A long-awaited report to consider options to relocate the city's emergency shelter has been released.
While it notes 17 issues and proposes 36 solutions, Third Party Public said in the report that it's not their "role to have an opinion on if or where the emergency shelter should be relocated."
The consultant said it's their "responsibility to steward a process where people, organizations, and governments in Timmins and the District of Cochrane have room to discuss and make progress on this together."
Third Party Public was hired by the Cochrane District Social Services Board (CDSSAB) last year after Timmins council asked for a report to consider the options for relocating the emergency shelter outside of residential and commercial zones.
Now that the report is out, a steering committee is creating a proposed action plan — including a funding plan — that will be presented at the CDSSAB's March 21 meeting. The action plan is expected to be sent to Timmins council in April.
For that report, all items and actions remain on the table, said CDSSAB communications manager Cameron Grant.
"Based on the information obtained and outlined in the review from multiple parties it is evident that more than one service location may be needed," he said.
The steering committee includes representatives from the CDSSAB, Timmins Police, Eagle Cree Consulting, CAB representative, Porcupine Health Unit, Timmins and District Hospital, CMHA and the Salvation Army.
CDSSAB has not shared the cost of the Third Party Public contract.
"Contract negotiations and awarding process are held in-camera at DSSAB board meetings. As a result, the RFP submission review and subsequent award for Third Party Public were placed in-camera as well. I will share the CDSSAB fully intends to approach the province to explore grant opportunities to support the cost of this review," said Grant.
The shelter relocation review came about after months of debate in the community about the emergency shelter being moved to a residential area.
Last summer, more than 1,200 people packed the McIntyre arena for a town hall meeting, there were protests, and residents filled council chambers and demonstrated outside of city hall.
In July, Timmins council asked the CDSSAB for the relocation review. The city motion also acknowledged its support for a full-service facility and housing services in compatible neighbourhoods, and lobbying upper levels of government for support.
Third Party Public started working on the three-part review in September.
The five outcomes the consultants reported are:
- What's happening in Timmins is not OK. Timmins is not alone in facing these issues. A lot is happening to try and address them.
- There are significant problems with the Living Space emergency shelter today. Different people describe the problems in different ways. Some of the concerns relate to the shelter's location.
- There is a lot of common ground on what a shelter that is working well looks like, regardless of its location.
- Relocation options were explored. They all have benefits and risks.
- There is a willingness in the Timmins community to try and work together to make Timmins better.
The 17 issues raised are:
- Living Space governance is in a period of change.
- Shelter workers are not experienced or trained to deal with the majority of shelter clients.
- There is a need for healing — not only for those experiencing homelessness, but also those working to support people experiencing homelessness, as well as people that are housed. People are experiencing first-hand trauma and vicarious trauma (sometimes referred to as compassion fatigue).
- There are not enough toilets at the emergency shelter and not enough public washrooms in the city.
- There are sanitation issues with garbage and needles in the streets.
- The shelter layout is not conducive to diffusing tensions and conflicts.
- Being excluded from the shelter risks lives and impacts neighbours.
- The emergency shelter does not support people trying to exit addictions.
- There is no mechanism for shelter clients to provide anonymous feedback to shelter staff and management.
- The majority of shelter clients are Indigenous however there are limited Indigenous staff and services are provided in English.
- Communication between the shelter and neighbouring residents is limited.
- There is a lack of information about who is experiencing homelessness in Timmins and why, what services the shelter provides and what other supports organizations have mandates to provide.
- There are people and organizations in Timmins that are not aware of First Nations histories, cultures or the intergenerational impacts of colonization.
- There is a lack of community health facilities.
- There is a lack of housing and lack of supports for people once they are housed.
- There is over-supply of prescription drugs and the common knowledge of drug dealer activities.
- Role of city bylaws in contributing to the challenges shared and solutions proposed during the relocation review.
Some of the solutions include ensuring the shelter's toilets work and providing more public toilets (including port-a-potties), more garbage cans and needle collections, and offering services in Cree and English. There are also suggestions to lobby upper levels of government for health facilities, and improving communication between the shelter, neighbours and stakeholders.
The steering committee coming up with the action plan will collaborate with other organizations and levels of government to act on the solutions, according to Third Party Public.
"In some cases, additional work may be required prior to confirming a path forward. If, after additional investigation, a solution suggested by participants in the process cannot happen or needs to be changed in some way, it will be important that an explanation as to why not be shared by the organization with the mandate to act on that solution, as well as what next steps are contemplated to address the issue," reads the report.
Throughout the process, the consultants estimate that 300-400 unique individuals took part. There were one-on-one meetings, community sessions, and more focused groups with people with lived experience, staff, and Indigenous groups.
The full report is available online here.
