The homeless need real homes
To be homeless in Waterloo Region in summer is to endure discomfort and distress.
To be homeless in Waterloo Region in winter is to face, in addition, frostbite, hypothermia and possible death from extreme cold.
When temperatures plunge below freezing, the people sleeping outdoors can also freeze.
And when temperatures fall into the subarctic realm of -28 C, as they did earlier this month, the homeless shelters suddenly can’t accommodate all the people seeking a safe, warm refuge.
While this crisis occurs to varying degrees every winter, the exceptionally bitter conditions of early January again raised this question: Why can’t we find a better and lasting way to help the homeless — here and across Canada? It’s not that a lot of people aren’t trying. Toronto coped this month by opening the Moss Park Armoury for those needing temporary shelter.
Likewise, Waterloo Region, which has also witnessed soaring demand from the homeless in recent days, has responded with admirable speed by setting up a temporary, overnight drop-in centre at St. Matthews Lutheran Church in downtown Kitchener.
The fast action was necessary after homeless people began showing up in greater numbers than the local shelters, such as the House of Friendship, could handle.
As a stopgap measure, the region has been taking many of these people to motels. But that’s a costly solution that could have run up a bill of $290,000 before winter ended.
In contrast, the drop-in shelter, which opens Monday, has a budget of $84,000.
Its benefits, however, go beyond being economical. The centre will employ three professionally-trained people who will be paid by the region to assist the men and women who come in.
One significant concern about the drop-in centre is that it is, as its name suggests, designed for dropping in — not sleeping over.
There will be mats for people to lie down on and shut their eyes if they feel the need. But there will be no beds, pillows, sheets or blankets. Is this good enough? Perhaps. But the region and House of Friendship should be attentive to their clientele and nimble enough to adapt, by adding beds for instance, if that’s what homeless people need.
That said, while the drop-in centre is a welcome development it’s not a lasting answer to homelessness in Waterloo Region.
This community needs more permanent, supportive housing — places where people will find not only accommodation but professional assistance to deal with personal problems such as addiction or mental health issues. It’s that simple. Yet providing this is not simple, and the region must receive more financial assistance from senior levels of government to do it.
One hopeful sign came last fall when Justin Trudeau’s Liberals announced their National Housing Strategy, with billions of new dollars to back it up and some of that money intended for the homeless.
In the frigid winter of 2018, Canadians will see if this initiative goes beyond fine words and actually starts putting more homeless people into real homes instead of temporary, makeshift shelters.