Buses as Mobile Warming Spaces?
( & What else could we do?)
We must do what we can, where we are, with what we have…
Fall/Winter 2024
- Homelessness is an emergency meriting an immediate response.
- We need to think both inside and outside “the box” in seeking solutions.
- We need to be actively mobilizing existing infrastructure to provide for winter warming and other urgent basic needs provision.
Human Rights Approach
Our status quo, this method where we continue to allow our operations to knowingly include biased and flawed system functions must be changed. It is our collective role and duty to address the embeded systemic inequities as we identify them. We must together enable and initiate the positive structural changes needed to bring our operations into better alignment with both our communal obligations and ALL of its residents needs.
At the centre of this all, I believe we must rely on a Human Rights based approach. While we CAN always do better than these bare minimums, we should NEVER do worse than these basic requirements.
The Region of Waterloo has stated it will take a Human Rights approach in addition to their established Housing First Approach.
The National Protocol for Homeless Encampments in Canada and Office of the Federal Housing Advocate have both stated it is a government obligation to provide for basic needs of people experiencing homelessness. Basic needs include the ability to stay safe from the elements.
At the centre of this all, I believe we must rely on a Human Rights based approach. While we CAN always do better than these bare minimums, we should NEVER do worse than these basic requirements.
The Region of Waterloo has stated it will take a Human Rights approach in addition to their established Housing First Approach.
The National Protocol for Homeless Encampments in Canada and Office of the Federal Housing Advocate have both stated it is a government obligation to provide for basic needs of people experiencing homelessness. Basic needs include the ability to stay safe from the elements.
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Related Information:
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Where are we?
Our Landscape : A Crisis State
Our Landscape : A Crisis State
I see us all trying, I see us all worn.
I don't wish to paint a gloomy picture here, but it's hard to deny that our service capacity is currently unable to fulfill the level of need for support services. Current service demand is outweighing the ability to supply the needed supports for a multitude of reasons, and in as many ways. In as much as housing strain, even the Region itself previously identified its own Housing Support System as in a precarious state in fairly recent council reports.
Too, we are facing a potential for extreme escalation of situation given the mutltitude of intersecting crisis. As winter rolls in we find ourselves ill equipped to handle the scale of what may possibly lay before us.
(Drug poisoning crisis + CTS Closures) + Housing crisis = EMERGENCY
I don't wish to paint a gloomy picture here, but it's hard to deny that our service capacity is currently unable to fulfill the level of need for support services. Current service demand is outweighing the ability to supply the needed supports for a multitude of reasons, and in as many ways. In as much as housing strain, even the Region itself previously identified its own Housing Support System as in a precarious state in fairly recent council reports.
Too, we are facing a potential for extreme escalation of situation given the mutltitude of intersecting crisis. As winter rolls in we find ourselves ill equipped to handle the scale of what may possibly lay before us.
(Drug poisoning crisis + CTS Closures) + Housing crisis = EMERGENCY
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Related Information:
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What Can We Do?
Varied approaches taken by municipalities across Canada Locally, at COVID onset, A Better Tent City Came into existance as our community took action to aid those seeking shelter. Since then, the Region of Waterloo has added an additional hybrid site on Erb's road composed of tiny homes offered as a step towards housing at a time many people are facing a of defict of alternate options, and landing living outdoors. Many other municipalities have since taken similar approaches, creating small single shelter spaces for individual users, tiny homes. As no solution can alone satisfy the needs of all a communities members, nor magically offer an instant "fix" to the current housing crisis, this crevasse too large and aged, municipalites and the approaches taken vary. Let's scope out of the broader landscape. Below I'll share some of the ideas I find interesting. |
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Winter Warming Buses
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Some Canadian cities have used buses as a means to fill gaps in service provisions. Examples of these municipalities include:
Construct can be tailored to fill communal needs and existing support gaps:
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