Tag Archives: Homelessness

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CKMS News – Resisting Renovictions in Waterloo Region

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CKMS News – 2023-08-13 – Resisting Renovictions in Waterloo Region

By: MP Holmes
Kitchener

Over the last few months there have been several rallies and multiple media stories on the group of tenants in the residential building at 267 Traynor Avenue in Kitchener, who have organized against an impending renoviction. Their building was recently purchased by a wealthy investor landlord who then issued N13 notices to at least 20 residents in the building and more in another on Ahrens St. in Kitchener

According to the 2023 Housing Hardship Report from the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, almost half (46%) of renters in Ontario are concerned about their landlord wanting to evict them for some reason.

In Waterloo region, the Report notes that 37% of all tenant households are spending a third or more of their income on housing costs, and a person needs to make at least $24 an hour to afford a 1-bedroom apartment here.

Maribel Jagorin organized the tenants at 267 Traynor Ave., and she talked with CKMS about her situation and fight to save her home and prevent her own and her building’s renoviction.

CKMS news also talked with Jenaya Nixon, who up util recently was an outreach worker for the Eviction Prevention Program within the Social Development Centre. Jenaya was one of the initial supports for the Traynor Ave residents and she talked about how renovictions generally occur and how municipal and regional governments can play an important and meaningful role, regardless of  the provincial and federal initiatives.

Information and support to access if you are facing a renoviction in Waterloo Region:
The Eviction Prevention Waterloo Region at the Social Development Centre:
https://www.waterlooregion.org/eviction-prevention-waterloo-region

Easy to access and up-to-date legal information specific to Ontario:
https://stepstojustice.ca/legal-topic/housing-law/eviction/


Check out the archived versions of  this program on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and listen to all the LJI content at canada-info.ca.

If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

CKMS News – ‘Falling through the cracks’ photo exhibit explores lived experiences of displacement

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For one night only on Wednesday August 16

By MP Holmes
Kitchener

“These photos are very powerful. A lot of these photos are tied to some pretty intense experiences, especially if you were aware in April when there was a big wave of overdose deaths that were happening. These photos are taken in the midst of that crisis. It is reflecting the voices of people  who are navigating intense experiences of displacement.”

 

“Waterloo Region had shelter capacity for less than half of the number of homeless people that we had in 2020, and we know the number is bigger now and there is a huge shelter capacity gap and we also know that shelters are not going to meet the needs of everyone.”

David Alton, the Facilitator Lived Expertise Working Group, Kitchener’s Housing Strategy of the Social Development Centre, talked to CKMS news about a photography exhibition, the value of using lived expertise, the scale of homelessness in the Region and the problems and consequences of not having accurate data, and the barriers between unsheltered and sheltered communities.

The Lived Expertise Working Group is a two-year pilot project hosted by the Social Development Centre in partnership with the City of Kitchener to advise on the implementation and monitoring of the Housing for All Strategy. The working group consists of twelve lived experts who have met twice a month from May 2022 and were expected to continue until April 2024, but the group’s second year of funding, worth up to $30,000, is up in the air because City Council did not like the Social Development Centre commenting on city actions at the Roos Island protests in April. City council delayed the vote on continuing to fund the second year of the Lived Expertise Working Group until the council meeting on August 28.

Falling through the cracks, a fundraiser and photography exhibit, will be held at the downtown Kitchener Public Library, at 85 Queen St, for one night only on Wednesday August 16 from 5-8 pm. The photographs, 16 in total, depict the meaningful ways unsheltered communities support one another, memorialize each other, and resist marginalization. The gallery opens at 5 and the presentations will start around 6.

 

The music on today’s show is called “Maple Music” by Godmode courtesy of by Expectantly Maple Music on YouTube. 

You have been listening to CKMS News on 102.7FM, Radio Waterloo. This is MP Holmes, and thank you for tuning-in.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

CKMS News – 2023-07-01 – Engage Barrie discusses Barrie City Council’s repressive agenda targeting homeless people.

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Listen to CKMS News – 2023-07-01 – Engage Barrie discusses Barrie City Council’s repressive agenda targeting homeless people:

By M.P. Holmes

The Barrie city Council tried to push anti-homeless legislation through at a meeting this week but backed down due to the strong country-wide backlash. The by-law would have prohibited both encampments and anyone from sharing food, water, tents or any other survival items with people experiencing homelessness on city property.  I talked to Rob Romanek of EngageBarrie and he explained the basic situation.

