County Council Begins to Tackle the Problem of Homelessness

Article by Valerie MacDonald News Now Network

From road work and homelessness, to internet coverage in Northumberland, expensive and complicated projects dominated the July meeting of Northumberland County Council which included two separate in-camera sessions.

After councillors listened to a series of speakers on the issues facing people without a home, they passed a motion accepting the information endorsing a County staff report on action going forward.

This was challenged by delegate Missy McLean who asked why “consultation” of those who are homeless was not in the resolution. County Warden and Trent Hills Mayor Bob Crate replied that such inclusion was implicit in the ongoing interaction between County staff and the people needing ongoing accommodation.

McLean argued that this was an important request by herself, and other delegates, as more people are living in tents and being ousted from public places because of long waiting lists for housing and no alternatives.

She called it a “harmful omission” in the resolution that it doesn’t allow for consultation with the homeless, but calls for the County to work with the Town of Cobourg in addressing the problem.

Warden Crate maintained that the County “is hearing their (homeless peoples’s concerns”, but McLean was not convinced.

Deputy Warden and Cramahe Mandy Martin as well as Alnwick/Haldimand Mayor Gail Latchford said McLean was “out of order” in speaking during that part of the County Council meeting.

Crate agreed, saying the passage of resolutions was not the time for a “two-way dialogue”, and he moved on.

Earlier in the meeting, fellow delegate addressing homelessness issues in Northumberland, Meghan Sheffield (who not only spoke at the special Cobourg meeting on homelessness, but also at a previous County committee meeting), said that for some town residents there is no answer to the question about where they can go when there is insufficient affordable housing and limited spaces at shelters.

“Where should people go with their belongings, back packs and damaged tents?” Sheffield asked, referring to those who tent illegally on public lands when they are rousted by town bylaw enforcement and police officers.

Shelter is a human right, she said. Addressing the problem must involve those with “lived experience” in order to have meaningful consultation on the matter, Sheffield stressed. The County social services staff report on the current homelessness situation which was adopted by County Councillors at the same meeting only referred to consultation with homeless people once – but talked about police involvement “seven times,” Sheffield said.

Other delegates speaking on homelessness were there either in person or provided correspondence, including Cobourg Councillor Nichole Beatty who also spoke at the previous two public meetings sharing the same kinds of concerns about homeless individuals in Northumberland. Ultimately, County council adopted a Social Services report that county staff “continue their collaborations and discussions with the Town of Cobourg to investigate potential options and proposals” as well as to work with Cobourg Police’s Homelessness Addiction Resource Project, and member municipalities.

In the most recent social services staff report on homelessness, it noted the following excerpt from the Village Practical Guidance for Authorized Homeless Encampments which stated that those with mental illness, substance abuse and brain injury, among other conditions, provide a “challenge for engagement and relationship building to examine solutions to living outdoors. As such, timelines to take action to resolve encampments either voluntarily or through forced closure need to account for the potential complexity of engaging with the population to be served.”

In other County business, a Managed Services Review report from Strategy Corp was received and adopted by County Council. Essentially, it will move towards a more formalized system of the county providing services for member municipalities (and being paid appropriately for these services), acting as a contractor and ensuring time and services rendered make the County money and don’t cost taxpayers’ money.

Port Hope Mayor Bob Sanderson questioned the County providing services for other organizations, like hospitals, when its mandate is to handle the direct services taxpayers rely on for the county to perform such as roads maintenance, IT services, ambulance, waste collection, etc.

And finally the County has moved forward with creating two legal entities that will accept funding and oversee expanded internet services within its borders. There is $45-million in federal and provincial funding to do this for 13,448 county homes with the private sector contributing from $105-$150-million, councillors were told. The County is not paying for any of this. This “typical commercial structure”will include an Open Access Utility with a parent or holding company plus a subsidiary which will be the active partner in the business of broadband.

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