Advocate warns seniors are at risk of homelessness due to rising tax rates

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Just prior to council approving a 5.41 per-cent tax rate increase, a homelessness advocate came to Stratford city hall to warn about what that means for one vulnerable population in particular, seniors.

“Every penny is making a difference,” said Baiba Wilde of Safe Haven Perth, an organization helping those struggling with short-term homelessness in the county.

From her position there, Wilde has seen firsthand how what may seem like a small amount could have large impacts.

She said a common scenario is a senior on a fixed income gets priced out of their own home and has to find somewhere to move. With the increase in rent, it becomes apparent within a couple of months they need more time and will need storage for the lifetime of possessions they have. They couch-surf, move into motels and take on credit-card debt. With storage costs, rising debt payments and the unrelenting cost of living, it becomes insurmountable and suddenly having a place to call home isn’t feasible.

“And that’s when they start moving into shelters or sleeping in their cars,” Wilde said.

Kim McElroy, director of Stratford social services, said Wilde’s presentation was timely. She had just directed staff to pull data on senior homelessness. Anecdotally, the department noticed a marked increase towards the end of last year.

Wilde asked for policies to be created to promote tax relief for qualifying seniors as a way for them to maintain their dignity and continue to live in their homes, rather than entering into the shelter system.

Wilde’s suggestion didn’t gain traction at the meeting; however, her message did. Coun. Bonnie Henderson thanked Wilde for the suggestion, indicating it would be best implemented at the provincial level, given the complexity to manage it.

Coun. Taylor Briscoe echoed what Wilde said and indicated the average age of someone in shelter rose from 35 to 55 in the last 10 years.

“You're seeing a lot more individuals move from shelter directly into long-term care,” Briscoe said. “That used to be the kind of one off and now it's the standard. And so, I thank you for your presentation … but I encourage you to keep asking these questions and bringing these demands forward. We're on the eve of two major elections in Ontario. We have a provincial election coming up in several months and we know we'll have a federal election later this spring or summer. So, all three levels need to address this.”

“It’s a matter of community,” Wilde responded. “It shouldn't be government's responsibility to make sure we look after one another. That's what we need to do – we need to expand our community beyond ourselves.”