In the end, and amid an outpouring of criticism from across the country, and once a local outreach centre agreed to stop handing out food and supplies along Barrie’s waterfront, and instead move their outreach to private property as suggested by city government,  the local government withdrew the amendments, commenting that the bylaw amendments were “no longer necessary”. The mayor said the council sent the bylaw amendment back to city staff to amend wording that did not represent the council’s point of view.

If the bylaw had passed Council, it would have been challenged legally, surely citing the Superior court case of The Regional Municipality of Waterloo v. Persons Unknown and to be Ascertained, 2023 from earlier this year, in which the Superior Court rejected The Region of Waterloo’s plan to evict individuals encamped on Region-owned property (at Victoria and Weber). The Region argued that the  people encamped were in breach of a local By-Law and the Charter of Rights did not apply in this case, but the Judge disagreed, finding that forcing homeless people to leave an encampment when there aren’t enough shelter spaces violates their rights to life, liberty and security of the person – all of which are protected in Section 7 of the Charter.

You can find more information about Engage Barrie on social media @engagebarrie, or on their website engagebarrie.org

 

This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, Heritage Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

Check out the archived versions of  this program on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and listen to all the LJI content at canada-info.ca.

If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

Headlines – Section 7 Charter violations against homeless people in Barrie, GRT fare increase, DTK Health Centres merge, ACORN protests landlord.

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CKMS Headlines for June 23rd 2023:

By: MP Holmes

1 – City of Barrie backs down after threatening drastic measures against the homeless population

The Barrie city Council tried to push anti-homeless legislation through at a meeting this week but backed down due to the strong country-wide backlash. That backlash included presenting the legal precedent from the Superior Court case The Regional Municipality of Waterloo v. Persons Unknown and to be Ascertained, 2023, which blocked the eviction of people living at the Victoria and Weber encampment in Kitchener.

There is a clip from Rob Romanek of EngageBarrie

2 -GRT fares increasing as was decided by Regional Council in February

GRT fares are increasing on July 1, following an earlier budget decision by Regional Council who voted for the increase. The Cash fare will go up 14% to  $3.75 per ride, a more expensive fare than nearly all other public transit in Ontario, including that of Toronto, Hamilton, London, and Guelph.

3 – Long standing health centres merge

Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre and Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre have merged and are now called Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo. There are two locations at both ends of the downtown core in Kitchener.

4 – Protest march against renoviction of more than 20 Kitchener residents from their homes

On June 19th, more than 50 people were at the protest and march to draw attention to Mississauga based investor landlord Mike Beer who has moved to renovict more than 20 Kitchener residents from their homes. Marching from the Fairway Ion station to 267 Traynor Ave, the protestors were welcomed by the neighbourhood.

There is clip from Maribel of ACORN. 

This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, Heritage Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

Check out the archived versions of  this program on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and listen to all the LJI content at canada-info.ca.

If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

Enough is Enough demonstration, march held in Kitchener

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By: MP Holmes

On June 4, the one-year anniversary of Doug Ford’s re-election in Ontario, thousands of people across the province came together for the Enough is Enough expo, march and rally.

In the Waterloo region, the demonstration was organized by the Waterloo Regional Labour Council and took place at Kitchener City Hall. The goal of the event was to draw attention to the cost-of-living crisis, the housing crisis and many other social, political and climate crises, and to show solidarity and exchange ideas. 

After a little less than two hours, the expo closed up and the participants marched down King Street to rally outside Grand River Hospital where six speakers talked about the situation and what can be done about it. 

A rally participant standing in front of a group with a sign reading "Stop the Sprawl... Respect Waterloo Region's Plan". The setting is on the sidewalk with the empty road on the right or the photo.
The Grand River Environmental Network joined in the coalition building rally Enough is Enough! Photo by Trish Holmes.
A close up shot of blue and red socks with a bird declaring "This is my Protest Sock"
Enough is Enough demo participants had style on lockdown. Photo by Trish Holmes.
CKMS Community News, Newsroom

The Unhoused Experience Protest in Victoria Park

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By MP Holmes

On Friday May 26th, a month after the City of Kitchener closed public access to Roos Island in their effort to relocate people who had been living in an encampment on the island, a demonstration was held to remind the public that just because the tents are gone does not mean the housing crisis is over.

