Homelessness

I believe the best way to reduce homelessness is to work on both sides of the problem , helping people who are already experiencing homelessness, while doing everything reasonably possible to prevent people from losing their housing in the first place.

There isn’t one cause of homelessness, and there isn’t going to be one solution. The cost and availability of housing are certainly part of it, but people can also find themselves without housing because of job loss, family breakdown, mental health or addiction challenges, disability, domestic violence or simply an unexpected financial crisis.

That means our response has to be equally broad.

We need more attainable and affordable housing options, including different types and sizes of housing. We need to support programs that help people remain housed when they experience a temporary crisis. And for those already experiencing homelessness, emergency shelter is important, but ultimately the goal has to be moving people toward safe, stable, permanent housing with the appropriate supports.

New Tecumseth is fortunate to have organizations such as S.H.I.F.T. and CONTACT Community Services doing this work locally, and I believe the municipality should continue working cooperatively with these organizations and the County of Simcoe.

The County has primary responsibility for social housing and homelessness services, but I don’t believe that means our local Council has no role. Municipal decisions about planning, housing supply, development, available land and partnerships can all contribute to solutions. Council can also advocate strongly to the County and provincial and federal governments when resources are needed.

As for what I’m personally doing right now, I want to be transparent: I am not currently involved directly with a specific homelessness program, so I wouldn’t want to suggest otherwise.

What I am doing is trying to better understand the issue, the services already available in our community and where the gaps remain. If elected, I would want to hear directly from the organizations doing this work and, equally importantly, from people with lived experience of homelessness or housing insecurity before deciding what role the Town can most effectively play.

For me, success isn’t simply finding someone a bed for one night. It’s helping prevent that person from needing the bed in the first place and, when they do need it, creating a realistic path back to stable housing.