THUNDER BAY — Elevate NWO is severing its contract with the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board in order to freely advocate its unhoused clients.
"Last week, my staff found the fourth dead body of the year in a homeless encampment," said Holly Gauvin, executive director of Elevate NWO.
"This isn't OK anymore," said Gauvin. "So we want answers. We want them from the province."
Gauvin sent a letter on Monday to Ontario's housing minister Paul Calandra asking for an audit of vacant social housing units in the Thunder Bay district.
Gauvin said she has informed TBDSSAB that Elevate will be terminating their contract at the end of this calendar year.
"It is very difficult for us to take money from them while being critical of policies," she said.
"We've decided that as an organization, we're going to really pursue advocacy efforts on behalf of our clients because nothing has changed in the five years that we've been doing this."
The TBDSSAB has declined to comment on the decision or the statements made by Elevate NWO.
Gauvin said her organization doesn't take issue with the local DSSAB office. "Our issue is further upstream. Our issue is with the policy makers, not with the staff that are just doing their job."
Her biggest concern is with a lack of investment in social housing. She said she's heard unconfirmed reports that there could be as many as 200 social housing units in the district that are unoccupied and in need of repair.
Gauvin wants the province to assess the need and create an action plan for repairs and make it a priority to make housing units available to those living in shelters and encampments.
The best that I am able to do is throw a tent around somebody," said Gauvin. "And that is not acceptable as a long term solution."
"We need something that's permanent. We need something that is going to actually sustain people and not just be temporary or transitional," said Gauvin.
Gauvin said she loves that there are new transitional housing units coming to the city, but that temporary housing isn't enough.
"Our question is: transition into what? At some point, we still need affordable housing and it seems that this affordable housing stock is being abandoned."
Gauvin also wants the DSSAB to be more accountable to the city.
"Our city is staring at the prospect of a rather large bill for a pallet village," said Gauvin.
"This is meant to be a temporary solution," she continued. "But for it to be a temporary solution, we need affordable social housing."
Elevate NWO had been getting $348,000 a year from the DSSAB. Gauvin said the funding covered materials, not staff. Although there will be some restructuring, she said they will still be able to offer all their services.
However, their encampment outreach will be reduced — down to once a week instead of daily — and the resources they can provide will be significantly reduced.
"We're talking tents, we're talking food, we're talking winter jackets and boots. Those types of things," said Gauvin. "There will be some, but it'll be a very limited quantity."
Elevate NWO has been able to help hundreds with those resources over the years, said Gauvin. "We'll just have to be more creative in the way that we find those resources and support our people."
"But at the end of the day, I think that our strategy is a sound one," she said.
"We need to fight for housing, not for tents."
