Page 15 - Huronia Community Foundation - 2023 Vital Signs Report

12. Canadian Survey on Business Conditions
(CSBC), Shivani Sood, July 26, 2022 presentation.
Statistics Canada. p. 16
A FOUNDATION
OF HEALTH AND
WELLBEING:
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
IS IDENTIFIED AS A
PRIORITY CONCERN
We have a critical problem of
not having enough affordable
housing for the residents of
our North Simcoe region and
for those who may wish to
settle here to work and raise a
family.
Persons who are homeless or must live in
poor or unaffordable housing likely experience
physical and mental health issues as a result.
That is tragic; it demonstrates our community’s
inability to care properly for residents. It also
means that we, as a community, shoulder the
costs that are a consequence, such as funding
temporary housing, or diverting justice and
emergency services to deal with the homeless.
The lack of affordable housing also undermines
the long-term economic health of our North
Simcoe area. Young people may leave if they
find they cannot thrive because they cannot
earn enough to save for the future after paying
for housing and other basic needs, while others
simply will not relocate here. This is not good
for local businesses and service organizations
trying to attract workers, which is not good for
the future of North Simcoe and area.
HOMELESSNESS: IT AFFECTS US ALL
We have residents among us who are living on
the street or otherwise without stable shelter.
This is a chronic problem and demonstrates a
failure on our part to care properly for the most
vulnerable in our community. No one chooses
to be homeless.
“People who are homeless are not a distinct
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association:
“Adequate, suitable and affordable housing contributes to
our physical and mental well-being. It leads to increased
personal safety and helps decrease stress, leading to
improved sleep and diet. All of these factors result in better
mental health outcomes. When housing is inadequate or
unavailable, personal as well as community well-being can
suffer”(1).
and separate population. In fact the line
between being homeless and not being
homeless is quite fluid … Individuals and
families who wind up homeless may not share
much in common with each other, aside from
the fact that they are extremely vulnerable,
and lack adequate housing and income and
the necessary supports to ensure they stay
housed. The causes of homelessness reflect an
intricate interplay between structural factors
[such as lack of adequate income, access
to affordable housing and health supports
and/or the experience of discrimination],
systems failures [such as poor transition from
child welfare or from correctional, mental
health and addiction facilities] and individual
circumstances [such as traumatic events like
losing a job, family problems like domestic
violence, mental health and addiction
challenges]. Homelessness is usually the result
of the cumulative impact of a number of
factors, rather than a single cause (2).”
More than 8 in 10 homeless persons in the
North Simcoe area, experience chronic
homelessness making them more at risk
to develop a health problem, or have their
problems get worse (5).
NORTH SIMCOE & AREA’S HOMELESSNESS (3)
• 67% lost their homes because of financial and housing
issues
• 38% have interpersonal and family problems
• 88% have a mental health issue
• 64% have a substance abuse problem
• 73% have an illness, medical condition or physical
disability
• 41% identify as Indigenous although they make up only
16.1% of the general population (4)
North Simcoe and Area’s Vital Signs Report 2023 | 15