Niagara Prosperity Initiative Funding Areas for 2025

Niagara Region has targeted six projects for investment in this round of funding. These projects will help implement the areas of focus outlined in the Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy. They are based on local needs and best or promising practices.

  • Project 1: Indigenous well-being

    Develop a strategy for Indigenous specific poverty reduction initiatives

    Poverty Reduction Strategy recommendation

    • Indigenous community to develop a strategy for Indigenous specific poverty reduction initiatives

    Issues identified

    Prosperity for Indigenous peoples in Niagara will need a deep understanding of Indigenous history and culture to incorporate the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional well-being of the individual, family and both human and non-human communities simultaneously.

    It is well established that existing systems perpetuate colonization and racism, and that many of them fail to support Indigenous peoples.

    Most Indigenous people who responded to a survey that asked, "what do you believe is Indigenous Prosperity?" identified that community development, Indigenous identity, culture and self-determination were essential components of prosperity.

    Respondents talked about the need to improve on services that impact the education, health, housing, income and safety of Indigenous peoples. Not only are more services needed, but we also need to address how we deliver these services. Mainstream services need to be respectful of Indigenous cultural practices and social values of the Indigenous community.

    Service description

    This project will invest in the creation of a poverty reduction strategy where the Indigenous community comes up with solutions and determines its own future based on its specific needs and priorities.

    This includes the many aspects of Indigenous well-being such as income, culture, community belongingness, social ties, and participation in traditional land and use activities.

    Agency's key activities

    • Coordinate and facilitate creation of a strategy for Indigenous specific poverty reduction initiatives. Year one could include proof of concept and Years two to three could include implementation.
    • Use a community driven process to engage First Nations, Metis and Inuit from across Niagara
    • Implement programs that use a holistic model of well-being that envisions balance among spiritual, physical, emotional and cognitive dimensions of experience at the individual, community and natural world levels across time
    • Be within an Indigenous agency and work in partnership with Indigenous community and leaders

    Intended outcomes

    • Strategy created with extensive community engagement
    • Strategy funded with intent to decrease the number and percentage of Indigenous peoples who live in poverty. Specific measures of success to be determined by / with Indigenous leaders.

    Resources

    • Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy pages 7, 11, 14, 30 and 35
  • Project 2: Mental health and addiction (social assistance)

    Provide mental health and addiction supports for individuals on social assistance or those experiencing homelessness

    Poverty Reduction Strategy recommendation

    • Enhance core service capacity and offer a choice of timely, early recovery interventions and treatments for people who are living in poverty

    Issues identified

    The stress of not having enough money, and being in a constant state of survival and hopelessness about living in poverty, can lead to anxiety, depression and thoughts of suicide.

    To address the effects of poverty, residents and service providers emphasized the need for mental health and addiction treatment supports within a better coordinated system of care. These supports need to address social determinants of health that are the root causes and stressors for people living in poverty or at risk of poverty, such as housing, transportation and income.

    Service description

    This project will provide mental health and addiction supports for individuals on social assistance or those experiencing homelessness. This project will help people complete documentation required for application to the Ontario Disability Support Program.

    Agency's key activities

    • Address barriers of Ontario Works and homeless clients experiencing mental health and addiction issues in accessing screening, assessment and referrals to access appropriate support and treatment services
    • Provide Ontario Works clients access to a health care provider who can complete necessary forms for application to the Ontario Disability Support Program when needed
    • Provide individuals access to legal representation to appeal decisions of ineligibility for the Ontario Disability Support Program
    • Be connected and part of a coordinated access system where multiple staff can ensure coordinated service
    • Be part of the Niagara Ontario Health Team's Mental Health and Addiction Working Group - Case Management Sub Committee working on collaborative intake pilot

    Intended outcomes

    • Improve access to a full range of appropriate treatment options within the mental health and addiction system
    • Work within the mental health and addiction system to eliminate the potential for "single point failures", such as instances where if an employee leaves, a client receives no service
    • Track the overall needs of clients as part of the system transformation work being done by the Mental Health and Addiction Working Group of the Niagara Ontario Health Team
    • Reduce barriers to access Ontario Disability Support Program

    Resources

  • Project 3: Mental health and addiction (situation tables)

    Provide supports for individuals referred to Niagara Situation Tables who need mental health or addiction support

    Poverty Reduction Strategy recommendation

    • Enhance core service capacity and offer a choice of timely, early recovery interventions and treatments for people who are living in poverty or at risk of poverty

    Issues identified

    Niagara's Situation Table brings together service providers from a variety of sectors to reduce risk before an incident of harm or victimization occurs.

    Situation Table members have identified an increase in acutely elevated risk situations, and a lack of appropriate supports and services to address acute needs and provide appropriate treatment for mental health and addiction issues.

    Examples of other risk factors identified during Situation Table case presentations include basic needs and poverty. This further highlights the intersectionality between poverty and mental health and addiction.

    Service description

    This project will help de-escalate situations to prevent crisis related to mental health and addiction issues. It will improve client outcomes by providing immediate outreach, stabilization and connection to treatment.

