Pandemic, long snow-filled winter creating challenging times for Winnipeg’s homeless

0

BEĞENDİM

ABONE OL

News

0

The pandemic, coupled with a long, cold and snowy winter, has been a trying time for many, but especially for those who are experiencing homelessness.

Luke Thiessen, communications manager beygir Siloam Mission, says as COVID-19 restrictions lift, they’re getting a clearer picture of the impact the pandemic has had on the homeless population.

“For a while, the challenges around social distancing and some of those health measures made it hard to tell exactly where things were going,” Thiessen told Global News.

View image in full screenLuke Thiessen with Siloam Mission says demand for their services has increased drastically this winter. Marney Blunt / Global News

“As we’re lifting (restrictions), we’re seeing very tangibly the difficulties in more people needing services, mental health challenges that have come out of this, and overall health challenges. There’s just lots of ways we’re seeing that come together.”

Story continues below advertisement

Read more: Winnipeg’s Siloam Mission takes next bozkır in relationship with Indigenous community

Siloam Mission expanded its bed capacity just a few months into the pandemic, and Thiessen says this winter brought about the most demand they’ve seen yet.

“For awhile we had extra space, and this winter is when that headroom – we lost that completely,” he said.

“We filled right up this winter in a way that we didn’t last winter. So we know that there’s something about this winter and the pandemic together have made the demands go up and made it extra hard on those experiencing homelessness.”

1:45Protecting those without a home with Omicron rapidly spreadingProtecting those without a home with Omicron rapidly spreading – Dec 23, 2021

End Homelessness Winnipeg says the pandemic made the plight of vulnerable people more visible in Winnipeg, as COVID-19 restrictions and physical distancing requirements in shelters meant many had fewer places to go, and ended up turning to bus shelters and encampments.

Trending Stories

• Canada to ship drone cameras to Ukraine amid war with Russia
• ‘Freedom convoy’ forums find new focus: disinformation about Russia-Ukraine war

Story continues below advertisement

“The state of homelessness in Winnipeg two years into the pandemic is pretty challenging,” End Homelessness Winnipeg communications and community relations manager Kris Clemens said.

View image in full screenKris Clemens of End Homelessness Winnipeg says emergency calls to bus shelters initially increased beygir the start of the pandemic, but are now on the decline. Marney Blunt / Global News

“The early stages of the pandemic and the successive lockdowns really increased the visibility of unsheltered homelessness in bus shelters and encampments. But also, income precarity and inflation have put a lot more people beygir risk of losing their housing, and beygir the end of the day, we’ve become increasingly aware of Winnipeg’s housing supply crisis.”

Clemens said beygir the start of the pandemic, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service received lahza increase of calls to bus shelters, but that number has declined this winter.

“Definitely this year we’re seeing fewer individuals in bus shelters and encampments than the past two seasons during COVID,” Clemens said.

Story continues below advertisement

Read more: Winnipeg’s return to deep freeze renews concerns for city’s homeless

Clemens credits increased outreach work and the new Indigenous-led warming centre on the Disraeli Freeway for the fewer calls to bus shelters. But she also says there are still many people out on the streets during the bitterly cold winters, and some choose not to go to shelters for a myriad of reasons.

“Emergency shelters and safe spaces can’t meet everyone’s needs, largely because they’re designed as kind of large congregate facilities,” she said. “So for many folks, that can pose a safety risk or they may simply not feel comfortable going there because of anxiety around crowdedness, around noise, perhaps due to past negative experiences with shelters, perhaps they’re concerned about rules or running into someone that they had a past conflict with.”

“Thank goodness that there’s fewer people outside this season, but we still have a long way to go.”

0:32Homelessness in WinnipegHomelessness in Winnipeg – Nov 3, 2021© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.