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Abbotsford council to receive homelessness update

City has launched new referral program in recent weeks
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Council will get an update this afternoon on the first weeks of implementation of a long-awaited program to address homelessness in Abbotsford.

The co-ordinated intake and referral program – a project that hopes to provide a cleaner, more seamless connection to resources for men and women without homes – has begun operation. That project, which was made possible by around $400,000 of funding from the federal government more than two years ago, is one of a few different initiatives in the city pipeline to address the growing homeless population in the city.

The city has also commissioned a housing demand analysis, will be updating its affordable housing strategy, and developing a new harm reduction strategy.

It’s hoped the housing demand analysis could help Abbotsford get its share of federal funds when the Government’s new Homelessness Partnering Strategy agreements are signed in 2019.

Council will receive an overview of the most recent activities from housing and homelessness co-ordinator Dena Kae Beno today at noon in a committee of the whole meeting. That meeting is open to the public and held on the fifth floor of city hall.