‘It hasn’t been good’: Life on Hamilton’s streets in December

It's just before 4 p.m. and John Losier is on a downtown Hamilton street corner.

Losier isn't sure where he and his fiancee will hunker down as dusk settles in.

I don't know yet. I'm trying to figure that out."

It has been like that for awhile. The night before, it was a stairwell.

Yeah, it hasn't been good. I wish it was."

Losier, 48, and his partner aren't the only ones sleeping outside on the brink of winter.

This week, to address a shortage of options, council approved spending for a suite of short-term remedies for the months ahead as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on.

• $1 million for 80 to 100 beds at a temporary women's shelter operated by Good Shepherd at the former Cathedral Boys' school on Main Street East. Another $150,000 is for renovations;

• Cathedral has served as an overflow space for men during the pandemic. With its transition to a women's service, the city is creating 28 temporary beds for men elsewhere in the system at a cost of $350,000;

• $500,000 for renovations at YWCA Hamilton so the agency can keep running an overnight drop-in space for 22 women with addiction and mental-health issues;

• $500,000 for an Emerging Needs Fund meant to prevent and address" homelessness among Indigenous residents;

• As much as $500,000 to help community groups, such as churches and social clubs, support vulnerable residents" this winter.

The plan is to draw on provincial and federal funding meant to address homelessness.

It comes not only after the city's acknowledgement of a shortage of appropriate shelter spaces, but also during a polarizing public debate over the dismantlement of encampments of homeless people.

While city politicians have backed bylaw enforcement to clear parks of tents and debris - the source of neighbourhood complaints - other people, including doctors and outreach volunteers, have condemned the teardowns amid a lack of viable housing options.

At the end of September, there were 1,375 people on Hamilton's byname list, which includes those who have used services that help homeless people, including shelters, drop-in centres and outreach efforts.

That's a higher number than any other time this year or last, but data collection has improved, which may have led to the identification of more people, notes a city report.

Of that total, about 47 per cent are chronically homeless, at least six months in the past year or for at least 18 months over the past three years. The list doesn't capture those who fly under the radar.

Shelter stays are also growing longer. Last year, the average stay lengthened by 18 per cent.

The pandemic-related bottleneck comes as shelters struggle to maintain staffing while the women's system, in particular, continues to face a chronic shortage of beds.

The council-approved winter boost is not a long-term solution, but still crucial, says Katherine Kalinowski, chief operating officer of Good Shepherd Centres in Hamilton.

We have a critical situation in this community and the critical situation for women has existed for a very long time. It's not just pandemic-based or more recent."

Rev. Tony O'Dell of St. Patrick Parish, which operates an outreach centre near the corner of King Street East and Victoria Avenue South, says the lineups for free meals are growing.

We were talking about 300 prior to the pandemic. Now, we've had days where we've actually gone over 550."

O'Dell, whose parish opened its doors as a daytime rest and hygiene space in the thick of the pandemic, says he's very interested" in ways St. Patrick can help this winter.

The city struggles to offer temporary shelter and permanent housing for those who have the most severe mental-health and addiction issues.

It's a gap that requires provincial health dollars to provide the necessary support services to keep people off the street, says Edward John, the city's housing director.

When someone is homeless, by definition, you're thinking they need a home, and it's true, but it's not the entire story," John said.

I think what you've got to recognize is that the housing system really only exists because people have been failed."

In a recent report, the city noted of roughly 100 encampment residents, the average time spent homeless was 2.6 years, while 64 per cent displayed a high acuity of social needs."

Behaviour that can stem from mental illness or addiction can lead to people being banned from shelters for spells.

But some also eschew shelters for those same reasons, and others fear theft, violence and coronavirus.

Last week, another door closed when the city temporarily stopped admitting couples into hotel rooms operated by agency partners due to incidents of concern" including domestic violence.

We want to make sure that individual health and safety is prioritized," John said.

Losier and his partner, who didn't wish to be interviewed, had been living outside in a tent well before then.

Three weeks ago, the city, enforcing a bylaw that prohibits tents in public spaces, made them leave Beasley Park.

We left our mattresses and everything behind," said Losier, recalling the chaos of having to pack up their belongings in short order.

It was traumatic and destabilizing, especially for his fiancee, who has mental-health challenges, Losier said.

Right now, she's the most vulnerable she's ever been," he said. I can't leave her alone."

That's why splitting up to stay in gender-specific shelters isn't an option, Losier said.

She will fight tooth and nail not to be separated," he said. She's terrified."

They stayed at a friend's place for a few days, but had to leave. Since then, they've been on the move.

All over the place, really. Nowhere that's comfortable and nowhere that's safe."

Losier, a carpenter who worked full time before falling onto hard times, says the key to putting their lives back together is a stable place to reside.

Then, he could start taking on odd jobs - a kitchen reno here and there - to make ends meet.

In the meantime, his partner's condition is deteriorating.

The longer we're out here, the worse she's getting."

Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com