"Raise the Roof"
Housing for All

 

 

Background Information

 

  • The temperature is getting colder, she's run out of options for 'couch surfing', her choices - under the bridge or perhaps finding a spot in the basement of an unlocked apartment building.
  • The house they were renting was sold.  Other rents are too high for their minimum wage jobs.  Now the family is homeless.  Staying at The Inn's 'shelter' (a motel on the Golden Mile) puts them too far from the children's school and classes.
  • Recently released from jail, isolated from all the services and supports he needs - it's hard to be successful in trying to make a new start.
  • The construction boom is on - lots of skilled jobs, plenty of out of town workers, motels are full.  Now there is no shelter - no hope!

 

Each of these situation is very real - every day!

The issue of homelessness is growing concern throughout Canada.  Homelessness affects the social, economic, and health components of society.  From a strictly economic point of view, homeless individuals in our society draw much heavier upon the resources of society - social assistance, medical costs due to chronic health issues and policing/judicial costs are much greater.  Aside from social justice, getting people properly housed just make good plain economic sense. 

 

Currently, with out community, on an average night, some 15 people are housed using the motel emergency shelter program. Isolation, lack of direct supervision and support and inconsistent room availability and quality make the motel system fraught with problems.  Added to this are the rise in need for shelter and the potential for both motel rooms and affordable housing to be in even shorter supply should some of the proposed industrial development in the valley take place.

 

The face of homelessness has been changing since the 1980's.  In its Task Force review of Homelessness, OMSSA attributes the growth in the shelter system to many factors - changes in the global economy and the nature of work, reductions to health and social services programs, policies related to de-institutionalization, and lack of permanent affordable housing.  As a result, women, children, youth, families and people with mental and/or substance abuse issues have now joined transient men as residents of emergency shelters. (1)

 

Transitional housing is considered to be a fundamental support for the homeless individuals and families in order to reach the ultimate goal of maintaining long term housing.  Ideally, this type of housing is an intermediate step between emergency shelter and permanent housing.  Typically, supportive housing provides a safe, supportive environment, for three months to three years, during which time the issues that gave rise to an individual's homelessness are addressed. (2)

 

There are 20,600 low income families and non-family persons in the Count of Lambton.  Of these low income families, there are 9,750 families with children. (3)  Of these, 5,640 are lone parent families and 4,110 are two parent families.  In 2003, there were more than 13,540(4) children (2.5 children out of every six) living in poverty in Lambton.

 

There has been an increase in media attention (both locally and further a field) and with the general public at large as to the plight of the homeless bringing together both the need and awareness in a timely fashion demonstrating that homelessness and poverty is not a big city issue, but rather one plaguing us right here in Lambton.

 

The Inn of the Good Shepherd has strived to be a leader in the Sarnia/Lambton Social Services network and has long worked with the various levels of Government to step up to the plate when a gap is recognized in the community's social service's fabric.  Such is the case regard to the lack of emergency shelter and transitional housing in Sarnia Lambton.

 

The Inn's Board, administration and front line staff recognized that a glaring gap existed over a year ago and formed a task force to examine the issue.  The Inn of the Good Shepherd has the support of the Community Homelessness Initiatives Committee (CHIN) which is comprised of representatives from all agencies that deal with housing, emergency shelter and issues of poverty.

 

In response to the prevailing need for an emergency shelter and transitional housing program and urged to do so by community partners, The Inn's Board of Director's passed a motion to investigate models that would meet the needs of the Lambton Community and determine potential locations for a program.  A task force comprised of key stakeholders was formed, research undertaken to look at models, visits to two other communities, operational standards developed and 6 local facilities examined as to site potential.  Criteria included location, transportation access, existing zoning, neigbourhood impacts, access to other social services and commercial facilities, impact on existing housing stock and ease of facility conversion. 

 

Updated information regarding the construction of The Good Shepherd's Lodge

 

As always with construction projects - plans change!!

 

After costing estimates have come in, it was recognized that it would be less costly to build a new facility rather than to try to renovate the existing building that is partly 30 and partly 80 years old.  Building code requirements for residential facilities added  much more to the cost than was originally estimated.

 

While the Board of The Inn regrets not being able to restore the former Shrine building, the decision to build new will give us a facility that would be less expensive to operate and maintain, as well as more environmentally friendly.  The building will be built in 2 phases as the money is raised.  First phase is the Emergency Shelter and second phase is the Transitional Housing.  Our hope is to be able to begin construction of Phase 1 early in the new year.

