Dear editor,
The homeless count for the Comox Valley that was released recently is very concerning and sad.
All of us need to be concerned for the unhoused people in our community and unite to be part of the solution as complex as the issue is.
Why are people unhoused? The leading reason for being unhoused stated by respondents in the count was lack of income (56 per cent). Along with building housing, we need to lift people out of poverty so they can afford to meet their basic human needs. Income inequity is an increasing problem and underlies our housing crisis.
The next reasons respondents said they became homeless was because of substance use (31 per cent) or mental health issues (27 per cent) - both health conditions that require treatment and support.
Research shows that people need to be housed, some with multiple supports attached to their housing before they can address their health conditions. Stable housing is the first step.
Do unhoused people come from outside our community? No! The count shows that 66 per cent of respondents have lived in the Comox Valley for more than five years and 16 per cent have lived in our community their whole life. Unhoused people are our fellow community members and deserve better.
The Coalition to End Homelessness is working to find temporary shelter for the upcoming cold weather, and this is very important, but it is an emergency response, not a long-term solution. We need to be and are working on long-term solutions in the Comox Valley also.
Since the count was done last March there has been progress on long-term solutions. For example:
路 65 people who were in a temporary shelter at the time of the count now have permanent supportive housing.
路 33 permanent shelter beds have been funded (they were temporary and seasonal beds at the time of the count).
路 40 units of affordable housing for women and children leaving violence have opened.
路 52 units of affordable housing for seniors and people with disabilities have opened.
And currently being built are:
路 48 units of affordable housing for vulnerable women, children, and gender-diverse people.
路 40 units of affordable housing for seniors and single people.
There are also several organizations preparing applications right now for the newly announced provincial Community Housing Fund to build more affordable housing in our community.
None of this progress would be possible without staff of several local non-profit organizations, local municipal elected officials and staff and provincial government elected officials and staff working together to create housing solutions. This is not easy work 鈥� in fact it is very difficult and exhausting! They are doing it on behalf of all of us who want to see people housed in our community.
It has taken us 30-40 years in Canada to get to this state of intersecting crises of housing, income inequity and mental health and substance use health challenges. There are no quick solutions, and it won鈥檛 be solved overnight but join in and be part of the solution 鈥� it is not 鈥渢heir鈥� problem 鈥� it is 鈥渙ur 鈥減roblem.
At the very least, the next time you pass an unhoused person in the community smile and say hello. Make sure they know they are part of our community.
Betty Tate,
Courtenay
