Two small windfalls for Ontario residents have created an opportunity for shelters such as Cornerstone Housing for Women and affordable housing projects to appeal for much-needed support.
The Ontario government has been sending cheques for $200 to eligible taxpayers to help defray rising housing and living costs. This follows the government’s abolition of the $121 annual fee for renewing licence plates.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) analyzed data from 47 municipalities and reported that the cost of cancelling the licence fee, $1.1 billion annually, happened to coincide with its estimated one-time cost (above current levels) of eliminating chronic homelessness. Chronic homelessness basically refers to being homeless for more than six months or experiencing a recurrence within three years.
The AMO findings gave rise to questions such as, would you be willing to forego the $121 (and/or the $200 cheque) to contribute to housing justice in Ontario?
The emergency shelter for Cornerstone, an Anglican Community Ministry, has been turning away 100 women every month because its 165-bed shelter is constantly full. Crosstalk reported last month that the shelter struggles against rising costs to meet the growing demand for its services.
In Perth, the Rev. Canon Ken Davis is appealing to residents who can afford it, to donate their $200 cheque to Community Housing Initiative Perth (CHIP).“It’s all about fundraising now,” he says, referring to CHIP’s 15-unit project in downtown Perth. More than 300 residents of the town are in need of affordable housing. St. James the Apostle, Perth plays a leadership role in the community project.
The AMO report, Municipalities Under Pressure: The Human and Financial Cost of Ontario’s Homelessness Crisis, found that the number of people experiencing “known” homelessness — those known to the homeless-serving system and largely including those in shelters, hotels, or in locations such as in tents or outdoor spaces — has gone up by 25 per cent since 2022.
The report found that refugees and asylum seekers who historically have not remained in shelters for prolonged periods are now increasingly staying in the system long enough to meet the threshold for chronic homelessness. Cornerstone has seen an increase of 340 per cent in one year in the number of newcomers to Canada coming to the shelter.
To learn more or donate to Cornerstone Housing for Women:
To learn more or donate to the Community Housing Initiative Perth project:
Hamilton Hall, Hawkesbury — Stormont Deanery