Kingston agencies try to set record straight about COVID-19 homeless response
Global News
Community agencies spent time with media clarifying how they're working to address the needs of vulnerable people dealing with COVID-19 in Kingston.
Several community agencies who work with vulnerable populations in Kingston, Ont., spoke with local media Thursday.
The goal was to address what they characterized as “misinformation” circulating about the local response to the recent spread of COVID-19 among those experiencing homelessness.
“There seems to be some confusion around what is being done to support the most vulnerable in our community,” a letter from the group of agencies said.
“This confusion causes misconceptions community-wide that affect the trust in our community partners and we really want to use our limited time and resources working collectively on solutions and not responding to misinformation.”
The “community partner critical response group,” has been meeting daily to address the spread of cases among the unhoused over the last six weeks or so. The group consists of Addictions Mental Health KFL&A, United Way KFL&A, the City of Kingston, HIV/AIDS Regional Services (HARS), KFLA Public Health, Kingston Fire and Rescue, Home Base Housing, Kingston Police, Kingston Youth Shelter and Lionhearts.
Thursday, representatives from the group felt that it was important to delineate exactly how community agencies have been working to address these cases following public scrutiny of their response.
According to a recent homelessness count, 200 people are living rough in the local community, and a recent explosion in local COVID-19 cases has hit this community particularly hard.
Ruth Noordegraaf, director of housing and social services with the city, said the onslaught of cases in the vulnerable population has led to a “perfect storm” of circumstances.