    Agency's key activities

    • Establish a staffing competency to participate as a table representative at table meetings and provide assertive outreach to onboard clients to their respective agency
    • Provide access to stabilization services, case management and implementation of appropriate treatment for individuals identified through Situation Tables experiencing mental health and addiction challenges
    • Provide community assessment to determine links to appropriate community services and prepare individuals for appropriate long-term treatment services
    • Be within an agency who has or plans to onboard to Niagara Situation Tables

    Intended outcomes

    • Improve access to treatment for mental health and addition issues
    • Improve connections to community-based services and supports

    Resources

  • Project 4: Income and employment

    Increase opportunities for decent work, living wage employment and financial empowerment initiatives

    Poverty Reduction Strategy recommendations

    • Increase opportunities for living wage employment in Niagara and advocate for adequate, liveable rates from government income assistance programs
    • Promote and develop decent work opportunities that provide fair wages and benefits and foster stable, consistent and safe employment

    Issues identified

    Residents pointed to income as the primary determinant of poverty.

    More and more people are working for low wages in precarious and unsafe jobs. They face impossible choices - buy food or heat the house, feed their children or pay the rent. The result can be spiralling debt, constant anxiety and long-term health problems.

    Service description

    This project will provide financial empowerment services to build the financial stability and health of people living in poverty and connect them to income benefits they are eligible for, but not receiving.

    In addition, this project will support full coordination of the living wage program and efforts to increase the number of employers providing decent work opportunities.

    Agency's key activities

    • Establish staffing competency for program coordination and facilitation (staff need experience in social marketing and community engagement)
    • Build relationships with private sector, non-profit and public sector businesses, including facilitation of business engagement tables
    • Expand the living wage program
    • Work with Prosper Canada and local services providers on a local plan to scale up and sustain financial empowerment initiatives which may include identification clinics, one-on-one financial coaching and problem-solving to help with budgeting, basic banking, debt management, credit repair, RESP and Canada Learning Bond enrolment, and saving and year-round tax filing support and benefit screening and assistance
    • Build partnerships and capacity in rural and Indigenous communities and generate insights and advice that financial institutions and service providers can use to remove barriers and build financial inclusion

    Intended outcomes

    • Decrease the number and percentage of people who work but still live in poverty
    • Increase access to financial empowerment services
    • Increase money recovered from tax filling
    • Increase the number of workplaces offering living wage and decent work

    Resources

  • Project 5: Housing and early child development

    Provide housing stability services for survivors of domestic violence and their children

    Poverty Reduction Strategy recommendations

    • Provide housing stability services for people living in poverty to maintain their current housing, prevent eviction, improve social inclusion and access income through periods of financial instability
    • Improve access to affordable, high-quality child care for families living in poverty or at risk of poverty

    Issues identified

    Emergency shelters and transitional housing provide a necessary place for survivors and their children escaping gender-based violence. In Niagara, there is a service gap in after-care for survivors who transition out of shelter.

    Statistics Canada determines that about one in five individuals who transition out of service will return to live with their abuser. Community-based interventions and supports have been found to be successful in reducing intimate partner violence and helping children cope adequately with the negative effects of witnessing intimate personal violence.

    Service description

    This project will provide ongoing community-based support for survivors of domestic violence and their children who have transitioned out of shelter.

    It will provide support to newly housed individuals by helping survivors and their children maintain their housing and integrate into their community.

    Agency's key activities

    • Establish a complement of after-care advocates for survivors of domestic violence and their children leaving shelter
    • Establish relationships and referral pathways with agencies that work with survivors and their children who are no longer in a shelter
    • Facilitate supports including a range of evidence-based therapeutic interventions conducted by licensed mental health providers. For example, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy, interventions that address struggles related to the relationship between the child and their non-abusive parent or caregiver and interventions for children of survivors that ensure their needs around recreation, social supports and material goods are met.
    • Provide supports such as regular visits, rent subsidies, transit support, furniture supports, accessing income assistance and medical services, parenting support, returning to school or work, accessing legal advice if required for custody and accessing high-quality child care

    Intended outcomes

    • Improve connections to community-based services and supports
    • Increase access to housing and retention of housing
    • Reduce returns to abusive relationships
    • Reduce negative impact of adverse childhood experiences

    Resources

  • Project 6: Food security

    Improve access to fresh, culturally appropriate, affordable and nutritious foods

    Poverty Reduction Strategy recommendation

    • Improve access to fresh, culturally appropriate, affordable and nutritious foods through income-based solutions to food insecurity

    Issues identified

    Household food insecurity can take a toll on health and well-being.

    With the cost of living exponentially increasing and incomes largely staying the same, an increasing number of residents are having to choose between paying their bills or purchasing groceries.

    Service description

    This project will increase access to culturally appropriate, affordable and nutritious foods for individuals living in poverty, while supporting local farmers and businesses and the sustainability of local food supplies.

    Agency's key activities

    • Provide food for individuals and families who are living in poverty in geographic areas within the region of Niagara that have limited access to nutritious foods and have transportation barriers
    • Purchase materials or capital required to enhance capacity and infrastructure for perishable food recovery and access to food year-round
    • Creation of opportunities for coordination and collaboration on advocacy and service provision that strive to improve food access for individuals and families in Niagara
    • Include opportunities for participants to increase social connectivity and inclusion, and build social capital
    • Collaborate with community partners from various sectors, in particular racialized and Indigenous communities, to determine local priorities co-design solutions and co-implement action to address food insecurity
    • Be an active and constructive contributor to Niagara's network of agencies working to reduce the harms of food insecurity

    Intended outcomes

    • Reduce the long-term harm of food insecurity
    • Decrease the number and percentage of people who live in food insecure households
    • Increase access to affordable, sufficient, safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food in prioritized neighbourhoods
    • Increase capacity and infrastructure for perishable food recovery and access to food year-round

    Resources

Email questions to endpoverty@niagararegion.ca. Staff will collect questions and respond to them during information sessions in September when the grant program opens.

Page Feedback Did you find what you were looking for today?