Report comes on the heels of Cam Guthrie’s city address
A report released last Wednesday, Feb. 20 from city hall announced an action plan that claims to make a measurable impact on the issue of homelessness in Guelph.
The report comes after Mayor Cam Guthrie acknowledged his shortcomings related to homelessness and addiction.
“I have failed as a mayor, as a leader in regards to this issue,” Guthrie said at his city address on Feb. 7. “This is an issue that has to be solved. We cannot be a community if we are leaving people behind.”
“There are people who have been dying in our city,” he continued. “We must step up and I will not fail as the leader of this city over the next four years.”
The report arrives a little over two months after the Task Force on Homelessness and Community Safety was announced on Guthrie’s inaugural address to the council on Dec. 3, 2018. The Task Force has around 36 members and includes representatives from the Guelph-Wellington Task Force on Poverty Elimination, who have been critical of Guthrie in the past on issues of affordable housing.
“I wanted to put some urgency around the issue, so people would know what the city is already doing, but to also expose the gaps of where we could do better,” Guthrie told The Ontarion.
Other representatives include the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy, the County of Wellington, Member of Parliament Lloyd Longfield, Member of Provincial Parliament Mike Schreiner, and other agencies that are experts in the root problems and possible solutions.
The Task Force agreed on a priority list of five actions below:
Permanent Supportive Housing: A 24 hour, seven days a week staffed permanent lodging for 15 chronically homeless individuals with complex needs. The staff will support residents struggling with mental health and addiction issues. The report argues that the housing will stop the cycle of more expensive interventions like the shelter system, emergency services and hospitals, police, and the justice system at large. The shelter will have an estimated annual cost of around $915,000. The cost of the new 15-unit building would total around $4.5 million (or $300,000 per unit). City hall hopes to establish permanent housing in the next four years. Guthrie said there could be other routes to accomplish the same goal through finding an existing building.
“I don’t want to rush out and put a shovel in the ground for $4.5 million if we can try to accomplish the same things not only with other stakeholders but perhaps in a different model, but still have the same results for the people staying in there,” Guthrie said.
Support Recovery Room: The Support Recovery Room will serve those suffering from addiction or a mental health crisis, who are too sick for a shelter, but not sick enough to be in the Emergency Room. The SSR is estimated to have a minimum of five beds, and would be staffed by a nurse, addiction counsellor, and would be equipped to meet sleep and recovery needs for 72 hours. The projected operating costs are estimated at $617,000.
The Welcoming Streets Program: Increase of funding to an outreach worker who supports both individuals and businesses in downtown Guelph. The funding will expand the pilot project that hired an outreach worker to connect struggling individuals to services and supports. The projected cost will be $83,000 for the outreach worker.
Addiction Court Support Worker: The program provides a counsellor to people when they are in bail court. The counsellor then connects the individual to addiction services. The project will cost around $100,000.
System and Service Improvements: The expansion will extend work hours to evenings, weekends, and holiday, allowing for a potential 24/7 service for community members. Each agency will be responsible for initiating and implementing improvements.
Photo by Alora Griffiths/ The Ontarion