Stayed tuned for our live tweeting of the Emergency and Community Services Committee meeting at @cityofhamilton, where we and @YWCA_Hamilton will present a pitch to fund overnight shelter for homeless women during the winter months.
Getting started! Our delegation requests for funding for Willow’s Place and Carol Anne’s Place are being added to the agenda for the meeting.
Willow’s Place is our drop in centre for women experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Carol Anne’s Place is @YWCA_Hamilton’s emergency shelter for homeless women during the winter months. Together we give necessary shelter to women during cold weather months.
Of the councillors present here, three have had the opportunity to tour Willow’s to Place: @NrinderWard3 @PaulsEsther and @terrywhitehead. Other councillors present are @BCouncillor, Tom Jackson, with Sam Merulla chairing.
@medorauppal and @DeniseChrisYW now presenting for @YWCA_Hamilton regarding funding for Carol Anne’s Place.
Highlighting the deaths of women in homelessness in the city and tomorrow’s memorial service. Offering background on the history of CA Place.
In any given month, there are hundreds of women with no where to go. Shelters are always full. We work with the women’s housing collaborative.
CA Place would work from 10pm to 7am. Supported by community efforts and orgs including Mission Services via Willow’s Place as well as mental health resources.
@medorauppal says last winter we saw a massive increase in women needing shelter. Last year at WP we saw a 529% increase, 45 women per day at WP, and 20 women per night CAP.
Also an increase in women who need additional monitoring due to mental health and addiction. Trauma and violence are complex factors in chronic homelessness.
Drop in Centres and shelters are maxed out and over capacity. CA Place is a place where women can have a safe place. Many end up in very dangerous situations on the street. CA Place and WP experience violence, sexual violence which is not well seen or understood.
This year, we have no funding to operate this program again. Where do these 250+ women go? Very high risk of death and other forms of violence.
Asking for $228k for funding to open doors at CA Place, St Joes mental health supports, and extended hours at WP for the months of December to April.
@medorauppal: This is not an easy endeavour, but we fee an obligation to do it.
*feel. I am paraphrasing and typing quickly! Terry Whitehead responding, says there is a balance we need to strike regarding taxes, where these people are coming from.
Whitehead asking if we know what percent of these homeless women are longtime or new residents to Hamilton.
@medorauppal responding that women do not have to disclose or cannot remember their full story. Says women migrate through periods of homelessness and these women have difficulty accessing traditional shelters.
@medorauppal : CA Place operated for the last two years on funding from LHN. Did not ask city for funding last year. Last year many women were brought to CA Place by police. **paraphrase
Whitehead again asks where these women are coming from and where this money should be coming from [provincial and federal]. @DeniseChrisYW replies that as much as we want to gather data, it’s not an easy thing to do.
@DeniseChrisYW: we do know there is a huge need.
@terrywhitehead says he doesnt dispute need, rather where the money comes from to provide services without data. **paraphrasing
@terrywhitehead says he doesnt dispute need, rather where the money comes from to provide services without data. **paraphrasing
Whitehead clarifies he doesn’t despute need and the excellent services YW provides.
@PaulsEsther asks what a “visit” consists of. Medora says this could mean time spent there overnight, access to showers, talking to someone. These women can also access other YW services when CA Places closes in the morning and other services open.
CA Place and Willow’s Place work together where women can come in that is secure, supportive, safe where staff can assist them. Women are welcome to sleep in this places (CA Place overnight, WP during the day).
Medora: 79% (163) of these women require overnight monitoring due to substance use and mental health. Over 100 incidents of suspected psychosis witnessed by staff.
Medora explains the relationship between WP and CAP. Some women attend both, some will only attend one. This offers them choice. A bus ticket is given to overnight guests at CAP so they can get to WP.
@PaulsEsther says she is supportive but would like clearer statistics about these women, how many women exactly?
Medora: 260 unique women between CAP and WP.
@NrinderWard3 thanks Medora and Denise for painting a picture of the intersecting issues of mental health, violence. “These women are here.” Whether they are long or short term residents of Hamilton.
@NrinderWard3 asks to clarify why the LHN is not funding CAP and WP extended hours this year
Medora says they understand the long term issues and solutions which affect funding. I missed the rest of her great and complex answer!
Broken thread continues here.
