As part of our series on poverty and homelessness we asked people to consider sharing a story about their experiences. Sharing these stories serves as a reminder that poverty and homelessness are not a choice. It’s important for us to end the stigma and stereotypes that are too often associated with these issues. Each of us has followed a different path from the past to the present. Yet some of our paths have been rockier than others.

This week we are pleased to offer the fourth of these stories. We are grateful to Together Against Poverty Society (TAPS) for providing it to us. Assisting over 5,000 people in Victoria each year, TAPS provides free, face-to-face legal advocacy for people with income assistance, disability benefits and tenancy issues.

Income Assistance Advocacy Project Case Study

Sarah is a 21 year-old woman suffering from drug addiction, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Schizophrenia. Since the birth of her son this year, she began attending peer counseling sessions and has managed to stay clean with support from friends and family.

Sarah’s best friend Tom has always been hugely supportive of her and her newborn son, despite having many challenges himself. The two decided to move in together, so that they can help each other out. After 6 months living together, the Ministry launched an investigation into the nature of their relationship, ultimately determining it is “marriage-like.” Sarah and Tom are required to apply for a joint client file; otherwise, Sarah will be found ineligible for income assistance and will owe the government a large debt.

Sarah and Tom have only ever been just friends. After living through three years of homelessness together they trust each other very strongly. Although their life together is different than most roommates, they certainly would never consider themselves spouses. They do not share a bedroom, or go on dates or share finances. Despite this evidence, the Ministry defines them as living in a marriage-like relationship pursuant to the legislation.

Sarah contacts TAPS. Her advocate prepares a submission, including letters from friends, family, and psychiatrists, appealing the Ministry’s decision. Despite this, the appeal is unsuccessful. On further appeal, the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal upholds the Ministry’s decision that Sarah and Tom are in a marriage-like relationship.

Recognizing the unfairness of this, Sarah’s TAPS advocate contacts a pro-bono legal organization and lays out a case for judicial review of the decision. The Tribunal and Ministry agreed to a rehearing after learning of the impending judicial review. Ultimately the decision is overturned and Sarah and Tom happily live together once more!

* A total number of 2240 clients were helped by TAPS’ Income Assistance Advocacy Project in 2014 alone.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been highlighting the extent of poverty and homelessness in British Columbia and, in particular, Greater Victoria. It’s clear that significant work still needs to be done to address these issues. But it’s also important to recognize the good work that has and is taking place. Through new subsidized housing units, the provision of rent supplements and other programs, local groups, in partnership with the Province, have provided housing and prevented homelessness for many vulnerable people in Greater Victoria.

Despite these efforts, combating poverty and homelessness remains a struggle, not only in British Columbia, but also throughout Canada. We cannot solely rely on the work of non-profit organizations and charitable groups to resolve these issues — they need government leadership and help from all of us. And all levels of government must step up and provide the resources and support so desperately needed.

How did we get here?

In the 1960s and 1970s, amendments to the National Housing Act (NHA) launched a number of public housing and support programs that led to the creation of around 200,000 social housing units over a 10-year span. However, these programs were short-lived due to cutbacks in social housing and related programs beginning in the mid 1980s.

Today, annual national investment in housing has decreased by over 46% and current federal operating agreements are set to expire over the next 20 years, putting an additional 365,000 Canadian households at risk.

While there have been some new investments in recent years, including fairly substantial investments towards affordable housing in 2010 and 2006, they have been time-limited.

Overall, government action on poverty continues to fall short. Federally, Canada remains the only G8 country without a national housing strategy and provincially, British Columbia remains the only province that has not committed to developing a provincial poverty reduction plan. With 3 million Canadian households in need of affordable housing and BC having one of the highest poverty rates in the country, it is time for all levels of government to take real steps forward to end poverty and homelessness in our province.

