Without prompt governmental action, overwhelmed shelters and exhausted support services continue to push houseless Hamiltonians, including students, to the cold winter streets
It’s no news that Hamilton’s houseless population is surging.
For the past few years, headlines have reported and warned of the dramatic growth in the number of unhoused Hamiltonians. Yet, governmental action taken to support these individuals in the face of other critical crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and escalating inflation, has seen little improvement.
For one, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated social inequalities and resulted in an increase in unhoused families and individuals.
Alongside the hardships imposed by the pandemic, Hamilton’s housing crisis has seen no improvements in the past year as renters, like McMaster students, continue to battle sky-high prices.
Currently, rent is so unaffordable that post-secondary students make up a third of the resident population at the Covenant House Toronto shelter. With the unaffordability of housing here in Hamilton, it’s no doubt that students in our communities are facing similar circumstances, putting their well-being and education at stake.
These issues together, compounded by the current financial state of the nation, have made the sheer cost of living for an average Canadian ridiculously unaffordable. In fact, Hamilton is now ranked the third least affordable city in all of North America.
To make matters worse, Hamilton's network of homeless shelters and drop-in locations are overwhelmed as their resources are dwindling whilst the federal government’s half-million dollar Expanded Winter Response Fund has been scrapped this year.
The ongoing threat of COVID-19 and the closure of an isolation centre for COVID-positive houseless individuals is also putting shelter users and employees at risk, amid the shortage of shelter beds and space.
With a limited capacity to support those in need of shelter, this winter brings trepidation and concerns for a rise in the number of frostbite cases, respiratory illness cases, hospitalizations and deaths, as unhoused individuals turn to encampments and the congregate, high-occupancy shelters.
The current housing crisis and rise in inflation have also pushed post-secondary students to the streets.
Research at the homeless hub indicates that an estimated 80,000 post-secondary students across Canada are houseless and this number may be a lot higher with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is a need for the city of Hamilton to communicate its findings and progress in a more equitable manner to all stakeholders including the community members being affected by these decisions and further empower the participation by its residents to help make decisions about development.
Currently, rent is so unaffordable that post-secondary students make up a third of the resident population at the Covenant House Toronto shelter. With the unaffordability of housing here in Hamilton, it’s no doubt that students in our communities are facing similar circumstances, putting their well-being and education at stake.
So far, the city of Hamilton is allocating 125,000 dollars for the operation of drop-in overnight emergency warming centers for unhoused individuals until March 31st. While this will provide relief for several houseless Hamiltonians, it is a short-term band-aid solution.
Despite the city having an overdue 10-year Housing & Homelessness Action Plan since 2004, it’s hard to see any significant actionable change in the community.
Surely, the goals and outcomes listed in their hefty annual report sound good but there is limited evidence available on the city of Hamilton’s website to support their progress.
A case study on Hamilton by the Canadian Human Rights Commission critiqued the city’s response to encampments and revealed a number of human rights issues that needed to be addressed, further indicating that a lot of progress is needed to resolve Hamilton’s housing and houselessness crises.
There is a need for the city of Hamilton to communicate its findings and progress in a more equitable manner to all stakeholders including the community members being affected by these decisions and further empower the participation by its residents to help make decisions about development.
As the houseless population grows, we must recognize that this is a Canada-wide problem that requires federal government input.
For a country that forms alliances with others, lends a global helping hand and warmly welcomes many others to the land of opportunity, it’s disappointing to see critical issues within our nation repeatedly neglected.
This winter, houseless individuals in our community and communities across Canada are paying the price of structural neglect.
Whether it is the limited shelter capacities, heightened risk of freezing to death this winter, or the sheer unaffordability of life, this is not as good as it gets for unhoused Canadians and the governments that have sworn to serve us must step up and do better.
We need to continue using cash as a form of payment in order to include low-income folks in our society
As we go about our lives, you may have noticed that we are going increasingly paperless. Whether it’s spending money on your morning coffee, buying groceries or making a purchase online, many people opt for their debit or credit card as opposed to cash. In the world of Apple and Google Pay, it’s as easy as pressing a few buttons on your phone and holding it over the card machine.
However, going cashless isn’t easy for everyone as it excludes a large number of low-income folks and especially, houseless people.
To own a debit or credit card, you need to own a bank account. To do this, though, many Canadian banks, if not all, ask you for an address. It’s clear how this can be an issue for houseless folks or people who do not have stable housing — what address are they supposed to put?
In light of the Defund HPS protest that occurred this past November, it’s evident that lack of permanent housing is an issue that hits close to home. Additionally, banks often require you to deposit up to $100 in order to start a bank account, which can be a huge cost for some.
However, going cashless isn’t easy for everyone as it excludes a large number of low-income folks and especially, houseless people.
So although it may be convenient for many people to use their cards, not everyone is able to have a debit or credit card. Then, this leaves us with the problem of a society that is growing increasingly cashless: what do low-income folks do when they are unable to pay for groceries and other necessities because they do not have access to an electronic payment method?
Although many places still accept cash payments, there are many notable changes that have occurred that suggest that one day, we may no longer be able to use cash as a form of payment.
Even bus fares have become electronic. The Hamilton Street Railway stopped selling paper tickets and passes and all paper tickets expired by the end of 2020 in order to promote the use of Presto. While the HSR still accepts cash fares, they are $0.75 more expensive than a one-time Presto fare and your fare must be exact as no change will be provided.
Although you can refill a Presto card using cash, you can face issues loading your card. In addition, a Presto card costs $6, which is an additional financial barrier.
During the pandemic, the desire to rely on our debit and credit cards is even higher, as many people do not want to risk catching COVID by handling cash. Some stores even refuse to accept cash as a precaution. Even if you are able to use cash, many stores prefer electronic payment methods.
Even though I understand why this precaution is in place, the Centers for Disease Control and Contamination have highlighted that it is unlikely that COVID spreads often from touching surfaces, such as money. Thus, it should be safe to accept money, especially if that is the only form of payment someone has. If you want to take extra precautions, you can sanitize the money to make sure that you minimize the risk of COVID.
Even though I understand why this precaution is in place, the Centers for Disease Control and Contamination have highlighted that it is unlikely that COVID spreads often from touching surfaces, such as money.
Despite our movement towards a cashless society and despite the pandemic, we should still be accepting cash. Low-income folks already have so many barriers they have to face. At the very least, they shouldn’t have to worry about whether a store will accept their money.
It’s caring about more than just convenience. It’s caring about low-income folks and houseless folks that have no other option to pay with but cash.
