Gun-violence Reduction Initiatives:

• Affordable Housing — The Governments of Canada and Ontario have allocated $402 million under the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program to produce 5,320 new units of affordable housing and provide housing allowances for up to 5,000 lower-income households. 
  
• Better Social Assistance — The 2004 Ontario Budget announced a three per cent rate increase to the basic needs allowance and maximum shelter allowance for individuals and families who rely on social assistance. These are the first increases to social assistance rates since 1993.
• Youth Justice Committees — The Youth Justice Committee program, an alternative to the formal court process that holds low-risk young offenders accountable and addresses issues that may lead to re-offending, has been expanded to a total of 23 communities across the province. The government has also doubled funding for the program over the term of its mandate for further expansion to even more communities in Ontario in the near future.
  
• Community Use of Schools — In the summer of 2004, the Province announced the $20- million Community Use of Schools program. The program encourages increased use of schools by not-for-profit groups at reduced rates to break down financial barriers and to promote participation in a range of community activities (such as recreation and physical activity programs). The Province signed agreements with all of Ontario's 72 school boards. It is expected that new agreements will be developed and signed for the 2005-06 school year.
  
• Domestic Violence Action Plan — The government is investing $66 million over four years in programs and services related to addressing domestic violence, including education and training, more money for supports for shelters and second-stage housing, counselling, prevention and strengthening the justice system response.
  
• Safe Schools Action Team — The McGuinty government has appointed a special Safe Schools Action Team to implement new measures to protect students. These measures include province-wide school safety audits, funding for new security devices, creating a bullying prevention program in all schools, bullying prevention training for principals and reviewing the Safe Schools Act. The Elementary and Secondary curriculum includes teaching students social skills and equipping them with knowledge about how to resolve conflict peacefully.
  
• Investing in Sport and Recreation — In 2004 the government launched ACTIVE2010 Ontario's Strategy for Sport and Physical Activity. Funding components include: $12 million in funding to provincial and community sport and $5 million for the Communities in Action Fund, which supports physical activity, local sport and recreation initiatives . These programs also help remove barriers that prevent people, such as low income children, from participating in sport and recreation programs. In addition, a $1 million youth sports campaign known as "Pause to Play" was launched in November 2004 to encourage children and youth to "pause" their video games etc. and go out and play.
  
• Pre-Apprenticeship Programs for At-Risk Youth — Approximately 100 at-risk youth will learn practical skills that will help them find gainful employment.
  
• Project PEACE — The Ontario government provides funding for the Toronto Police Services' "Project PEACE" which is working with young people and the community to directly target the problem of gun violence.
  
• Youth-at-risk Summer Job Initiative — In 2005, the government provided the City of Toronto with $500,000 for a second consecutive year for its Jobs-For-Youth program to help about 300 youth from "high-risk" neighbourhoods get summer jobs.
  
• Learning to 18 — The government launched a $1.3 billion Student Success Strategy to improve high school achievement and dramatically reduce the unacceptably high drop-out rate. It included the introduction of legislation that would ensure students keep credits learning to age 18 or graduation, a Specialist High-Skills Major within the high school diploma, dual credits through apprenticeship training and postsecondary courses and expanded co-operative education choices. As a part of the strategy, students are also benefiting from new dedicated student success teachers and board-wide student success leaders, innovative lighthouse programs, class size limits in key courses and upgraded technological education facilities.