homeless Archives — Lindsay Advocate

Pandemic shows true picture of homelessness in Kawartha Lakes

Published on September 10, 2020 in Community by Denis Grignon

On the surface, it would seem that the pandemic created a surge in homelessness in Kawartha Lakes. Indeed, A Place Called Home did see its client base increase three-fold since COVID, says its interim executive director, David Tilley.

As reported in The Advocate earlier this week safety protocols at the start of the pandemic lead to the closure of the agency’s 19-bed shelter. This meant relocating those residents – and any new, additional ones – into local motels. Since then, the agency is consistently providing rooms for between 45 and 55 individuals.

Keep Reading

Homeless shelter needs re-imagining, says city manager

Published on September 7, 2020 in Municipal by Kirk Winter

Hope Lee, manager of human services–housing, shared a report with council laying out in stark terms the homelessness crisis in Kawartha Lakes, and how it has been affected by the pandemic.

She also shared how a re-imagination of A Place Called Home, the area’s only homeless shelter, might positively impact the number of beds available for those who have nowhere to go.

Keep Reading

A Place Called Home: 25 years of fighting for justice for people who are homeless

Published on March 16, 2020 in Community/Social Issues by Zita Devan

It was a chance meeting on a Monday in 1985 that would alter my life path for good. The meeting was with a young man with curly blond hair who, in many ways, looked very much like one of my own teenage sons. I was working at Fleming College at the time, coordinating a government program to help youth who had left high school and lacked job experience.

Keep Reading

More children than adults at A Place Called Home this Christmas

Published on December 3, 2019 in Community/Social Issues by Roderick Benns

The sound of children’s voices during the holidays typically conjures feelings of warmth and sentimentality – unless, of course, those voices are in a homeless shelter.

It’s a jarring mental image but one that A Place Called Home in Lindsay is being forced to contemplate.

Keep Reading

Tall order: A Place Called Home’s Dave Tilley always on lookout for shelter funding

Published on June 26, 2019 in Community by Jamie Morris

“Stay where you’re to ‘till I comes to where you’re at.” That’s what I told Dave Tilley, A Place Called Home’s manager of fund development and operations when I dropped in to meet with him. It’s a Maritime expression he’s familiar with: after all, he grew up in Conception Bay South, met his wife when both were students at Memorial University, and each summer delivers their two kids to Newfoundland to spend summer vacation with the grandparents. He’s been steeped in Newfoundlandese.

Dave has a diverse set of responsibilities. When I dropped in, he could have been in any of a number of locations. That morning’s checklist included everything from a health and safety meeting and looking into a used truck purchase to installation of some paper towel dispensers.

Keep Reading

The 4 key ways basic income changed people’s work lives for the better

Published on February 6, 2019 in Community/Education/Social Issues by Roderick Benns

While the federal government may be considering the merits of a basic income for Canadians, those participating in the Ontario pilot know already how it was changing their lives for the better.

In fact, there were four key ways basic income directly affected people’s work lives, according to survey information – more learning and education; affordability of transportation; starting or maintaining a business; and childcare.

Keep Reading

Poverty to hope and back again: Study reveals why basic income held such promise

Published on January 22, 2019 in Community/Social Issues by Roderick Benns

Study results from the Ontario Basic Income Pilot’s baseline survey have now been released, revealing the stories of participants who were hoping to break the cycle of poverty, find better jobs and opportunities, stabilize their housing, and improve their health and well-being.

The baseline survey was conducted by an arms-length, independent evaluation team led by St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Under the initial agreement signed by enrollees, the descriptive statistics were to be made available to pilot participants who requested the survey results (no personal information was included).

When entering the basic income pilot, a large majority (81 per cent of participants) were in moderate or severe psychological distress. Inadequate access to health care was also identified by many: 40 per cent had unmet health care needs (most often because of costs, such as for medication) and less than half of participants had visited a dentist in the year prior to joining the basic income pilot. Chronic pain, mental health illness and mobility challenges were some of the disabilities basic income enrollees listed.

Keep Reading

‘Crisis’ in Lindsay as homeless diverted elsewhere; food bank says ‘we need help’

Published on June 7, 2018 in Community/Social Issues by Roderick Benns

With Kawartha Lakes’ homeless shelter, A Place Called Home, at full capacity for the better part of a week, homeless people are being diverted to Peterborough or Oshawa.

Meanwhile, one of the founding volunteers of Lindsay’s food bank, Bev Gimbel, says “we’re at a crisis.”

Keep Reading

Four new programs to increase availability of affordable housing

Published on March 27, 2018 in Community/Social Issues by Roderick Benns

In keeping with the goal to improve community access to safe, affordable housing, the City of Kawartha Lakes and the County of Haliburton are pleased to open registration for four programs on April 1.

Keep Reading

The week before Christmas at A Place Called Home

Published on December 21, 2017 in Around Town/Community/Social Issues by Roderick Benns

As families settle into holiday mode its worth reflecting on the fact that not everyone has a place to live – even in a small town like Lindsay.

Just four days before Christmas, there are 17 people in town – three of them children under 12 – who are homeless. Fortunately, they’ve got A Place Called Home to get them through what is hopefully a temporary situation.

Keep Reading