City of Toronto launches youth violence prevention grant

Mayor John Tory today announced that the City of Toronto will launch a youth violence prevention grant to support the de-escalation of youth violence in Toronto communities. The grant, which was approved by Toronto City Council on February 19, 2020, will see $2 million in funding allocated to community agencies for youth violence prevention projects in nine communities.

The nine communities identified for funding are:
• Mount Olive-Silverstone-Jamestown (Priority: Pittsboro/Orphington)
• Lawrence Heights (Priority: Neptune)
• Regent Park (Priority: Regent Park, St. James Town, Yonge & Gerrard and the Esplanade)
• Flemingdon/Thorncliffe
• Malvern/Morningside/Woburn (Priority: Empiringham, Orton Park, Cedarbrae and Danzig)
• Rexdale/Kingsview Village (Priority: Willowridge, Capri, East Mall and West Mall)
• Dorset Park (Priority: Glenmorgan, Canlish)
• Steeles L’Amoureaux (Priority: Glendower, Bay Mills and Chester Le)
• Oakwood Village (Priority: Eglinton West, Little Jamaica, and Vaughn Road)

To be eligible for a grant, the:
• projects should be aimed at programming that is responsive to violence prevention and intervention for youth ages 10 to 29
• agency must have a proven track record (three or more years) of working with youth most vulnerable to being involved in serious violence and crime
• agency must display success with violence intervention and de-escalation strategies
• lead agency must be a Toronto-based, incorporated for public benefit organization with audited financial statements for the last fiscal year.

Given the complexity of the initiatives, partnership applications are highly encouraged. Applications will be assessed by a combination of City staff and MVP youth (i.e. youth most vulnerable to involvement in serious violence and crime).

Agencies can apply for up to $200,000 for their project. Successful applicants will begin activities in July and should be flexible to adhere to public health guidelines during the pandemic.

To apply, agencies should visit https://s.cotsurvey.chkmkt.com/?e=195072&d=e&h=C15E22B8248DF59&l=en. The deadline to apply is noon on May 25.

Quotes:

“We have worked hard to make sure we are investing in kids and families to address the roots of violence. During our 2020 budget process, Toronto City Council recognized the importance of violence prevention and intervention programming for youth and allocated funding for the City to work with some of the best in this field. The partnerships we establish with these agencies through this funding will be vital to reaching Toronto youth who are most vulnerable to being involved in serious violence and crime.”
– Mayor John Tory

“Diverting vulnerable youth from involvement in violence and serious crime is a critical City priority, especially now when schools are closed and healthy activities are limited due to COVID-19 isolation. Unfortunately, violence and crime tend to rise in the summer months, so it is important to reach as many young people as possible to help set them on a more constructive path. The partnerships with agencies facilitated by this funding will help us make this happen.”
– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson, Scarborough Centre (Ward 21), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit http://www.toronto.ca or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/CityofToronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.

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