GuelphToday received the following letter about the complexities of homelessness.
Guelph Tiny Homes Coalition, comprised of concerned community members and endorsed by committed local professional health care and wellness partners (CMHA, Stonehenge, GGH) presented their initiative to a special meeting of Guelph city council. Very personal stories were shared by resident families impacted by the effects of homelessness.
The nine delegations presented an articulate case city hall could understand. Safety, stability and access to support service providers and partners, cost savings providing assistance to people in a single location, similar models employed successfully in other like-minded cities, dealing with complexities associated with today’s homeless were all addressed by delegations.
Incongruous references and implications to force-fit a solution into an existing ‘Housing Continuum”, which is clearly broken and outdated, by Councilors Downer and O’Rourke indicates a lack of awareness or understanding of what the community requires.
The GTHC evolved from frustration with bureaucratic and jurisdictional red-tape and infighting. GTHC has presented a tested and endorsed solution, with substantial private funding, of socially responsible temporary shelters to assist our homeless heal, re-group and hopefully regain the dignity required to become active and contributing members of society again.
Homelessness is not going to leave our communities soon. Mental health, addiction and generational poverty are crippling barriers to overcome and a combination of these and other traumas add complexities only our front line social service workers see daily. Before the winter arrives when the resources of the police, fire, EMS, mental health, community out-reach, hospitals and myriad aspects of our social net are challenged by dispersed encampments, city hall needs to react.
There are many unanswerable challenges to this project, as indicated by Jeff Willmer of A Better Tent City, in Kitchener, where they provide temporary homes to 50 people In 2020. The Project Charter of GTHC outlines a project plan that has allowance for adaptation, change, and risk mitigation strategies. It is a work in progress and will adapt to social needs. But, they need somewhere to start – a location!
There is anthropologic indication the caveman exhibited responsibility and care for the weakest members of their groups. It is comforting to know we have mayoral, premier and prime ministerial platitudes and banalities, but our community needs action. The unanimous “in principle” vote on the resolution of June 16th is not good enough. GTHC requires a temporary location, flexibility in by-laws and line-item financial support for this on-going problem.
As a community, we should insist the right response, not the political response, is accomplished. Guelph mayoralty and councillors can learn a lesson or two from the cavemen.
Christopher Henry
Guelph
