Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, who is also cochair of the coalition, says she truly hopes the city is able to put the funding to work right away.
The Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness says it welcomes the return of the federal government's leadership role on housing and homelessness through the release of the long-awaited National Housing Strategy.
Ian Batey, co-chair of the Victoria organization says it will take a range of ministries at both the federal and provincial levels coming together around community based needs and local opportunities. He says they have a number of local initiatives already underway to hold them over until the federal housing strategy takes shape.
"First of all, the Regional Housing Strategy, last year we rolled out $9 million of new construction for housing specifically focused on individuals who are homeless. We have a request for proposal for that will be going out for Indigenous housing as well as youth housing."
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, who is also co-chair of the coalition, says she truly hopes the city is able to put the funding to work right away.