Tim Archer was recently camping in front of City Hall for a week gathering signatures in hopes of getting a homeless shelter in Cornwall Ontario. Reggie Walker (aka Gary Samler) has also brought the issue of homelessness to the news by choosing to experience it first hand to better understand it. In this past provincial election Poverty Free Ontario ran a reverse campaign to help elect candidates sensitive to poverty. While the Social Development Council of Cornwall and the Agape continuously address issues of poverty in our community. However, does Cornwall really need a homeless shelter? I think it is an issue that should be studied and given serious attention. Homelessness in smaller communities is not always visible like it is in larger cities like Toronto and Ottawa, and there are different forms of homelessness. For example someone who is couch surfing or someone who does not have a secure and safe home falls under the umbrella of homelessness. Most homeless people do not choose to be homeless, and not everyone who is homeless is a substance abuser. In fact many homeless people in Canada either lost their job, cannot find affordable housing, or have mental health issues. Social development is just as important as economic development, and if there is indeed a homelessness issue in Cornwall, it should be addressed. Any study should gather information from different stakeholders, from tax payers, to local charity and non profit groups, social workers, hospitals, police, and of course homeless people. If there is a need for a homeless shelter, and I strongly suspect there is, it should be run by a non profit group and subsidized by the City. A homeless shelter, although important, is a band-aid solution. More affordable housing will reduce homelessness and a guaranteed living wage will reduce the amount of working poor. However the goal should be to eliminate poverty, not to simply reduce it.
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