The issue of housing and homelessness was the focus of a provincial committee meeting in Halifax today to examine the impact of homelessness and the lack of affordable housing on people who suddenly find themselves without a home.
“My health is terrible,” said Angela Lombard, who has been homeless in Halifax for more than two years. “It’s been really hard, it’s mentally exhausting, it’s frustrating, it’s just really hard.”
The 51-year-old is diabetic and is due to undergo knee surgery next week. She says she will stay with her daughter during her recovery, but after that she is unsure what the future holds.
“I can’t afford an apartment. I’ve looked everywhere, but there’s just nothing,” says Lombard, who lives in a tent in Halifax.
“Housing is healthcare,” said Marie-France LeBlanc today in her speech to members of the province’s health committee.
“That’s why we look at all of our assisted living facilities through the lens of health, not just as housing, but as a foundation for recovery, stability and hope,” added LeBlanc, executive director of the North End Community Health Centre, located on Gottingen Street in Halifax.
According to the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia’s list of names, nearly 1,300 people in the Halifax region recently reported being homeless.
This is not a true representation of the homeless population, says Sheri Lecker, executive director of Adsum for Women and Children.
“People are paying attention to so-called visible homelessness,” said Lecker of the Standing Committee on Health.
“And people want solutions, temporary or permanent,” Lecker said. “Whether it’s politicians and government leaders or neighbors, people want something done. And I think they don’t necessarily realize how many people are having problems, and I think we’re not paying attention to the number of children in particular.”
Lecker assumes that there are almost 200 children who are not recorded in the homeless register, because, according to her, only the number of adults is recorded there.
“Even the by-name list, the most comprehensive list we have, does not give a complete picture,” Lecker said.
“Homelessness is a complex problem and there are a number of causes that are leading to the increasing numbers,” Lecker said. She told the committee that the government could step in and address the problem with policy measures. For example, it could link the rent cap to the apartment rather than the tenant in order to keep rental costs under control.
“I do not believe that these issues are new and that some of the ideas proposed today are not new either,” Lecker said.
The province continues to spend more money on homeless people, with Ministry of Community Services spokeswoman Christina Deveau confirming that Tim Houston’s government has earmarked $120 million for initiatives to combat homelessness this year, a 360 per cent increase from two years ago.
