2.0 - Homelessness, Affordable Housing & Addiction (yes - it is long = sorry)

2.0 - Homelessness, Affordable Housing & Addiction (yes - it is long = sorry)I posted about this subject on August 9th, and it generated a good conversation and questions. This isn't the only important issue for Sarnia during this election cycle, but I need enough information to make informed decisions if necessary. The situation is even more heightened because the county donated land to Indwell, which is now before the Ontario Tribunal for a decision on the Committee of Adjustment decision.

I drove to St Thomas and London on Thursday, August 27th to visit the Indwell facilities. I visited the LOFT first (beautiful murals on the outside of the building). The building housing Indwell is co-occupied by the St Thomas Transportation Authority. The outside area was clean and groomed. I spoke with a worker who was mowing the lawn. I asked if he worked for Indwell. He was a city worker who told me that the City and Police had committed to keep the area clean. They pick up litter and trash. The entrance to the Indwell apartments had a security entrance; hence, I did not try to go in. The door next to it (Transport office) was open. The person there told me what the office was and that Indwell was next door. I asked about problems in the area with Indwell tenants. He said that yes, there were some problems periodically; however, no one was milling around outside, although there was one lady with a walker lighting a cigarette as I left the area.

I then went to the STATION building down the street (about 800 metres between the two facilities.) It was a beautiful building, and again the surrounding area was clean. No one was milling around outside. I was in the auto shop parking lot. Adam Kilner had told me that he spoke with the owner when he visited; hence, I did not talk to them again. (Adam told me that the owner did not have problems with the Indwell facility)

On the way out of St Thomas, we stopped at Tim Hortons for a tea. While waiting for my wife, I heard three men in white painter's attire talking about a job repairing holes at the LOFT. I asked if they were working at the Indwell facility. This unique opportunity provided the following information (given freely by these three workers), listed below for ease of reference.-

• The LOFT facility has 12 tenants.-

• The STATION facility has 52 tenants-

• These guys constantly work to repair these two facilities.

• Tenants are continually making holes in the walls.-

• The story of one tenant who had schizophrenia, hearing voices in the walls, then tore out all the drywall.

• Bipolar tenants punching holes in the doors.

• Indwell ALWAYS repairs the facility after any damage

• A nurse is always on duty to make sure that meds are taken and everyone is safe

• Indwell does not promote drugs but also does not prevent them from being used.

• Indwell provides one hot meal per day.

• These people do not know how to wash dishes or do laundry, etc.

• Indwell teaches them how to do these daily chores

• One fellow told me he was conservative and does not like people becoming dependent on the system; however, he followed up by saying that it was a lot better than people on the street. He said, "You have to be compassionate"

• All three knew about the controversy in Sarnia about Indwell, and they said once a facility is operational, people will change their minds.

• I stated to them that part of the problem was that, in Sarnia, the proposed site was in a residential area. They told me that Indwell in St. Thomas is currently building their 3rd site in a residential neighbourhood!

• The oldest of the three men told me that he has a 30-something-year-old daughter who is on Fentanyl in London. He does not know if she is even alive until she contacts him. He told me that London's Indwell facilities (6, I think) are graded by how bad the drug use is - from most severe downward.

They were very forthcoming and informative about how they observed life in these buildings.

We then drove to London to see a couple of facilities there. On the way to an Indwell facility in Dundas, we went past the St Joseph Hospitality Centre at the corner of Adelaide and Queen. This is the equivalent of Sarnia's Inn of the Good Shepherd. Upwards of 150 people on the premises, with the outer corners being filled with people who were high. Three police cars, with 5 police officers there. I am not sure if they are regularly there or if there was an incident.

The Indwell facilities we saw in London had many more people milling around outside than we saw in St Thomas.

A couple of observations from me:

#1 – The approximate population of St Thomas is 43,000. The approximate population of London is 430,000. Sarnia's population is approximately 73000 and depending on where you draw the north-south split – ie Exmouth Street or 402- there are approximately 35,000 South, 35000 North, with 3500 in Bright's Grove.

#2 – The homeless population in St Thomas in 2024 was 265. Today, in St Thomas, with Indwell facilities, it is 86. The homeless population in London with 6 Indwell facilities is 2000. The homeless population in Sarnia with no facilities is 300. Sarnia needs to reduce our homeless population to levels similar to those in St. Thomas. The newest Indwell facility in St Thomas, to be built in a residential area, will help them reach their goal of no one homeless in 2027

#3 – In my last post on August 9th regarding this subject on Facebook, I mentioned a back-and-forth in the Sarnia Journal between Nathan Calquhoun and George Esser of the Vineyard about the Vineyard facility going drug-free. Esser stated that the Vineyard lost 70% of participants when they announced the drug-free policy, but those clients came back over the next year. Please read the article to gain the context that is needed to understand my next statement.

My contention is that without the 2, 3 or 4 years that the Vineyard operated giving meals and shelter to those even when on drugs, the returning clients would never have happened. Those people who left after the drug-free decision had a reference for what a good meal, shelter, and care were all about. They decided to return based on the experience they had during that period. Without that frame of reference, those people would never have gotten clean.

You can not tell a person with an addiction, of any type, to shape up and get clean.

Even with full abstinence programs, including direct support and encouragement, there are relapses and many restarts.

We owe it to our fellow humans to treat them as humans, look them in the eye and acknowledge them as we lend a helping hand. The Indwell model will help both those needing it on the street and Sarnia, as a city, to reduce homelessness.

If elected as a city councilor, my aim will be to help bring these facilities to Sarnia in areas deemed the best fit. Wherever that is, I will work as a councillor, with the police and others, to keep all citizens safe from harm and keep our city clean and presentable.