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More than 100 people marched from Parliament Hill to Ottawa City Hall on Wednesday to protest cuts to an aboriginal organization that operates a drop-in centre for homeless people.
“Save 510! Save 510! Save 510!” they chanted.
The Odawa Native Friendship Centre announced earlier this month that it is being forced to close its drop-in centre for the homeless — 510 Rideau St. — at the end of March due to a loss of government funding.
That’s because there’s been a shift in thinking about how to best serve marginalized people, prioritizing housing over street outreach.
Seen as an effective way to reduce homelessness and support those with mental illnesses, the approach involves giving people who are homeless a place to live, then providing necessary supports to help them stabilize their lives.
As such, a pool of federal and provincial funding administered by the city now carries a prerequisite: Most spending on the homeless has to go into permanent housing for them.
That’s a problem, homelessness advocates say, because programs and services such as drop-in programs are seen as complementary. They say these centres provide a place for people to go during the day and perhaps enjoy a warm meal. In addition to Odawa, Centre 507, the Well and Cornerstone are also set to lose funding.
“If 510 closes, where are (people) to go? Outside!” said Brock Lewis, who led Wednesday’s protest, which ended at Marion Dewar Plaza.
Between 50 and 125 people use the drop-in centre every day. There, they eat, use computers, do laundry, collect phone messages and seek housing referrals, said Carrie Diabo, the centre’s co-ordinator.
But clients are also able to connect with other aboriginal and Inuit people in Ottawa, in what she called a “safe, culturally appropriate home away from home.”
“These services are vital to the physical and mental health of the aboriginal population,” she told the crowd.
She appealed directly to Mayor Jim Watson to come up with funding to save the centre.
Protesters marched from Parliament Hill to City Hall.
Around the same time — inside city hall — the mayor spoke to reporters following the council meeting.
Even though the city is not directly responsible for Odawa and other groups’ funding being cut, Watson was asked if he’s worried about people falling through the cracks.
“There are ample venues available for individuals. We did go through a fairly extensive 18-month review to ensure that no one falls between the cracks. We have a number of options that are available for people. For instance, I know that Centre 454 in Sandy Hill have already started receiving some new clients on a day-to-day basis,” the mayor said.
Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney has said she’s determined to find money in the city’s 2015 budget to help save several agencies that serve homeless people in Ottawa.
McKenney said last week she is trying to build support among her council colleagues for a plan that would see the agencies receive transition funding for one year to help shift the work they do and ensure people are able to access other services in the community.
Council votes on the proposed $3.073-billion budget on March 11.
mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/mpearson78
查看原文...
“Save 510! Save 510! Save 510!” they chanted.
The Odawa Native Friendship Centre announced earlier this month that it is being forced to close its drop-in centre for the homeless — 510 Rideau St. — at the end of March due to a loss of government funding.
That’s because there’s been a shift in thinking about how to best serve marginalized people, prioritizing housing over street outreach.
Seen as an effective way to reduce homelessness and support those with mental illnesses, the approach involves giving people who are homeless a place to live, then providing necessary supports to help them stabilize their lives.
As such, a pool of federal and provincial funding administered by the city now carries a prerequisite: Most spending on the homeless has to go into permanent housing for them.
That’s a problem, homelessness advocates say, because programs and services such as drop-in programs are seen as complementary. They say these centres provide a place for people to go during the day and perhaps enjoy a warm meal. In addition to Odawa, Centre 507, the Well and Cornerstone are also set to lose funding.
“If 510 closes, where are (people) to go? Outside!” said Brock Lewis, who led Wednesday’s protest, which ended at Marion Dewar Plaza.
Between 50 and 125 people use the drop-in centre every day. There, they eat, use computers, do laundry, collect phone messages and seek housing referrals, said Carrie Diabo, the centre’s co-ordinator.
But clients are also able to connect with other aboriginal and Inuit people in Ottawa, in what she called a “safe, culturally appropriate home away from home.”
“These services are vital to the physical and mental health of the aboriginal population,” she told the crowd.
She appealed directly to Mayor Jim Watson to come up with funding to save the centre.
Protesters marched from Parliament Hill to City Hall.
Around the same time — inside city hall — the mayor spoke to reporters following the council meeting.
Even though the city is not directly responsible for Odawa and other groups’ funding being cut, Watson was asked if he’s worried about people falling through the cracks.
“There are ample venues available for individuals. We did go through a fairly extensive 18-month review to ensure that no one falls between the cracks. We have a number of options that are available for people. For instance, I know that Centre 454 in Sandy Hill have already started receiving some new clients on a day-to-day basis,” the mayor said.
Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney has said she’s determined to find money in the city’s 2015 budget to help save several agencies that serve homeless people in Ottawa.
McKenney said last week she is trying to build support among her council colleagues for a plan that would see the agencies receive transition funding for one year to help shift the work they do and ensure people are able to access other services in the community.
Council votes on the proposed $3.073-billion budget on March 11.
mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/mpearson78
查看原文...