Federal Role

In April 2014, the Canadian Government announced plans to renew the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS), an approach to addressing homelessness by working in partnership with communities, provinces and territories, other federal departments and the private and not-for-profit sectors. With a commitment of nearly $600 million over five years and a new focus on using a Housing First approach, this is certainly a step in the right direction.

However, concerns over the short five-year time frame, the need for support and resources at a community level and Canada’s lack of affordable housing supply, leave many concerned about the ability of this plan to produce the results the government expects.

Similarly, in March 2014 the Governments of Canada and B.C. announced plans to extend the Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) agreement. With each level of government committing to contribute $150 million over a five year period, IAH will support a range of housing needs for low-income individuals, families and seniors. Again, many doubt the ability of this investment to truly address the growing housing need in our province.

While strategies such as these help address some of the need, they are not enough. It is time for Canada to follow suit with all other G8 countries and develop a national plan or strategy to end homelessness.

Provincial Role

In response to BC’s homelessness crisis, the provincial government recently launched its Homelessness Prevention Program. This program expands rent supplements to four at-risk groups, helping individuals facing homelessness access rental housing in the private market. However, it does nothing to provide more affordable housing.

Instead, many argue that it is time for BC to adopt a comprehensive poverty reduction plan — one that would significantly reduce poverty and homelessness through legislated targets and timelines. The BC Poverty Reduction Coalition has been particularly active in this call, stating that BC needs a plan that addresses current issues with welfare rates and barriers, minimum wage, marginalized groups, affordable housing need, and access to childcare, education and healthcare.

This past fall, the Government of Saskatchewan announced their commitment to develop such a strategy, leaving British Columbia the only province without a plan to tackle poverty. With recent reports pointing out that BC has the highest rate of wealth inequality, a very high 16.4% overall poverty rate and one of the highest child poverty rates in the country, it is time for BC to join the rest of Canada and take comprehensive, long-term steps towards ending poverty and homelessness in our province.

Community Role

While effective action is still needed at the federal and provincial level, a number of communities across Canada have been making significant strides towards ending homelessness in their cities. Through the implementation of community plans, cities such as Lethbridge and Medicine Hat are well on target to end homelessness in their communities.

One of the champions of the recent community success has been the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. Through their document, “A Plan Not A Dream“, CAEH outlines the critical ingredients of a community-based plan and guides cities in the creation of their own local plans.

Here in Victoria, the Coalition’s 10-year goal to end homelessness is entering into its seventh year. The realization of their goals requires a community effort. Support from all levels of government, the private and not-for-profit sectors as well as local citizens is vital to their success.

Action Item 

As an MLA, I have witnessed first-hand the impact that public opinion and engagement can have on encouraging the BC government to focus on a specific issue. Therefore, this week’s action item asks you to consider communicating to decision-makers the importance of making poverty and homelessness a priority. A good start might be to contact your local MLA and let them know that you would like British Columbia to adopt a comprehensive poverty reduction plan.

Please also consider urging your friends and family to write letters or emails to local Mayors, Councillors, MLAs and MPs, and the offices of the Premier and Prime Minister. Perhaps you might wish to rally broader community support by talking to your friends and relatives about poverty and homelessness. It’s time for us to take long-lasting, substantive steps towards ending poverty and homelessness in our Province.

“spending $10 on housing and supports for chronically homeless individuals
with the highest needs, result[s] in $21.72 in savings related to health care,
social supports, housing and involvement in the justice system”
The Homeless Hub

Public Opinion on Homelessness

I’ve used the phrase “hidden homelessness” a couple times throughout this series. It is a term that my team and I started using as we began to realise the amount of poverty and homelessness that goes unseen throughout Greater Victoria.

Last month I once more met with Andrew Wynn-Williams, the Executive Director of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, to get an update on the current status of homelessness in our region. As part of the update, Andrew informed me of their recent survey looking at public attitudes towards homelessness.

The survey provided some optimistic findings with regards to public opinion on housing first strategies. For example, 70% of people agreed that providing an individual with housing is cheaper than the costs of homelessness on government services, 90% agreed affordable housing would help reduce homelessness and 85% agreed that ensuring access to affordable housing is the government’s responsibility.

