By Cecilia Nasmith/Northumberland 89.7 FM/Today’s Northumberland
On nights as bitter as the ones we’ve been having lately, Integrated Homelessness and Addiction Response Centre director Jordan Stevenson finds the homeless population will do almost anything to survive – and will not always stay within the law.
Stevenson shared his experiences with the Cobourg Police Services Board at their February meeting, calling for a co-ordinated response to this problem that could involve members of the Cobourg Police Service.
Established almost a year ago to help centralize service access and provide front-line assistance, this organization grew out of a chain of events that began with the 2022 creation of an emergency warming room in Port Hope to address the problem of homeless people crowding bus shelters. Within a few months, council passed a bylaw to shut it down.
Stevenson refused “to accept that red tape” and created the Buddy Bus in early 2023.
“That countered bylaw restrictions, because it’s very hard to zone something that’s on wheels,” he said.
And last year, he founded IHARC.
He referred to local social-service provision as “very chaotic, sporadic and very patched together. Systems and bylaws prevent effective care despite the best intentions of a lot of people. We wanted to create something that is effective, able to bridge those gaps and overcome systemic barriers without having to rework those systems themselves.”
These services usually only operate during business hours, he said, but homelessness and addictions run 24/7.
“Providing access to services after hours has been immensely beneficial to so many people, and has increased the likelihood that they want to seek care beyond just sustaining themselves.”
Stevenson pointed out that, on many nights recently, the county shelter at 310 Division St., Cobourg, has been at capacity and forced to turn people away. How do these people stay alive and warm until they can find somewhere else, he asked.
“It gets thrown on police services, unfortunately, to deal with the consequences of that,” he said – because in seeking shelter and the means to survive, there is an increased likelihood of crimes being committed.
“That doesn’t make it right, and doesn’t change the police role to enforce the law.”
Sometimes, he sees an officer exercise discretion – delaying clearing out a bank vestibule on exceptionally bitter nights, for example.
“It shouldn’t be on them to have to make those decisions,” he said – which brings up his call for some kind of working relationship between the police and IHARC that sets out procedures more specifically in a Memorandum of Understanding that balances ensuring that people are warm with the public safety that enforcement is designed to protect.
While his organization is currently a private one, dependent on volunteers, partnerships and the philanthropy of his supporters, such a project might qualify for Federal or provincial funding for both parties.
He has seen true excellence in terms of de-escalation and true gallantry in finding ways to help people survive.
“A lot of people believe you can arrest away homelessness, and that’s not the case,” he declared.
When 310 is full, they can hand out hand warmers and emergency blankets, but there’s real suffering.
Bank vestibules aren’t always locked after hours, he noted.
“One night two weeks ago, Scotiabank was actually the third-largest shelter in the county, with eight people, because they could not access 310. I was completely astonished.”
Another thing they resort to is going to houses known to shelter drug operations. If they buy, they can stay while they use. He knows of at least one instance where a man trying to stay clean was forced to resort to this option.
The board voted to receive the report for information. Member Dean Pepper asked when the speaker’s other request might be considered.
Chief Paul VandeGraaf said, “I think I will reserve comment at this time.”
