Oxford County’s new strategy to address homelessness

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tillsonburg Mayor Deb Gilvesy believes Oxford County’s new homelessness strategy is a step in the right direction.

Oxford County Council recently passed a Homelessness Response Strategy called Housing for All. It is described as a multifaceted approach containing several steps, provisions and partnerships with community groups in an effort to greatly reduce homelessness in Oxford by 2033.

The plan includes $500,000 for a homelessness prevention program along with 10 new transitional and 10 supportive housing beds at the new Homelessness Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in downtown Woodstock, although there is no word when that will open. It will also create an ad hoc committee to provide feedback on possible locations for a homelessness support centre.

The HART Hub in Woodstock is one of 18 the province announced in January. The goal of the Oxford HART Hub is to lower homelessness rate, reduce emergency room visits, and increase the health outcomes for Oxford residents. Proposed services at the hub include: primary and psychiatric care, mental health and addiction services, emergency shelter, income support, and family services and supports.

“This is a big step to being on the right path,” Gilvesy said. “A lot of it is about coordination. There are a lot of amazing groups in the county and this will pull it all together.”

There are currently no crisis or transitional beds in the county, so she said this is a new approach.

There were 166 people were known to be experiencing active homelessness in the county in January of this year. Of these, 66 per cent had a diagnosed mental illness and 69 per cent were going through substance abuse. Nine per cent were identified as experiencing domestic violence, 11 per cent were Indigenous and eight per cent were young people. Tillsonburg has an estimated 20 homeless people.

“It would give hope to the individuals because when all this comes together there will be support. The key component is having the beds,” Gilvesy said.

Although the services will be centred in Woodstock, Gilvesy said it will help the homeless situation in Tillsonburg. Asked how people from Tillsonburg will end up in Woodstock, Gilvesy said that is something the sub-committee set up on homelessness will examine. She is a member of the committee, along with the mayors of Ingersoll and Woodstock and Warden Marcus Ryan.

- With files from Lee Griffi