By Ella Matte, contributor
The Sooke Shelter Society says there’s an “urgent need” for $309,400 from city council for their work helping people who are homeless in the 2023 fiscal year and across subsequent years of the district’s five-year financial plan.
The society asked council Monday to also consider a service agreement with it.
Speaking on behalf of the society, Kelly Roth, the executive director of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, shared that “48 per cent of Sooke households spend over 30 per cent of income on rent and utilities and even 28 per cent of households spend 50 per cent of their income on those costs.”
She also said at the meeting, “people are at risk for homelessness just by nature of what it costs.”
One of the ways the society plans on using the funds is to employ outreach case workers, two housing support works and one mental health worker. This request is a part of their three key priorities, which include advocating for stable, long-term funding for their services, creating the community advisory committee, and to build public education, outreach and communications.