Findings of homelessness projects in Leamington announced

LEAMINGTON — The Leamington Homelessness Project is an initiative that began to come together in 2019 and last week, after months of work and collaboration, the findings of the project were announced.

On Friday, September 17, the South Essex Community Council (SECC) brought together representatives of the municipality, Family Services Windsor-Essex Housing Connections.

“We’ve learned a lot over these past months and as a collaborative, we’ve gained a better understanding of the challenges in accessing local services,” said Carolyn Warkentin, Executive Director of SECC. “The project report offers some excellent recommendations to move our community forward in its efforts to end homelessness in Leamington and the surrounding area.”

This past June and July, staff from local service organizations interviewed people who were experiencing homelessness or were at-risk of homelessness at Leamington food banks, meal programs and outdoor settings.

Mayor Hilda MacDonald applauded the efforts of the SECC and local ministers for bringing the homelessness issue to her attention.

Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald, left, stands with Homelessness Project leader Alissa Enns, Housing Information Services representative Lisa Bezaire, SECC Executive Director Carolyn Warkentin, and Family Service Windsor-Essex co-ordinator Colm Holmes as they present ‘Finding Home’, a look at housing and homelessness in Leamington.

SUN photo

“I was eight weeks into the job when I was approached by a group of local ministers,” she said. “That group now has 30 members, including seven churches and 13 services clubs being involved.”

MacDonald said that once the group found out there was a need, there was no turning back.

“It’s a matter of people coming together,” she said. “The team has been working together since 2019 to develop a made-in-Leamington solution.”

Alissa Enns, project leader spoke of the results of the survey that was done this summer and said that out of 72 people surveyed, just over half of them had housing, with 17 of them having no shelter at all. Another 14 had limited shelter and were doing ‘couch-surfing’, staying with friends and family.

“Overall data shows a trend of long-term and cyclical homelessness,” she said.

Enns and her group made recommendation based on the results of the survey, which included a drop-in service to be established, housing services located in Leamington and the county and said it’s essential that a long-term solution be found in Leamington.

The report from the homelessness project can be found at secc.on.ca/findinghome.

Lisa Bezaire from Housing Intervention Services joined Colm Holmes, Coordinator from the Windsor-Essex Housing Connections (WEHC), as they both spoke to the need of safe, affordable housing all across the county.

“Homelessness often goes unnoticed because it’s largely hidden,” said Holmes.

Holmes said that WEHC has staff onsite at SECC in Leamington during regular business hours and has a hotline to call after hours.

“This will really help people and really will improve their lives,” he said.

For Warkentin and her staff, they are elated and expect to make a big announcement this week to further the results of the project, but there is still work to be done.

“Five people have been housed since June of this year,” she said. “But there’s still a lot to do.”