Community

CHILDREN'S SERVICES - Click to learn more!

Early Years and Child Care plays a vital role in a child's development, as well as supporting families and caregivers. Hastings County believes in the importance of investing in safe, inclusive, affordable, high-quality licensed child care, and ensuring access to Child Care and Early Years services to support the well-being of children and families within Hastings County.

HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION - Click to learn more!

Homelessness describes the situation of an individual, family or community without stable, safe, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it. Homelessness is the result of systemic or societal barriers, a lack of affordable and appropriate housing, the individual/household’s financial, mental, cognitive, behavioural or physical challenges, and/or racism and discrimination. Most people do not choose to be homeless, and the experience is generally negative, unpleasant, unhealthy, unsafe, stressful and distressing. Homelessness describes a range of housing and shelter circumstances, with people being without any shelter at one end, and being insecurely housed at the other.

In Hastings County we are striving to provide quality homelessness programming and response. With the Coordinated Access System, the BY-Name List, the Community Response Program and the support of The Canadian Alliance to end Homelessness and community partners, together we will work to reduce chronic homelessness in our Community.

HOUSING SERVICES - Click to learn more!

As the Service Manager for the housing system under the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH), Hastings County is responsible for ensuring individuals have access to adequate, appropriate, and affordable housing that meets their needs. Through a combination of rent-geared-to-income units, rent supplements, housing allowances, non-profit/cooperative housing partnerships and affordable housing developments, Hastings County supports the 14 member municipalities and the two (2) separated cities of Belleville and Quinte West.

INCOME AND STABILITY SUPPORTS (ONTARIO WORKS) - Click to learn more!

The Ontario Works Program (OW) supports individuals and families in need of temporary financial assistance while they pursue sustainable employment and achieve self-reliance through the provision of effective, integrated employment services and financial assistance. This may also include providing assistance while they apply for other types of government income.
Basic financial assistance includes;

• Income assistance provided for the purposes of basic needs and shelter
• Benefits as prescribed in the regulations
• Emergency assistance provided to help with basic needs and shelter on an emergency basis