Winnipeggers sleeping in bus shacks may decline emergency shelters for good reasons: advocate
CBC
Groups that work to help people experiencing homelessness say many people choose to stay in transit shelters because they're afraid of catching COVID-19, they're afraid of violence in shelters or they live with mental health issues that require more support.
"We exhaust our resources with them," said Zya Duval, an outreach navigator with St. Boniface Street Links. The patrol group works to build relationships with people experiencing homelessness to get to the root of their problems. Duval said they offer rides to shelters, but some people won't budge.
"We give them every option that is available to get housed, and if they decline, well if we have blankets, if we have jackets — whatever we have to get, we will offer them. We go back and we check on them daily, and that's all that we can really do if they don't want to come with us."
Even after weeks of bitter cold, Jay Hazel and his wife still prefer to sleep in the transit shelter at the southeast corner of Osborne Street and Broadway Avenue than at a homeless shelter.
"We want to be together," said Hazel on Monday, gesturing to his wife who was asleep on the heated bus bench next to him while the afternoon temperature hovered around –22C.
"We've been together 12 years, and a lot of places split you up."
Hazel has stayed at this bus shelter for a month — he moved in after the shelter on the other side of the intersection burned to the ground. He and others in Winnipeg have converted bus shelters to temporary homes, including makeshift doors and mattresses.
Duval said she's seen the number of people living in bus shelters has gone down. Now, it's mostly people who live with mental health issues or who fear for their safety if they were to live in a homeless shelter.
"I understand that they don't want the help, but it hurts the heart walking away and knowing that they're still sitting there," she said.
There are 681 spaces in emergency shelters and units in Winnipeg, according to End Homelessness Winnipeg. The organization couldn't speak to domestic violence spaces, but states the adult and youth spots have all been at or over capacity since the winter started.
"Almost everyone impacted by homelessness wants a warm, private, comfortable and safe place to stay. Congregate emergency shelters cannot offer all of that," said Kris Clemens, manager of communications and community relations at End Homelessness Winnipeg, in an email.
"More emergency beds are not going to fix the problem of people choosing a bus shelter over the emergency shelter. Permanent, safe, private, low-income, low-barrier and supportive housing options are the only solution."
Staff at 1JustCity agree.
Interim executive director Glynis Quinn said she believes getting someone into housing must include resources for addictions and mental health issues, but only if that person knows what they want.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.