 

The Emergency Shelter program would have dormitory style bed area open from the early evening through to morning with a washroom, shower and laundry facility.  It would also include a housing and employment search resource area for clients.  A kitchen area would allow clients to prepare their own breakfast.  Lunch would be available through the Inn's existing soup kitchen program.  Staff would guide and supervise the emergency shelter clients in their utilization of the facility as well as assisting in the search for permanent stable housing.  The facility would also include special needs rooms to provide support in instances of families or individuals with disabilities or in need of accommodation while waiting for rehab services.  We are working to partner with other agencies in program delivery ie. including an examination room to enable basic outreach medical supports.

 

The Transitional Housing program would contain 20 units.  These units would be in "pods" - a grouping of 5 bedrooms around a shared area such as washroom, kitchen and living room.  As part of the learning process clients would be responsible for their unit upkeep, grocery shopping and cooking.  The staff would guide and supervise them in their day-to-day living, working in partnership with the client, to improve skills so that independent living could be achieved.  The average stay would be approximately one year.

 

STRONG FOUNDATIONS - The Capital Campaign - Target $2.1 million

We are well on our way in the campaign with $1.2 million raised.  Phase 1 needs 1.2 million. 

Many thanks to our lead gift donors - Kelgor, Ontario Trillium Foundation, County of Lambton, Suncor and the Young Professionals.  Other major donors to date include; Gamble Insurance, Keddco, Ontario Power Generation, Lehder Environmental, Sursom Chorda male choir, SofSurfaces, Sarnia Community Foundation, CMS Inc., Calvary United Church, Vision '74, St. John's in the Wilderness Anglican Church, Bluewater Bridge Authority.

 

STRONG FOUNATIONS CAMPAIGN  - Update

A Great Christmas Gift!  Thanks to the support of Lambton County, The Inn will be the recipient of $372,000 from the Provincial Government's Affordable housing Program.  These funds will go towards the Transitional Housing portion of The Good Shepherd's Lodge additionally the Federal Government has pledged $301,000 towards the Emergency Shelter portion of the project.

 

Many thanks to these major contributors since our last newsletter: Skyway Canada, Kinsmen Club of Sarnia, St. John's Anglican Church, John's Restaurant, Coffee Lodge, Day Art Studios, Village of Point Edward, Tim Horton's Restaurants, Huron Baptist Church, Ontario Power Generation.

 

The good Shepherd's Lodge is estimated to cost $2 million to construct, furnish and initiate programs.  fundraising, donations and grants have already reached $1.2 million!

 

April 2009 Update

The Good Shepherd's Lodge will provide both short and long term solutions to Sarnia's growing homelessness problem.  In the last year alone, The inn provided temporary shelter to almost 300 people for almost 3,900 nights.  The housing portion of The Lodge will teach the life skills needed to enable people to maintain their housing and avoid becoming homeless, thereby ending the cycle of homelessness for many.

 

Many thanks to these major contributors since our last newsletter:  The IODE - Sarnia Chapter, IODE - County Chapter, Tuesday Women's Curling League, Living Hope Christian Reformed Church.

 

The Good Shepherd's Lodge is estimated to cost $2 million to construct, furnish and initiate programs.  Fundraising, donations and grants have already reached $1.2 million!

 

Building designs are well underway and we hope to go to tender in May to break ground in June.  Our commitment is to use local contractors and trades people.  Enough funds have been raised to build Phase 1 - the shelter area and one housing unit.  It is our hope to raise the remaining funds to complete Phase II - the remaining housing units, at the same time.  If we have to build The Lodge in 2 separate phases, it will add $200,000 to the construction costs and amount needed to be raised.

 

Thanks to all those who have contributed so far to make this project a reality.  You are providing a real opportunity to change lives!

 

 

 

 

 


(1) Ontario Municipal Social Services Association. (2005, November). Emergency Shelter Task Force Final Report.
(2) Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (1998, October). Documentation of Best Practices Addressing Homelessness.  Socio-economic Series, Issue 41.
(3) Table 17: Low income (based on before-tax low income measures, LIM's), Statistics Canada 2003 data
(4) Source: Statistics Canada Custom Tabulation Canadian Revenue Agency Data, 2003 Families Data (T1 Family File) Table 17