Christian Harvey, Executive Director of Transition House, is likeable, a good presenter and clearly skilled at managing a crowd.
That skill was particularly evident in how effectively kept a lid on the elephant in the room at the November 4th ‘Homelessness in Northumberland County’ meeting at Trinity United Church:
Why isn’t Transition House controlling drug use and the associated behaviour inside and outside its premises?
Instead, the discussion seemed to become a referendum on whether the audience cared about homeless seniors. Cindy Beman, whose contribution seemed orchestrated to redirect the conversation, told the story of an 87-year-old woman facing a ten-year wait for supported housing. I doubt there was anyone in that room who would disagree that elderly people forced out of the housing market because of financial circumstances deserve shelter and support. It felt as though questioning Transition House meant we were somehow turning our backs on seniors bearing the brunt of the housing crisis.
In fact, if Transition House were properly operating as the high-barrier shelter mandated by Northumberland County Council, more resources and space might be available for people genuinely seeking transitional housing and support. I wonder how many people who need shelter are uncomfortable staying there because of the chaos and behavioural issues associated with drug use. Are those engaged in illegal drug activity effectively taking priority?
With 709 turnaways reported in their statistics, it is clear that demand exceeds available capacity. How can Cobourg continue to absorb this demand without addressing the impact on existing residents, neighbourhoods and other people seeking safe shelter? Why is Northumberland Social Services allowing additional people to enter an already overcrowded system without first addressing capacity and the needs of the community?
I was stunned to learn, in a response confirmed by Bill Smith of Northumberland Community & Social Services, that someone experiencing homelessness regardless of their circumstances, can come from anywhere, use 555 Courthouse Road as their address and establish themselves as a Northumberland County resident. This gave new meaning to Christian’s confusing reference to people in the shelter who “see themselves as being from Cobourg.” What exactly are the residency criteria, and why is this arrangement being permitted?
Christian repeatedly stated that housing is a human right. I question how that principle translates into practice when some individuals may be unable to care for themselves, let alone maintain a home. Who is expected to take responsibility when someone cannot meet the basic requirements of living independently? And realistically, who would rent to someone whose behaviour makes them an unreliable or unsafe tenant?
More importantly, if housing is a human right, why does Cobourg appear to be carrying so much of the responsibility while other Northumberland communities are not making comparable efforts to provide shelter?
Housing is a provincial responsibility. With the housing crisis affecting communities across Ontario, shouldn’t the province mandate that every municipality provide a proportionate number of shelter beds based on population? This would distribute responsibility more fairly rather than allowing individual communities to shoulder a disproportionate burden.
Finally, there is the question of governance. The apparent failure to consistently adhere to the high-barrier requirements and Emergency Care Establishment (ECE) bylaw provisions raises serious concerns about oversight. Who is ensuring that Transition House follows the requirements? It doesn’t appear to be the governing body that is Northumberland County Community & Social Services.
When one individual appears to have so much discretion over how the facility operates, without transparent enforcement or meaningful accountability, it raises concerns about whether the established rules are being treated as optional.
If one man decides how he’s going to run things then we must ask, is the operation of Transition House verging on the edge of authoritarianism?
Thanks,
Carol
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
