Page 16 - Huronia Community Foundation - 2023 Vital Signs Report

The cost and demand on public services to report the need for shelter beds clearly exceed
support and respond to homelessness, while their capacity. Homeless persons who cannot
necessary, mean that those resources are access shelter beds will take refuge where they
diverted from other areas of need. can find it and this chronic situation exacts a
continuing toll on the broader community (9).
Homelessness is a significant health care issue The persistent presence of the homeless on
and continues to produce enormous costs our streets is a problem for us all. We must
to the economy. In 2014, the Mental Health remember no one chooses to be homeless and
Commission of Canada estimated that there solving the problem rests with the collective
were 150,000 to 300,000 homeless in Canada, community.
which results in $1.4 billion each year in costs
to the health care, justice and social services The Georgian Bay Native Women’s Association
systems (6). recently started a wait list for their affordable
housing project. They initially opened the list only
A more recent study that looked at the public to those trying to escape violent households.
spending on homelessness found that larger Within one month of the wait list being open,
Canadian cities spend anywhere between 34 households had applied; those households
$30,000 to $59,000 annually per homeless included 33 women and 48 children (10).
person who has a mental illness (2016 dollars).
These costs include emergency housing, When women and children fleeing a violent
substance abuse treatment, hospital care, and home situation cannot be accommodated
police and justice services (7). at emergency shelters, often the worst is the
outcome. In our housing focus group, La Maison
While our local costs may or may not approach Rosewood Shelter in Midland reported that
those in the study, service agencies and many women return to the abuser (11).
governments in North Simcoe region do expend
public funds to deal with homelessness, scaled THE FUTURE OF OUR NORTH SIMCOE
to the particularities of our geography and other
circumstances. REGION DEPENDS ON AFFORDABLE
HOUSING
“Affordable housing refers to permanent housing that The need for affordable housing in North
costs less than 30% of total household income for low- Simcoe cannot be over-emphasized.
and moderate-income Canadians. The notion of affordable “Affordable housing is an investment in health
housing not exceeding 30% of gross household income promotion and illness prevention. When a
means that individuals and families are also able to afford person has adequate housing they experience
food, clothing, taxes, transportation, and other necessities fewer health problems and are able to devote
that promote health and well-being. This definition is an more of their income to feed and clothe
established norm and one accepted by the Government themselves and their family (12).”
of Canada through the Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation (CMHC)” (8). As well, having an adequate supply of affordable
housing in our community helps ensure
Of course, because public funds are finite, businesses and local organizations have the
whatever resources we are able to direct workers they need to run their enterprises.
towards homelessness, at the expense of other
needs in our community, will never be enough. The interrelationships among affordable
housing, poverty and low paying jobs, and

The Guesthouse is an emergency shelter in their impact on general health and well-being,
Midland with a small, fixed capacity. They are well known. As was observed in a 2013
service four municipalities in North Simcoe and Homeless Hub research paper:

16 | North Simcoe and Area’s Vital Signs Report 2023