To the editor:
The housing crisis persists.
The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Thunder Bay is nearly $1,500. For context, a monthly salary on minimum wage after deductions is $1,800. The math is problematic.
Even those without barriers to housing or employment require creativity. For those with chronic illness or addictions, options can be much more limited. Courts have consistently ruled that housing oneself, even in a tent, is part of security of the person, a human right enshrined in the Canadian Charter.
More than 120 people across the city are currently self-sheltering. While tents are not a long-term housing solution, they can offer more independence and autonomy than a traditional shelter. Tents continue to pop up in public spaces with inadequate facilities and often conflicting uses. This can’t be the new normal. So how can we move forward?
Thunder Bay has adopted a compassionate, human-rights-based approach to homelessness. This means supporting people through outreach services to minimize harm while advocating for housing solutions. The advocacy is working.
Over the last several years, the province has tripled the Thunder Bay District’s Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) allocation, enabling the creation of more than 240 supportive housing units. Thunder Bay was also selected to host a HART Hub (Homelessness, Addiction Recovery and Treatment), bringing an initial $19 million investment to support healing and recovery.
Together, the HPP and HART programs offer real hope through a challenging time.
A key pillar of the city's homelessness strategy is the construction of an 80-unit short term temporary village. This project is part of a broader 10-part plan supported by every level of government which would enhance the shelter system, meet legal obligations and improve management of public spaces, like parks. It would provide safety, stability and support to individuals awaiting permanent housing.
Though new housing is underway, residents and businesses are understandably frustrated by the pace of progress. Thunder Bay shares the same pressures as other cities across Ontario; struggling to catch up after years of underinvestment in health care, social services and housing.
But we are getting there.
Front-line organizations, governments and the business community are working together to build a brighter, more inclusive future for everyone.
It takes time but we are moving in the right direction.
Brian Hamilton,
Thunder Bay city councillor,
McKellar Ward