However, I was shocked to read that nearly half of the residents surveyed in Sidney and the Western Communities, and a third of those in Saanich, Oak Bay, Victoria and Esquimalt, did not think that homelessness was an issue in their communities.

While this was a disheartening revelation, I remain optimistic as their seems to be clear public support for the importance of housing initiatives.

Backing public opinion, a number of studies have been released highlighting the benefits of a housing-first strategy for ending homelessness.

Cost-Benefits of Ending Homelessness

Both national and international research has shown the extent of the possible cost-savings associated with shifting our energy from trying to manage homelessness through the provision of emergency services, to actually trying to end homelessness through a housing-first approach. A recent national report from the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness concluded that spending an extra $46 per Canadian a year on affordable housing could dramatically reduce homelessness, and in turn reduce the $7 billion per year cost of homelessness on our economy.

To find evidence to back these claims up, we need look no further than some of our southern neighbour states. In 2005, Utah launched a homelessness reduction strategy after it was estimated that by housing the chronically homeless the state could save an average of $8,000 per person on costs such as emergency room visits and jail stays. As of 2014, the program has reduced chronic homelessness in Utah by 72%.

While direct data on the overall net savings of the program is not yet available, a similar pilot project in Denver, Colorado found significant savings. For example, total emergency related costs among project participants declined by 72.95% in two years (an average savings of $31,545 per participant), incarceration days and costs were reduced by 76% and emergency shelter costs alone were reduced by an average of $13,600 per person.  

Along these same lines, the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) recently released the findings from their At Home/Chez Soi study. With projects established in five cities, including Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Moncton, the study showed that not only can a Housing-First approach be effectively implemented in Canadian cities of varying size and ethno-racial and cultural composition, but it can also provide overall economic cost-savings while rapidly reducing rates of homelessness. This is especially true among the chronically homeless, where for every $10 invested in housing first services there was an average savings of $21.72.

The project was so successful that the federal government has since expanded the program, committing an additional $600 million over five years.

Other studies have found similar cost savings, both direct and indirect, when examining housing versus emergency management of homelessness. A summary of some of the most significant findings can be found in the Coalition’s report on Housing and Homelessness in Greater Victoria.

All of these findings are consistent with estimated cost savings of a housing first approach here in Victoria, where the average annual cost of a shelter bed is $25,525 while the estimated annual cost of new supportive housing is only $16,748 per unit. And the annual cost of a rent supplement, including support, is even lower at $6,800 per unit.

A number of groups already provide supportive and affordable housing here in Victoria, including the Victoria Cool Aid Society, Pacifica Housing, St Vincent de Paul Society, and the M’akola Housing Society. But with more units desperately needed, housing remains a top priority throughout the region (to see a list of  some of the current housing projects needing funding, visit the Coalition’s Priority Housing Project List). 

Action Item

Poverty is something that touches us all. Whether we have lived in poverty ourselves or have seen its impact in our communities, it has affected each and every one of us.

With this in mind, I would like to invite you to share a story about your experiences with poverty and homelessness. Share it with a friend, family member, co-worker, or even your social media following.

In sharing these stories, let it serve as a reminder that poverty and homelessness are not a choice. It’s important for us to end the stigma and stereotypes that are too often associated with these issues. Those who are homeless, just as those who are housed, should not be defined by where they live. Each of us has followed a different path from the past to the present. Yet some of our paths have been rockier than others.

If you cannot think of a personal story, then help spread the stories shared by groups such as Our Place, the Dandelion Society and the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness.

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“There is no one profile of a person who is experiencing homelessness,
just as there is no one path that leads there.”
Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness

Contributing Factors of Homelessness

Homelessness is more than what you see on the street. Nothing has become more evident to me while researching for this blog series than this one simple fact.

While people often view homelessness as an issue specific to the downtown core, the hard truth is that poverty and homelessness can take on many forms in communities all across the region.

