Imagine a family evicted from their home in small-town Ontario.
They approach the local government-housing agency for assistance.
When asked, they have no nearby relatives or friends that can help.
They are given a tent.
They are told where they cannot camp.
There are told they can use the washrooms at a local organization dedicated to helping homeless people … when it is open.
Does this really happen?
In many small communities in rural Ontario, not only does this happen, it happens every day. Some days the housing agency actually runs out of tents.
There are many reasons why this is an ongoing issue. Until recently, with COVID-19 emergency funding, local governments had money to put individuals and families in need of housing into local hotels for emergency shelter. That program ended when the money ran out. Now the most individuals and families can receive is seven days. This is the situation that existed before the outbreak; however, unlike in 2019, the availability of safe and affordable housing has virtually disappeared.
Before COVID-19, housing prices (though expensive) were within affordable ranges for people on assistance or working in low-income jobs. Today, Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Plan recipients, and people working in low-income positions cannot afford to pay most rents because the cost of a basic one-bedroom apartment exceeds their income. Even the best budgeter can’t make this math work. Years of refusing to pay a living wage and governments failing to index social payments have resulted in situational poverty becoming multigenerational poverty.
Shelters simply do not exist as an option in rural Ontario. Even communities that have shelters struggle because the money used to establish them isn’t enough to staff them. Private-sector homes can be even worse, charging residents the equivalent of 100% of their income, and serving only hotdogs several times a day – many have to visit local community meal programs just to eat properly. In urban centers, because of lack of funding, stories abound of people who are trafficked and assaulted, and who would rather sleep in the park because it’s safer than staying in a shelter.
The media is full of stories of communities evicting ad-hoc encampments of people experiencing homelessness. Subject to theft, eviction without notice, exposure, the lack of proper sanitation, medical care, lack of needed services, and scorn from the people living in the community, many people in this situation resort to hiding and/or moving deeper into isolated locations, further risking their safety.
My coworkers have countless stories of people standing on the side of the road, just recently evicted, with stacks of their belongings around them with no idea of where to go or what to do. People are scared, in shock, alone, and oftentimes not even knowing where to turn for help. People who just weeks or months ago had never imagined this happening to them.
The emotional impact on people who experience this trauma is severe. With few exceptions, individuals and families have to navigate this situation with little assistance, facing stigma and a lack of compassion at almost every turn. The people charged with helping are good, but with their hands tied from a lack of resources or political powers unwilling to address poverty and the lack of affordable and safe housing, they are under almost as much stress as the people experiencing homelessness.
Something needs to happen now – today – and it cannot wait.
The new housing projects announced in Ontario are an example of a good start. The lack of detail and/or the failure to include multi-tier housing and a mix of high and low density is an issue that must be addressed. As is the need for the housing to be affordable not only to just those middle-class people who favor certain political parties at election time. Housing must be affordable for low-income and marginalized people.
In addition, none of the political parties identified who is going to build 1,000,000 houses in ten years. Our region has aging tradespeople and there is not enough capacity to handle the current housing demand, much less the challenge of those additional homes. Nimbyism in rural communities is rampant: voters with homes and businesses need to be educated and their support enlisted for the plan to have any chance of succeeding.
Current emergency housing in some rural communities in five years. FIVE YEARS! For people experiencing homelessness. Currently, if housing is offered to someone, it might be in a community, miles from jobs and daycare. If individuals and families lack transportation and refuse to accept housing, they go to the bottom of the list. How is this fair? In addition, how do we expect people to break free of situational poverty?
We need emergency housing solutions right now, this moment, how can we do that?
We need to look at encampments not as a blight on our community, but as an interim solution for people within this system. The answer isn’t tents: the answer requires innovation, acceptance, and appreciation that whatever solution is implemented, it must be implemented right now. This proposed solution is far from perfect, but it is doable.
We need to utilize government property and create a safe environment for marginalized people. We need to get people out of the elements, have access to proper sanitization, have wrap-around support on-site, include opportunities for safe injection sites for those suffering from addiction, and be safe from trafficking and from harassment.
To do this, communities need to
- Set aside some property with sufficient space to house as many people experiencing homelessness as is required. The site needs to be accessible to transportation, support services, and employment opportunities.
- Since the encampment is meant to be temporary, the real solution is to have sufficient emergency housing to make the encampment eventually unnecessary. Construction of more affordable housing needs to be in the planning and development stages as soon as possible.
- Realizing they are not perfect, however, the 10 x 10 sheds that seem to proliferate everywhere could be the starting point of the encampment. They are sturdy, dry, and very affordable.
- Listen to what those experiencing homelessness say they need.
- Arrange for washrooms and showers to be available 24 x 7 at the site of the municipally run encampment. Portable options are available and should be in sufficient numbers to meet the demands of the people staying in the encampment.
- Arrange for a central food serving facility to provide nutritious meals at an affordable cost or available for those suffering from food insecurity at no charge.
- Arrange for on-site social services at least once per week. In our community, there is a program, which is designed to help people who have been left behind with everything from dental services to help re-obtaining identification.
- For residents with substance issues, a safe injection area along with a safe prescribed supply of drugs is a key component. Drug addictions should be treated as an addiction or health issue, not a criminal issue.
- Upgrade the sheds to include insulation, a micro heater, locks, and an electrical outlet similar to those at campgrounds.
- Instead of evicting or encouraging encampments to disperse, local police departments would provide security, ensure safety, and work with the community.
- A commitment from the local government to find reasonably located housing within twelve months of any client moving into the encampment, with the goal that in ten years the encampment would be removed and no longer required.
Is this a perfect solution? It is not.
Homelessness is a very real problem in our communities.
Homelessness is also much closer to more people than many realize. Take a moment and calculate what would happen to you, your family, and your lifestyle if you suddenly lost your source of income. What if you were suddenly struck by enormous medical bills that were not covered by your health insurance or if you did not have insurance. How many paychecks would you have to lose before you lost your home? This proposal is a very doable solution however, whatever costs might be incurred would be far less than the financial costs we are currently incurring when combined with the systematic poverty crisis that our current methodology is creating.
This solution would require cooperation and coordination from many government departments and social agencies, fortunately, this cooperation is already occurring in many rural communities.
In some ways, this solution is not much better than tents; however, it would be safer, offer better protection, and it would be a much more secure first step than what we are currently doing. We need to offer a hand up and help people realize that where they are now is just one point in the continuum of their life, it is not their final destination.
In addition, it’s not a tent.
We all need to care more and learn more about these issues,
Good luck
Paul.
Itís nearly impossible to find educated people for this topic, but you seem like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks