Native affairs minister Geoffrey Kelly announcing an $8.9 million investment into local organizations helping indigenous people living in urban centres.
"If we don't support community groups we end up trying to help homeless people at the two places that cost the most and are the least effective," says Minister Kelly. "That's at an emergency room or at a jail cell."
$5 million has been dog eared for services that will improve psychological, social, educational and cultural health of the indigenous community.
$3.9 million will go towards improve infrastructure at organizations with an mandate that focuses on native and Inuit people.
Adrian Campbell is director of Québec's aboriginal project (PAC), she says getting more outreach onto city streets and setting up shelters where people with substance abuse issues are welcome will make a big difference in the lives of those struggling in cities.
"If we put the emphasis on those types of programs, that can actually start making a difference," she says. "We don't want to simply maintain and deal with basic needs we want to go further than basic needs otherwise you're maintaining people in homelessness."
There's an estimated 40,000 indiginous people living in Quebec urban centres.
The 8.9 million will be doles out to organizations across the province over the next five years.