Thursday, February 16, 2012
City provides emergency energy fund for low-income residents
Ottawa – A dip in temperature during the chilly winter months can have the opposite effect on utility bills causing them to rise to a level that adds financial strain to some of the City’s most vulnerable residents.
“The City has committed to providing funding to low-income households faced with the heavy burden of high energy bills,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “This investment will have a real and direct impact on the lives of some of our residents and their families.”
The annual investment of $205,000 will enable the City to help Ottawa residents struggling with energy arrears to remain in their homes. In 2011, the energy fund program assisted more than 200 low-income households. The fund assists residents who are not currently recipients of Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program.
“The City is taking a leadership role in reducing homelessness by implementing real solutions that will improve the lives of many of our residents, while having a positive impact on our entire community,” said Councillor Mark Taylor, Chair of the Community and Protective Services Committee.
The energy fund is a component of the City’s annual $14-million Housing and Homeless Investment Plan, which signifies a historic commitment by the City to improve the quality of life for thousands of Ottawa’s low-income residents through investment in housing and homeless reduction initiatives.
Studies have shown that the costs associated with responding to people who are homeless including emergency, health and justice system services, are two to four times more than the cost of providing individuals and families with housing and support services.
The investments identified in the City’s Housing and Homelessness Investment Plan addresses the social and economic costs associated with homelessness.
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