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A14 - The Canadian Champion, Friday, September 12, 2008 We believe... in hetping. 1More than 1,000 homeless ask for help Anoves Anyer in Ioa' ae Selected Areas ecooiry was .,lowing dowrr- sire said. -Whaî's heen particulariy disturbing or upsetting is that tire nuîrrbers of homne- iess families have reaihy been mncreas- The regron has liad more than 1,000 homeless assistance requests sînce January. In 2007, 1,355 requests were made. Urbanski said she believesç the num- bers are under representaîîons because "people may flot necessarily cati os, even if they are homeless." An Ipsos-Reid Survey in 2005 foond there's an "extremely low awvareness" on issues regarding affordable housing in I-laiton and that 23 per cent of the population faces problemns or know someone facing problemns finding the type of housing they require in Halton. Many are oblivious to the fact homne- lessness does exîst in the largely-afflu- cnt region of Halton, according t0 Sawatzsky -There are stili a lot of people who don't know there are homeiess people in Halton,' she said. l think ils a con- cern the whole community needs to be awarc of and get invulved in." tjrbanski said she believes that since homelessness in Halton isn't as saturat- H amrrltonr or loronto, its ,rssumed to irot exist. in a report on the best practices for homneless youth, entitled 'More Than A Roof,' whicb was published in january 2007, the autîrors found that "there is mucb wotk to be donre and the Salvation Arrny (Ligbthouse Shelter) believes that they are just scratching the surface of exisîîng need.' The report -also concluded that nortb Halton remains seriously under- ser-ved wiîh minimal resources avail- able to homeless families in tlie north. As a malter of fact, three fainilies hase been displaced fromn the norîh as a result." That's something that Urbanskt finds; troubling. She knows of the defi- nite under-funding, noting that whîle some changes have been implemented in tIre rcgîons services, especîally with transittonal housîng, its stili flot enough. "The dîlemma is that we do flot have enougb services (for the homeless) in thîs region. There is absoluîely no question about it," said Urbanski. "Everyone iv being stretched. I guess thaïs the problem." According to Haîtons ltcl ol ,îllordlrblc Ircusin antd suirîri> of low-rent unîts iv irakiirg it too expensive for low-incoîrre people tr lise in Haltoîr, whicb is încreasîog tire rîsk of lromelessircss. In Decembet 2007, Halton regiotral council allocated $3.02 millionî tin fond- ing for seven comnrunuty initiatives to address homelessness aird evicton pre- vention. Tire fonds are being impie- irrented but, accotdtng 1(1 local organi- zations, it isn't etrougir wiîh the mnount- îng nurrîber of horrreless and those ai- risk of hecoming homeiess. According to Paul Johnson, execu- tive dîrector trf Wesley Urban Mînisîries, one of Hamiltons, largest emnergency shelters, inany people are experiencing tough limes. "What we are seetng now is for low- income faîrrilies, the pressure on their budget is hecoming increasingly îîghî, and so 1 hope we are flot on tire verge of' having more people become botrreless because of thaî,- he saîd. "We are fîndîng încreasing airrounts of people accessing food banks, increas- ing anrounts trf people needîng cîrrer- gency homnes for utilities atrd reirlers and thaîs an indicationr that people are in preîîy difficuit circumstances." Last year. Burlington-based Transitions ftrr Youîh worked with 128 homeless youth in Halton and support- cd 170 youîhs at-iisk of homelessness in Halton. "They're homneless for many reasons and its flot a simple reason," said Ellîs Katsof, executive dircctor of Transitions for Youîb. Although the goal is to gel the youîh support services in Halton, they do refer them to Hamilton, notably Notre Dame House for youth 16 10 21 years of age. Transitions for Youîh tnies to refer some homeiess youîhs te, the Lighlhouse Sheiter, which bas "somne beds for youîrg people, but ils really for aduits," noted Kacsof. The More Than A Roof report fur- ther nîrted that Halion yîrutb 'clearly îndicaîed tirai havîîrg optionrs titat ailow youtirs bo sîay in their îrwî coimnîniity is desîrable, tbut tiat dteîr arec rurrenily few prograirrs thai allrrw for tius. To batîle ycrutlrioieesrs Traîrsitions for Youti liras set uîr Bridging tire Gap prograîri, wiclr aburs at assîsîing lroîneless orr att isk y rttîs beîween the ages ori 16 to 24. The Trairsîitirai Housîng Projeci bas also been iînplemenîed ici lelp bîrmeless youîlr gain fle skills hy living together wiîlr otirers in a hîruse. "These are individuals tiratjust don't have the skiffs to do that on their own. That'q one of the reasons why îhey are hoirreless," said Katsof. Lînks2Care, anoîber tialîoîr-based moiti-service îrrganfizatîîrî, offers tran- sîtionai housîng for famnilies that wotild otlrerwise be lroirreless. Annuaily, the Transîtional Housiîrg programt provides lemporary accommodation for atI last six adults and 12 cirildren. Urbanski maînîained that aithough Halton Region iv generally well-off, more attentionr aird resources need to be made avaîlabie to a growing popula- lion that isnit as fortunate. . W/hile thîs cotrmunity may be one of the better otes and luckîer ones... we certainly can't pretend that il (homte- lessness) doesnît exîst, because il does," site said. Do you have diabetes? The Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and your local Diabetes Centres invite aduits with diabetes living in Mississauga, Oakville, Milton, Halton His or South Etobicoke to give their input Into improving diabetes services by completing a 5 minute online survey at www.mississauuahaltonlhin.on.ca The Mssissauga Halton LHIN is one of 14 Local Healih Integration Neiworks (LHINs) established by the Government of Ontario in order iv plan, fund, and monitor health care services ai the local level. iF1'Ontario For more Information, please contact: www.mississauoahaltonlhin.on.ca or cali (905) 337-7131. Y -------