Whether it be a middle-aged man injured on the job and unable to work, a single mother trying to support three children on minimum-wage, a young person struggling with mental illness and unable to hold down a job, or a senior who can’t afford rent and groceries on her monthly pension, poverty and homelessness know no boundaries.

Just as there is no single face of homelessness, there is also no single contributor to homelessness. From mental illness and addiction to domestic violence, to the many challenges facing both on- and off-reserve aboriginal persons, several factors can lead to poverty and homelessness.

Here in Greater Victoria and throughout B.C., one of the most significant contributors to poverty and homelessness is the gap between income and housing costs. While average rent costs continue to rise, the resources available to low income households have not changed, making it increasingly difficult for many to afford adequate housing.

As of April 2013, the average monthly rent paid by someone on income assistance in Greater Victoria was $501. However, the monthly shelter allowance for a single individual receiving income assistance is only $375. This means that many individuals are forced to forgo other basic necessities, such as food, clothing and health-related expenses, in order to cover the cost of their rent.

Similarly, the gap between the living wage in Greater Victoria and the minimum wage here in B.C. is staggering.

The living wage in our region – “the wage that both parents in a two parent, two child family need to make in a 35 hour work week to maintain an adequate quality of life” – increased to $18.73 per hour in 2013. In the same year, the minimum wage in B.C.was only $10.25 per hour; $8.48 lower than the living wage.

In order to make a living wage and maintain an adequate quality of life, an average family of four would have to earn a monthly income of approximately $5,222.36; even then they would not be able to afford to care for an elderly relative or disabled family member, to own their own home, or to save for education or retirement.

In reality, most low-income families earn at or slightly above minimum wage, making it virtually impossible for them to afford the high costs of living and keeping them in a constant battle to remain housed.

Housing Need

Affordable and supportive housing is considered a key factor to combating homelessness by service providers. Since 2008, almost 250 new supportive housing units and over 450 new affordable housing units have been built across Greater Victoria. While this is progress, it is not enough. The Coalition estimates that in order to end homelessness in our region we need an additional 250 – 750 units of supportive housing and 1500 units of non-market and low-market affordable housing.

Meeting these housing needs requires funding commitments from all levels of government: federal, provincial, regional and municipal. And this is precisely what local housing groups have been tirelessly campaigning for. Affordable housing projects saw a slight boost in funding recently when the Canadian and British Columbia Governments announced that they were committing an additional investment of over $300 million over five years. While this certainly helps, more funding is still needed if we hope to end homelessness completely.

Weekly Action Item

With Christmas quickly approaching we thought we would choose an action item that helps alleviate hidden poverty in the context of the holiday season: Christmas Hampers.

High costs of living and limited financial resources mean that many families in Greater Victoria are unable to provide their children with the same holiday experiences that the rest of us are fortunate enough to enjoy. To provide these families with much-needed additional support during the holiday season, several organizations in Victoria run Christmas Hamper Programs. These hampers, which can include basic food, clothing, or even small gifts, make Christmas brighter for hundreds of families throughout the city.

Organizations that run Christmas Hamper Programs include the Mustard Seed, CFAX Santa’s Anonymous, and the Goldstream Food Bank, to name a few.

So, if it is within your means, please consider donating to one of the many Christmas Hamper Programs in your community.  

But please also remember that while these hampers will help to alleviate some of the need over the holiday season, they are not a permanent solution. Child poverty continues to be on the rise in B.C. and more government action is needed at all levels if we hope to end this trend. I will be touching on many of these issues over the coming weeks, for now click here for other ways you can take action to reduce child poverty.

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 “Just because you’re not seeing people on the streets does not mean homelessness is not there.”
Andrew Wynn-Williams, Executive Director of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness

Homelessness

As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season approaches, Greater Victoria’s homelessness crisis is at the forefront of our minds.

