Truly honoured

The Milton Transitional Housing summer newsletter included a great compliment about this blog. Thank you MTH.

JOHN’S BLOG: One gem that continues to provide information about the housing sector and MTH in particular is Milton Transitional Housing’s blog written by one of the organizations founders, John Gregory. The blog can be found at http://www.miltontransitionalhousing.ca/MTHBlog.aspx or http://homelessinmiltonontario.blogspot.ca

I am sure many of you understand the history behind this blog, which since it started in 2008 and which has now had almost 29,000 views. So to all of you, a big thank you.

Here is the first ever bog post:

Saturday, September 27, 2008
Canadian Champion Sept 12
The front page story of the Canadian Champion on September 12, 2008 was titled "Homelessness on the rise". It was a special to the Champion by Ryan Bolton. Under the front page photograph reads "With Halton's homeless population on the rise, a lack of shelters in the region is forcing many to seek a place to sleep in cities such as Hamilton, Mississauga and Toronto". Visit www.miltoncanadianchampion.com. Well done Champion and Ryan for printing this article on the front page.

MTH has a $218,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant!

This fabulous news arrived in early April and we announced it at the Empty Bowls Soup Lunch on April 19. The grant will cover a period of three years and will cover about 30% of our annual operating budget each year.

What does this mean for MTH?
MORE HOUSING UNITS:
OTF granted this funding to allow MTH to grow from three to ten supported housing units by the end of 2018. The plan is to add two new units in each of 2015, 2016 and 2017, and a final one in 2018. MTH has already contracted to add a fourth unit this summer and expect to add the fifth in the fall.

EXPANDING SERVICE:
This funding will also pay for the first year of our Case Manager(s) salary to support the participants who will join MTH’s program in the new units in their journey “from HOPE to HOME”. The screening for a new participant / participant family for the fourth unit coming online is already in progress.

GROWING THE ORGANIZATION:
The OTF funding will also provide seed funding to hire a half-time Program Manager who will oversee the participant part of MTH’s program. This will free up Donna to build the organization and look for the new sources of funding that will be necessary to support ten units long-term. The funding will also allow MTH to contract for a quarter-time bookkeeper / administrative assistant to help keep the organization running smoothly.

RAISING AWARENESS:
Finally, OTF recognizes the need for MTH to raise the awareness of Milton / Halton residents surrounding the problem of homelessness and a publicity strategy is currently being developed to accomplish this goal.

1st Habitat for Humanity rises in Milton

I was delighted to see the new and first Habitat for Humanity house going up in Milton off Bronte Street South.

It is great to see another family being provided a helping hand of a different sort. It marks an important milestone for another housing project partner, Habitat for Humanity. We will keep you posted.