High risk of homelessness in Hastings County: Report

The high risk of  homelessness in Hastings County was the focus of a report to the Community and Human Services Committee on Wednesday.

The report was aimed at capturing the depth of the need for housing and pointing to who is at risk.

It showed that 8320 households, or 15.4% of households, are in core housing need.

Half 0f these are in Belleville and one-quarter in Quinte West.

For young single mothers, aged 15 to 29, that’s 62 percent.

For youths, it’s 39% or 465 households.

One of the report authors, Steve van de Hoef of Bridge Street United Church, said there’s just not much housing available.

Belleville ranks high across Canada in the need for affordable housing.

Ian Sutherland, also of Bridge Street United Church,  tells Quinte News that in so many cases the people are at the lower end of the salary scale on top of the affordable housing factor.

Co-author of the report Beverley Bell-Rowbotham, Data Analyst Coordinator with Hastings County, told the committee a single event can mean these people become homeless.

“If they manage to retain their house, they may do so at the expense of food for their children,” she said.

Belleville Councillor Bill Sandison commented that it’s like “trying to boil the ocean. My interest is in what’s next.”

Hastings County CAO Jim Pine pointed out there are things to be done around incomes. “There is a municipal role in economic development to get more jobs. There are roles for us to play. We don’t have to sit back.”

Quinte West Councillor Karen Sharpe agreed about helping people with job skills. “It’s grim,” she said, commenting on the Precarious Housing and Risk of Homelessness report.