The federal funding provided to the region to date, under the reaching home program, has been critical and essential to the entire regional response. This money has supported region-led initiatives, such as expanding the shelter capacity into vacant hotels—and we have just over 350 homeless individuals in hotel rooms right now—and the development and operating costs of isolation and recovery sites in the program. It has also increased outreach into the community to support safe public health practices. It's all made possible through federal investment.
The region has been able to support funding applications from community agencies as well, so that we can work directly with the homeless population for basic needs like food, cleaning services, enhanced staffing requirements, transportation, as well as supporting those women who are in trepidation and in difficult situations at home.
Further funding will allow these regional programs to run until approximately the middle of August. Further to that, we know that the pandemic is not going anywhere anytime soon. Even as we get into recovery, whether these individuals are homeless or are in domestic violence situations, they will need support, whether it's financial support, food support or general well-being support, far longer than when the emergency is declared over. That's where the funding needs to go.