City needs to address Aboriginal housing: Strategic planner

The city needs to act now on Aboriginal housing issues, said a community urban Aboriginal planner.

The Thunder Bay Urban Aboriginal Strategy Housing Action Circle is planning to do just that, said strategy planner Frances Wesley. With so many community groups presenting reports and making recommendations, the circle will go through them and hopefully put a strategy plan based on those reports Wednesday.

"I think people get tired of (reports). What I want to see is action happening now," Wesley said Wednesday at the Prince Arthur Hotel.

One major issue that needs to be addressed is the lack of adequate housing for all youth, and not just the Aboriginal population, Wesley said. Currently youth are being discriminated against based on age, race and even the way they dress and don’t have proper access to affordable housing.

"One of issues that came out loud and clear today is with respect to Aboriginal youth or just youth in general accessing housing in the community," she said. "It’s hard for them to get a home."

Another issue is the need for an emergency shelter for youth and addicts in Thunder Bay.
"We worry about them, for their health and safety. We worry about the people who have families and children who don’t have a roof over their heads," she said.

Shelter House director Cal Rankin agreed, saying Aboriginal people are over-represented in the city’s homeless population. The city needs a harm reduction plan with a housing model for addicts.

"For persons that are using substances and are not house-able with current models is an important piece (of the plan)," he said.

The plan coming out of Wednesday’s forum needs to be long-term, he added, to deal with issues such as youth housing. And while action is needed, it won’t happen overnight.

"There are a lot of actions in these reports that are recommended so what is most important to the Aboriginal community and where do we want to go?" asked Rankin. "I don’t think there is the time and the money to do it all in the short term."