hope to have up and running by the end of 2024? 

A: We know that the Canadian Mental Health Association is actively looking for a location and they're still committed to delivering the services for women and female-identifying individuals. In the meantime, there are other agencies in the process of exploring if they can come forward with another hub. 

At the same time, there are a lot of partnerships being established to offer highly supportive housing. It's being kept quiet because there's nothing to announce, but there will be. If a group is ready to come forward to propose a hub, there's a process that's been established that starts with the city to make sure there's capacity, that there are operating dollars, zoning, building permits, and then it eventually comes to us for the capital component. 

It would be great if we could get three more hubs done by the end of this year, at a minimum. Then, with more supportive housing coming online, people can transition out of the hubs and into supportive housing. 

Q: Has any of the Fund for Change money gone to supportive housing? 

A: Not yet. There were funds already available and being used at Thompson Road (44 units) and at the House of Hope (25 units). 

Q: Anything else you want Londoners to know about the money and the hubs? 

A: It's normal for things to take time and I hope that the community is patient. There is a tremendous amount of work being done behind the scenes. It gives us hope that things are going to happen, and fairly quickly, but it's not a magic wand-type situation. Rest assured, the funds are lined up and ready to go.