While poverty and homelessness have been an on-going concern in our region for some time, recent reports have highlighted just how serious the problem continues to be.

There has been noticeable improvements thanks to programs put in place by dedicated organizations across our community, however, more still needs to be done. Dedicating their time and resources to improving the lives of those in need, these groups need our ongoing support to reach their ultimate goal: ending homelessness in Greater Victoria.

Throughout December I will be posting a series on poverty and homelessness in our region. The purpose of this blog is to help increase awareness and to offer action items that we as individuals can take to support local organizations in their work to address poverty and homelessness.

State of Homelessness in Greater Victoria

To understand just how prevalent homelessness is, last February the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness undertook their 4th annual point-in-time Facility Count. The purpose of the study was to get a sense of how many people are homeless and using supportive facilities. They counted 1,167 individuals in need of shelter on just one night, including 70 families and a total of 116 children.

While these numbers are startling, what is worse is that they only represent a portion of the people in need. Point-in-time counts are one-day counts and therefore can only provide an estimate of the number of individuals experiencing homelessness on a given day. These numbers fluctuate from day-to-day and do not take into account those who sleep outside, couch-surf, or live in overcrowded or inadequate accommodation, resulting in an underestimation of the number of people in need.

In fact, measuring the exact extent of homelessness is extremely difficult.

What we do know is that from April 2012 to March 2013, 1,659 unique individuals made use of an emergency shelter bed in five of six emergency shelters in Greater Victoria, resulting in an over-occupancy rate of 112%. Meanwhile many more are at-risk of homelessness with almost a third of renter households in “core housing need”, meaning more than 30% of their income is spent on housing, and a tenth in “severe housing need”, spending more than 50% of their income on housing.

The situation is just as severe across BC and throughout Canada. As of March 2013, 1,477 households in our province were on the wait-list for BC Housing and, according to Food Banks Canada, at least 20,524 individuals accessed food banks in one month alone in 2012.

The need for action is clear and there are a number of local organizations providing invaluable services to those experiencing poverty and homelessness.

They have been making significant progress – but they need your help.

While these service providers are doing all that they can to provide support to those in need, there exists a significant shortfall in the amount of resources available to assist them in their work. These shortfalls can be seen in local emergency shelters, which consistently operate at over capacity and turn individuals away on a nightly basis, as well as in the increasing strain placed on outreach programs such as at Our Place, where demand for services has hit record numbers.

Weekly Action Item

Each week during this series, the post will end by identifying one tangible action you can take to help address homelessness in your community. The purpose of these action items is to provide you with suggestions for simple ways in which you can give back and make a difference in someone’s life.

This week’s action item aims to help provide the countless service providers across Greater Victoria with the support they need to continue offering support to those in need. Through food and clothing contributions, monetary donations and volunteer help, these organizations are able to provide the services that they offer because of the generosity and support of people like you.

Every donation that they receive – no matter the size, extent, or capacity – and every volunteer that walks through their doors, has an immeasurable impact on someone’s life.

Here are a few examples of organizations in Victoria that you can reach out to if you would like to make a donation or volunteer your time:

• Our Place Society – an inner-city community community centre serving vulnerable populations including the working poor, impoverished elderly, mentally and physically challenged, addicted and the homeless.
• The Mustard Seed – a local non-profit organization that runs a number of programs including a drop-in centre, a clothing bank, counselling services, and the largest food bank on Vancouver Island.
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul – a charity group providing a number of services to people that fall below the poverty line, including emergency food, material support, counselling programs and low cost housing.
• Victoria Cool Aid Society –  a charitable organization that advocates for and provides emergency shelter, supportive housing, integrated health care and other support services to those in need.
• United Way of Greater Victoria – a registered charity funding programs and services that offer safe and stable housing, increase access to food, provide financial literacy support and offer employment training and skills development.
• Beacon Community Services – a community-based, non-profit, social, employment, health, recreational, housing and volunteer services agency offering a range of services and programs to thousands of clients in the Capital Region.

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