New centre for homeless proposed
A place for homeless people to go during the day and get professional help is being explored following a meeting this week called by Mayor Drew Dilkens with police and health care and social service providers.
“One of the things we need to consider is making sure there’s a place for people to go if they have to leave the shelter system during the day so they’re not just wandering the streets with no purpose,” Dilkens said. “When we have a place where they can go, we can then make sure that place has services they need to try to get help.”
The proposed centre would differ from Street Help, the drop-in centre for homeless people on Wyandotte Street, in that it would offer “professional support” that could include psychiatrists and social workers to address mental illness, addiction and the need for a place to live, Dilkens said.
The idea is one of several proposed short-term solutions that could be done “very quickly,” in one to six months, he said.
It hasn’t been determined where it would be or how much it would cost. But it would be a partnership among the city and health care and social service providers.
“It would absolutely require a strong partnership,” Dilkens said.
If the city has a building and believes the centre would “move the needle” on the complex and intractable problem that has grown dramatically over the last two years, it would consider providing the building for the centre, Dilkens said.
“Then I think we could go to city council and say, you all see the problem, you see the shopping carts in the streets, you see the people wandering aimlessly who are obviously suffering from addiction and mental health or both. We need to look at this solution, and it’s going to cost you this much.”
Dilkens has already proposed spending $4.9 million for more police, more cameras and better 911 emergency service to address related rising crime. Asked if he is willing to spend more on needed services for the homeless, many of whom are mentally ill or addicted to drugs, he said, “If it moves the needle, yes.” But treatment for mental illness and addiction is key, and the city will not pay for that because that’s the provincial government’s responsibility, he said. “We’re prepared to do what we can do, what’s reasonably expected from a city,” he said. “I’m not going to say to Premier (Doug) Ford, ‘Don’t worry, we’re going to take matters into our own hands and release you from your obligation.’ ”
Ford has promised $1.9 billion over 10 years for mental health, addiction and housing. Dilkens said he and Police Chief Al Frederick must join Windsor’s hospitals and community agencies to advocate for adequate money for the city. “We need the community together to advocate,” he said. Dilkens also recognized the importance of outreach workers who would work with the proposed centre — despite the fact that city staff recommended hiring three more this year and council approved only one. “What outreach workers are skilful in doing is creating relationships with the people we’re trying to get to,” he said. “Once they have trust built, they’re able to say, ‘We need you to get the help you need and we want to take you there right now.’ ” Council will review the potential need for more outreach workers during 2019 budget deliberations, he said. Other health-care and social service providers are also putting together outreach teams, he said. The city and others need to determine who does what and what’s still needed, he said. “Everyone is trying to do good things for the community and for those who are vulnerable — the city, hospitals, shelters, agencies,” said Dilkens. “Now it’s time for us to look at a different way of working together that would help move the needle even further.” That’s important. Every group could provide more and better services if they had more money. But it doesn’t make sense for multiple organizations to offer similar services in multiple places. It doesn’t make sense to compete for limited resources. And, most important, a maze of services would make it more difficult for people to find help. It won’t be easy, Dilkens acknowledged. There are multiple agencies, each with its own board and mandate and all funded differently, and multiple governments.
But, he said, “what I heard was a willingness among all the parties to figure out how to do that.” There are also programs that aren’t being used and beds that are empty while people sleep on the streets.
“Why, with all the good supports out there, aren’t people taking advantage of the services?” asked Joyce Zuk, executive director of Family Services Windsor-Essex, summarizing another question. “The mayor really pushed us and said, ‘What’s not there that you need?’ ” she said.
She said he wants a strategy “for not only getting people off the street but getting them more mental health and addiction treatment.”
Dilkens agreed more affordable and geared-to-income housing is also key. Another announcement is expected this week about affordable housing. The city will build 150 new units in the east end and look for a developer to build more on Caron Avenue. The measures come after years of growing waiting lists, lack of new social housing and backlogs of repairs to existing stock.
It was the third meeting on the issue in a week. Another is planned in two weeks. Dilkens announced his platform on the issue the day after the first meeting.