Successful wrap up to the 20,000 Homes Registry Week for the homeless

Over 40 volunteers and professional staff surveyed 112 people without permanent homes to assess their housing and health care needs as part of the City’s first Registry Week. Of those surveyed, 78 were in Lindsay, 8 in the outer areas of the City and 26 in the County of Haliburton.

Survey sites included known areas with unsheltered individuals, within agencies that provide services to the homeless populations, at food banks and libraries and at special events in parks across the City and County. In addition to completing surveys, the volunteers and staff were successful in creating public awareness around homelessness.

This was a key first step in the Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton campaign to end homelessness, which is connected to the national 20,000 Homes Campaign and includes a commitment to house 24 of the most vulnerable homeless in our community by July 2018.

Some results were surprising. In addition to the overall high number of homeless in the community, were the statistics related to health care use and daily functions. For example:

• 81 people visited the Emergency Room 246 times in the last 6 months (these people visited the ER every other month, or more, on average)
• 31 people required an ambulance trip 58 times in the last 6 months
• 35 people reported hospitalization as an inpatient 86 times in the last 6 months
• 47 people (42%) do not have planned activities each day that bring happiness and fulfillment other than simply surviving

“We will use the results of the campaign to prioritize actions and work with stakeholders to increase the coordination of resources for the most vulnerable in our community,” comments Rod Sutherland, Director of Human Services.

For a copy of the presentation provided at the community update and the initial results please visit the City’s website at this link: http://www.city.kawarthalakes.on.ca/residents/housinghelp

L-R: Councillor Stephen Strangway, Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Jamie Schmale, Councillor Patrick O’Reilly

20K Homes – Participant

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For more information please contact:

Hope Lee
Manager, HSS-Social Housing
705-324-9870 Extension 3102
hlee@city.kawarthalakes.on.ca