Open house on homelessness and affordable housing draws few with lived experience

While city officials gathered input from the public on a rough draft of its Homeless Prevention and Affordable Housing Plan at Goodwill Industries Thursday night, a homeless woman sat on a curb in the parking lot outside, smoking a cigarette.

Amanda Fordham, one of the people the city is trying to help with its strategy, had no idea the open house was happening such a short distance away.

"I'm at the Simcoe building quite often, and I would think that in the lobby where the elevators are, that something [advertising the open house] would be posted there for everybody to see," she said, referring to the high rise at 241 Simcoe Streetwhich is directly behind Goodwill Industries.

Fordham, who sleeps in her truck at night, was kicked out of her affordable housing unit in April after failing to provide the housing agency with a form about her finances.

She didn't realize she had to fill it out, and she didn't get a reminder about it either, she explained.

"It wasn't until the end of February that they notified me, and they notified me by telling me that my rent had been put to market rent. So I went from paying $220 a month to market rent, which was $855. And of course, they backdated it to January 1."

People with lived experience invited

Inside Goodwill Industries, in a meeting room on the third floor, a couple dozen people studied posters on the walls about what London has learned from its past few months of public consultation.

According to the city, 200 individuals are sleeping rough or urban camping, and 300 are on a list of those experiencing chronic homelessness and high use of emergency shelters or urban camping.

But few of those people appeared to be in the room.

"They've been invited," said Craig Cooper, London's manager of homeless prevention. "I know we've been messaging about it through our shelters and our coordinated informed response, about the event tonight. Whether or not they show up or come out, I can't say for certain."

During public sessions at the Western Fair earlier this year, where the city gathered information for its strategy, Cooper says about 15- to 20-per cent of people had lived experience. At Thursday's session, he said he'd been talking to landlords, agency representatives, andpeople from the libraryand other social service sectors.

"I think it's important to understand everyone's perspective," he explained.

"If we do find that we're in a bit of a gap we'll definitely be considering individuals who are experiencing homelessness and providing a more concerted effort to engage them."

'The lowest apartment I found was $900'

Shirley Canadien, who has struggled with homelessness and the affordable housing system herself, said she didn't see a lot of people at the open house who appeared to be falling through the cracks.

"I don't know whether it was the way it was portrayed, or maybe way it was advertised, but I felt a little out of sorts," she mused.

Canadien gets $1,200 a month through ODSP, and currently shares an apartment with a roommate. Together they pay $850 per month, but she's looking for a new place to escape the building's cockroach problem.

"The lowest apartment I found was $900. I don't know how they expect us to live on that. You could pay your rent, but then you're not eating."

Her partner, Chris Bentley, is currently sleeping rough when he can't find friends to spend the night with.

He found out about the open house through an email, which he says is an ineffective way of communicating to London's homeless population.

"You have to have access to a computer or a phone, and obviously people don't have that. They're living on the street," he said.

But Bentley saidhe's sure the city is doing their best to engage people and to address homelessness and affordable housing issues.

"How many people, who are struggling to survive, are going to come to this venue from 4 8 p.m.," he asked. "Maybe they're just trying to find a place to lay their head tonight."