TIMMINS - A conversation about homelessness funding turned heated, as board members debated whether money is being used effectively to address the region’s housing crisis.
At the June 19 Cochrane District Services Board (CDSB) meeting, there were a couple of items related to homelessness on the agenda. They gave an update on the Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) funding allocation breakdown and impact in 2024 and Reaching Home Funding for 2025-2026.
A flurry of questions, concerns over too many being asked, and discussion between board members led to a heated exchange.
Timmins Coun. Bill Gvozdanovic led the discussion by questioning the impact of the more than $5.7 million in provincial HPP funding allocated in 2024.
“It’s a massive amount of money, and something’s not working,” he said.
“We see so much suffering out there in the community. And I don’t think just throwing money at these issues is the answer.”
Gvozdanovic questioned whether the existing structure for housing — which includes clients being placed in a mix of privately rented and CDSB-owned units — is sustainable or effective. Instead, he proposed exploring a centralized transitional housing model to concentrate resources and support workers in one location.
“If we can't support people, are these programs really successful?” he questioned at the meeting. “If they’re not successful, why are we continuing to rent units out and they’re getting demolished?”
Tensions rose when Gvozdanovic requested a more detailed breakdown of housing unit repairs and damages, including how many units were involved and the associated costs. CDSB Chair and Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau urged caution, asking him to clarify the intent of the request before adding work for staff.
“There are a lot of supports that the CDSB isn't in the business of directly delivering,” she said, noting that many services are carried out by partner organizations.
Gvozdanovic clarified he wasn’t assigning blame, but wanted to assess whether the current model is still viable. Fellow Timmins Coun. John Curley said he would also like to see the numbers.
In regards to the Reaching Home funding, Timmins Coun. Lorne Feldman asked Gvozdanovic to clarify whether he believed the issue was the amount of money or how it's being spent.
Before the conversation could continue, Boileau interjected to say the discussion had strayed from the purpose of the report before the board.
“This isn’t CDSB business,” she said. “Now we’re just discussing each other’s opinions ... I would really encourage that this conversation happen outside of this board meeting.”
Gvozdanovic raised a point of order, objecting to being cut off.
“For you to say that him and I can go sit in my backyard — we’re elected officials,” he said.
Boileau stood by her decision to move on. Gvozdanovic appealed the ruling, but the majority of board members voted against allowing the debate to continue.
A look at the funding
The province has committed $11.6 million in HPP funding to the Cochrane District over three years. In 2024, more than $5.7 million was distributed across four service pillars and 11 organizations.
As of June 2025, 123 households are receiving monthly rental subsidies through the HPP program, costing roughly $66,265 per month.
The report also highlights that all four service pillars exceeded their projected reach. Emergency shelter use in 2024, for example, was estimated at 225 households, but ended up serving 764.
In addition to the $250,000 spent this year on unit repairs (some carried over from 2023), another $90,000 was allocated to the now-completed Neighbourhood Liaison Group, a follow-up to the Living Space shelter relocation review.
Gvozdanovic warned the region is running out of rental units and doesn’t have enough trained workers to meet the need for intensive supports.
“We're running out of units to rent,” he said. “And we also don't have the support workers to support people that need intensive supports.”
Reaching Home is part of Canada’s national homelessness strategy and supports real-time data collection, coordinated intake, and a housing-first approach.
For the upcoming year, the proposed Reaching Home allocations are:
- $775,669 for Living Space
- $169,560 for CDSB
- $107,131 for administrative costs
- Total: $1,052,360
Overall, the federal government has committed more than $4.7 million in Reaching Home funding to the Cochrane District from 2024 to 2028.
Gvozdanovic said it’s time to evaluate whether the system is producing results.
“This is a collective kind of thing that’s going on in the community,” he said. “If it’s not being successful, then we have to rethink it and say, what’s our best possibility?”
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