Homelessness in Waterloo Region

November 29, 2002

In spite of progress, many families are poorer than ever

Kitchener-Waterloo Record (Opinion): Brice Balmer, president of SPCKW and chaplain at House of Friendship, writes that: "Campaign 2000 released its 2002 report card on child poverty on Monday. Statistics showed a decrease in the number of children who were living in homes where more than 56 per cent was spent for necessities: food, shelter, utilities and clothing. ...

"But other portions of the report were less well reported. Many children and their parents were poorer than ever. With increased rents, higher food costs and more fees for necessary services in health care and recreation, parents were unable to provide adequately for themselves and their children."

November 28, 2002

Affordable Housing Ideas

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation offers the Affordable Housing Ideas tool, "a collection of concepts that may help you develop a plan of action to address local housing issues. It presents a range of strategies, illustrated by real case studies, that have been used by private, non profit and public sectors in varied contexts and for diverse purposes. "

November 27, 2002

Average Rental Vacancy Rates Rise

Canada Mortgage and Housing: "Vacancy rates were higher in eight of Ontario's 11 metropolitan areas. Of the eight metropolitan areas, with higher rates, Toronto, Kitchener, Ottawa, Oshawa and Windsor increased by one percentage point or more."

Globe: Higher vacancy rate good news for renters
Kingston Whig-Standard: City 'on verge of housing crisis'
Montreal Gazette: Quebec markets tightest in country

November 26, 2002

Housing tribunal office to close in 2003

Kitchener-Waterloo Record: "Tenant advocates and some landlords are unhappy about the scheduled closure of a provincial government office in Kitchener that provides information to hundreds of people facing evictions or rent increases."

Beechwood residents fight student housing

Kitchener-Waterloo Record: "Beechwood residents are alarmed at the possibility of having more students in their backyard."

November 25, 2002

33-unit project helps ease low-income rental crunch

Kitchener-Waterloo Record: "While Waterloo Region's supply of rental housing shrinks, a group of local professional and business people marked National Housing Day Friday by giving the low-income rental market a shot in the arm."

Queens for a day

Kitchener-Waterloo Record: "Church members treat 100 low-income women to a day of pedicures, pampering."

November 23, 2002

The art of survival

Toronto Star: "Toronto artist rediscovers his love of painting while struggling with homelessness and alcoholism"

November 22, 2002

Poor families expensively housed in motels

Kitchener-Waterloo Record: "At any given time, up to 16 destitute Waterloo Region families have to be housed in motels because of a shortage of emergency hostel beds, the region's community services committee was told this week."

November 20, 2002

Rent ceilings too low for 10% of subsidized housing tenants

Kitchener-Waterloo Record: "More than 10 per cent of subsidized homes administered by Waterloo Region are occupied by tenants who could afford to move out, the region's community services committee was told yesterday.

Cities minister needed

Toronto Star (Editorial): "In May, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was given a practical action plan to help Canada's ailing cities. Yesterday, his own task force on urban issues gave him a much-needed prod to get moving on the solutions."

November 08, 2002

Crisis shelters opening doors to male volunteers

Kitchener-Waterloo Record: "Women's crisis shelters in Cambridge and Kitchener are opening their doors to male volunteers in the hopes they can help comfort frightened children."

November 06, 2002

Shortage of housing endangers women

Kitchener-Waterloo Record: "Because of a shortage of affordable housing, women and children are staying more than double the usual time in overcrowded Kitchener and Cambridge crisis centres, forcing others to remain in dangerous, abusive relationships."

November 05, 2002

National Housing Day

The Regional Municipality of Waterloo will mark this event Friday November 22, 2002, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Regional Headquarters, 150 Frederick Street, Kitchener, in the Main Floor Rotunda. The event will include remarks from Regional Chair Ken Seiling; Councillor Sean Strickland, Chair of the Region of Waterloo Community Services Committee; and Rob Horne, Director of Housing, Region of Waterloo. Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to 575-4807 or halan@region.waterloo.on.ca by Nov. 15.

National Housing Day originated in 1999 to alert the public to the need for a National Housing Strategy. Cities such as Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, North Bay, Parry Sound, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax have issued official proclamations backing National Housing Day. For more information on what other cities are doing this year, click here.

November 01, 2002

Degree of Women's Homelessness Underestimated

The full extent of women's homelessness is severely underestimated, a new study finds. Commissioned by the charitable organization Sistering, and funded by Health Canada and the Status of Women Canada, Common Occurrence: The Impact of Homelessness on Women's Health highlights homelessness as a significant women's health issue that seriously impacts women's emotional, mental, spiritual and physical health. Researchers also address women's homeless-specific health concerns, including the barriers homeless women face in the current systems of support. The study finds that social and medical services are not fully responsive to homeless women's health care issues and needs. The report includes a number of recommendations that reflect the lived realities of homeless women's lives.

Copies of the report are available from Sistering. For more general information on women's homelessness, click here.