“It looks like City Council has finally gone and got housing religion,” says Steinbach City Council candidate Chris Summerville who welcomes the Mayor’s push in last week’s Council meeting. A strong advocate for the last decade for affordable housing in Steinbach, Summerville notes he is aware of and fully supports the need for a variety of housing models for seniors as that population group between ages 65 and 74 will nearly double within 10 years!
“But what about the problem on our own front porch today?” Eden East, working with the Mental Health Team of the South Eastman RHA is trying to find safe, affordable housing for 50 of their clients today. Housing is widely recognized as a key determinant of physical and mental health. Yet, the housing needs of persons disabled by mental illness are currently not being met in Steinbach due to low vacancy rates, rising rents, dwindling rental stocks and social prejudice.
“People with mental illness on social assistance are facing serious challenges in obtaining safe and affordable housing. People are being forced today to live in substandard environments where their safety and physical and mental health is compromised. I visited a rooming house recently in Steinbach that is more of a slum lord house where 9 people rent an 8 X 10 room, for $320 a month. It’s dump!” Summerville states.
Summerville illustrates with a story:
“Imagine a child’s game as a metaphor to explain the complex issues of poverty, homelessness and mental health. In a game of musical chairs, children walk around a circle of chairs to music. There is one less chair than children. When the music stops, whoever is left standing is out of the game. The people walking around the chairs are low-income individuals. The chairs represent availability of affordable housing for these people. When the music stops, it is generally the person with disabling mental illness who remains homeless. Individuals who live with mental illness are among those who will struggle to reach a chair. It’s like they are playing the game with a ball and chain around their ankle because of issues such as social prejudice and discrimination. There must be a fair playing field for all individuals.”
Summerville notes that Steinbach’s overall vacancy rate for a private apartment is approximately 0.5%. The vacancy rate for bachelor suites is close to zero and 0.4% for one-bedroom apartments.
In terms of availability rates, figures are at about 3 % for one-bedrooms and 1% for two bedroom units while there is zero availability for bachelors.
“I realize housing availability is a serious concern as developers are unwilling to invest in rental properties for economical reasons. But the future trends reveal that the current housing situation will only worsen unless a comprehensive strategy, with clear benchmarks, is in place in Steinbach,” he says.
With the right supports from housing agencies, and different levels of government and community groups and developers, people with mental health issues can find and keep affordable housing.
It’s important to note the problem is a systemic one rather than a personal one. It’s a myth that people choose to be homeless. Once that happens they’re entirely focused on surviving the day, not finding a way out of the situation.
“It’s a sick system not a sick person, that’s causing the problem,” Says Summerville.
Working with community developers, non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity and other levels of government, Steinbach City Council must expand the availability of affordable housing, work collaboratively in developing housing plans and review in existing zoning by-laws that require the inclusion of affordable housing, especially for those standing on our front porch disabled by mental illness. Then it won’t just be religion, but a true revival addressing a social justice issue.
