If you’ve walked around downtown Cobourg over the past few months, you may have noticed that there are more individuals, appearing to have no shelter, sleeping on benches and in parks. With the closure of Transition House, the Northumberland County shelter, last December, this should not be surprising. However, when Transition House re-opens in the coming weeks, local housing advocates are saying, “don’t expect the situation to suddenly disappear”.
Whether we like it or not, whether we are comfortable with it, or not, more people in Cobourg and the surrounding area are finding themselves homeless. “What we’re seeing is the tip of an iceberg of homelessness that’s been growing for several years,” says David Sheffield of Green Wood Coalition.
A September 2018 report to Northumberland County, by SHS Consulting, indicated that households earning less that $48,000/year are being priced out of home ownership. A person earning minimum wage can’t afford average market rent here. Those on social assistance receive a maximum of $8,600/year. Factor in a rental vacancy rate of below 1% and it’s no wonder we are witnessing this downward shift within our community.
Recent criticism has been directed towards the Cobourg Police Service, describing their station as a “flop house”, and raising concern and fear about individuals sleeping on benches directly outside. This follows the Police Service’s 2017 renovation of the station’s lobby to serve as a space open 24 hours to anyone in need, a “comfort centre”, which includes a public washroom and shower.
The Northumberland Affordable Housing Committee (NAHC) fully supports the warming and cooling space at the police station as a safe, clean place for people with nowhere else to go. It is one piece of an emergency shelter continuum. Without the comfort centre at the police station, vulnerable people would be staying in unsheltered circumstances, at increased risk.
“If people don’t have secure, affordable places to live, they won’t live as long,” says Kristina Nairn, Public Health Nurse and NAHC co-chair. “The difference is life and death, sick or healthy, stigmatized or welcomed, shunned or cared for,” she said, speaking at a recent municipal all-candidates meeting.
Based on data provided by Cobourg Police Service, the lobby has been used 433 times by individuals staying overnight. The youngest individual to use the space was 16, the oldest was 85, and 60% of these individuals were women. Clearly, the comfort center is a vital piece in seeking to address a complex issue within our community.
There are not enough rental units in Cobourg and Port Hope to satisfy the current demand, and this does not even address the issue of affordability. Until significantly more units are built (current demand is estimated at 150), creative solutions like the space at the Cobourg Police Station will be required.
Non-profit housing groups in this area are willing and able to build affordable housing, and can get money through the Federal government’s Co-Investment Fund program. NAHC is calling on Northumberland’s Municipal Mayors and Councillors to show leadership on this issue and take direct action to increase the supply of affordable rental housing in their communities. They’ve petitioned those elected in October 2018 to make this a priority.
Above all, we must remember that individuals who are homeless are human beings with names and life stories. They’ve been hit with hard times, life has thrown them a curve ball and often their stories are very complex. Further isolation by their community would be cruel and only increase their health and social issues–they don’t deserve our scorn, they deserve our compassion.
– The Northumberland Affordable Housing Committee
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
