Heather Latter
It might not be an obvious problem in Rainy River District but several local agencies have indicated homelessness indeed is an issue here.
“It’s definitely a problem here—it’s just not what people might think it looks like,” said Peggy Loyie of the Rainy River District Victim Services Program.
“You don’t see people freezing on the street, but there are a number who relocate to Thunder Bay for the winter because of the shelters there,” she noted.
“A lot of the homelessness I see is displaced families ‘couch surfing,’” echoed Danielle Spuzak, the Homelessness Outreach Worker at the United Native Friendship Centre here.
“There are families with children who ‘couch surf.’”
She noted these families might spend a month with a friend or family member before moving on to another one.
“It’s not obvious because people don’t see the ‘couch surfing,’” Spuzak explained.
Loyie indicated in the summer months, the Point Park is a place were homeless people live—staying in tents almost until the snow flies.
While there are many different reasons why someone might become homeless, Loyie said some stem from a spouse—both with or without children—leaving an abusive home.
Other people could become homeless if they move to the area for a relationship, which ends up not working out.
“They get stuck here and have no supports,” she remarked.
Loyie added sometimes families lose their homes due to financial setbacks, such as the loss of a job, addictions, or just simply falling farther and farther behind in their expenses.
But there are several programs and services available to help those who are at risk of becoming homeless so they don’t lose their homes.
A new program called the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative is now being offered through the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
“It just started on Jan. 1,” noted Sandra Weir, Housing Manager with the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB).
The CHPI combines funding from former separate housing and homelessness programs into a single, flexible one.
Funding now can be used by DSSAB to address local priorities and better meet the needs of individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in the community.
Weir said there are four service components: Emergency Shelter Solutions, Housing With Related Supports, Other Services and Supports, and Homelessness Prevention.
“Emergency Shelter Solutions include services and supports that provide relief or protect households/people who are homeless or are in imminent risk of homelessness,” she noted, adding this service is temporary and is for anyone in need.
Housing With Related Supports funding is provided for long-term and transitional housing, as well as supports related to the delivery of that housing.
Other Services and Supports offers various services and supports to assist vulnerable or at-risk clients with immediate relief or support in obtaining housing, such as securing and retaining housing/shelter, food banks, etc.
Homelessness Prevention, meanwhile, includes services that assist households at risk of homelessness to retain their housing.
For example, landlord outreach and mediation, or emergency financial assistance in the form of payment of rental and/or utilities arrears.
“This program offers a lot of the same things [as before], but now all under one program,” Weir explained, saying CHPI can be accessed once every 24 months and there only can be one application per shared household.
Applications are available at the local DSSAB office, and also will be available soon on its website.
“We can always fax an application, too,” Weir said. “Whatever is most convenient for the individual.
“And they will received a response within five days,” she added.
The next step is to hold a round-table meeting to inform community partners about the guidelines of the program.
The DSSAB also will be completing a 10-year homeless plan for the district by next January.
The United Native Friendship Centre here also offers similar services to the CHPI program by funding and providing “increased access and awareness to services available for the homeless and the at-risk homeless population.”
The UNFC’s Homeless Outreach Program, for instance, promotes a “continuum of support” approach to eliminating homelessness while co-ordinating a community-driven approach to addressing homelessness locally.
Spuzak said the services offered include the food bank, advocacy and referrals, emergency shelter, and transportation support.
She added they also can help financially those who are at risk of being evicted or having their utilities cut off, as well as assisting with reconnection fees.
“And we help both aboriginal and non-aboriginal people,” Spuzak stressed.
Meanwhile, the program available at Victims Services—funded by the United Way of Greater Simcoe County—focuses on victims of domestic violence.
“Often, it’s not an easy decision to go up to Atikokan [the Rainy River District Women’s Shelter of Hope] and they need some time to process . . . see what options are there,” Loyie reasoned, indicating they have provided temporary shelter to both women and men.
“Sometimes it’s one night, sometimes it’s five,” she noted, adding they also have offered clothing and helped victims make further arrangements.
“We don’t work in prevention but will help where we can,” Loyie said.
For her part, Spuzak said people need to be aware of what help is available—before it’s too late.
“Instead of being evicted, there are programs there to help,” she stressed.
“It makes a huge difference and helps keep people in their homes.”