The Region of Waterloo currently has less than 250 emergency shelter beds, but there are more than 1,000 unsheltered community members, and this number is growing all the time.

In response, the Unhoused Experience: 24hr Challenge invited people to pitch tents for 24hours in the park, and despite a heavy presence from by-law and security, around 50 people participated in workshops and to listened to advocates and people who have experience being unhoused tell their stories.

We talked to organizers and participants about the housing and homelessness crisis and their 24 hour event.

 

This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, Heritage Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

Check out the archived versions of  this program on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and listen to all the LJI content at canada-info.ca.

If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News – 2021-08-14 – Supporting Youth through the housing crisis in KW – Part 2

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Host: Sherice Alishaw

The housing crisis leads to more barriers for the marginalized individuals within our community. Residents are facing an affordable housing crisis in Waterloo region. The low income housing waitlist is almost 6 years until you are able to be offered a unit. Marginalized members of this community are struggling to find and maintain stable housing in this region. 

On this episode of CKMS News, we interview Sandy Dietrich-Bell, CEO of OneROOF a youth shelter in Kitchener. Part 2 of the interview focuses on some solutions to the housing crisis and the barriers that youth  face while trying to obtain stable housing.

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant project and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada and the CKMS Newsroom. 

Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news, and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca

You can follow us on twitter @radiowaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News – 2021-08-12 – Supporting Youth through the housing crisis in KW – Part 1

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Host: Sherice Alishaw

The housing crisis leads to more barriers for the marginalized individuals within our community. Residents are facing an affordable housing crisis in Waterloo region. The low income housing waitlist is almost 6 years until you are able to be offered a unit. Marginalized members of this community are struggling to find and maintain stable housing in this region. 

On this episode of CKMS News, we interview Sandy Dietrich-Bell, CEO of OneROOF a youth shelter in Kitchener. We discuss the barriers that marginalized members of our community face while trying to obtain stable housing as well as how the community can come together for a solution to this housing crisis. 

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant project and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada and the CKMS Newsroom. 

Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news, and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca

You can follow us on twitter @radiowaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News – 2021-03-29 – It Takes A Village

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Host: Trish Holmes

On today’s show are interviews with two different types of mutual aid and one interview with a charity.

The first interview is with the local chapter of Hockey Helps the Homeless, a long-standing charitable organization that raises money on behalf of local agencies.

The second interview is with Julie Sawatzky who started the 519 Community Collective during the dark days of the pandemic.

And finally, Father Toby Collins speaks about the affordable takeout dinner service started at St Mary’s Catholic Church in downtown Kitchener. Both last two are examples mutual aid within the community.

Each interview covers how the projects function, how they came to be, important initiatives, and ways to volunteer.

A picture with text. The picture is planks of wood, tightly placed beside each other. On the top right is a plate of food salad with arugula and tomatoes. There are two wooden spoons beside the plate sitting on a gingham cloth. in Green text in the middle of the page is "519 Community Pantries" and below that in white text is "Take what you need. Leave what you can."
Used with permission from 519 Community Pantries.

This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom. You can access the archives of this show on radiowaterloo.ca/news or on the national LJI website.

The music on today’s show has been ‘Fat Cartoon Jazz’ by Purple Planet Music .

The accompanying photograph was obtained from truthseeker08 on Pixabay.com.

 

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

CKMS News – 2021-02-01 – Waterloo Region Weekly Roundup

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Host: Melissa Bowman

Last week’s episode of the Waterloo Region Weekly Round-up was left as a bit of a cliff-hanger of sorts as we looked at all of the meetings leading up to Regional Budget Day. This week’s episode dives into that budget meeting and examines where several items ended up, including the much discussed police budget.

This episode also digs into the Housing for All: Rally for Change event hosted by MPP Laura Mae Lindo on January 21st. Plus, I’ll have a couple of quick updates from local council meetings including Kitchener’s 2-hour discussion about windows and Waterloo’s transportation master plan.

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News – 2020-08-25 – Tent encampments threatened by authorities while Waterloo Regional council approves new dorm-style shelters.

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Host: Trish Holmes

UPDATE: The encampment at Victoria and Weber has been dismantled. The residents did not find a suitable arrangement that could house all of them.

This half hour examines the Waterloo Region Council meeting on August 11 where housing advocates commented on the Region’s new men’s shelter plan and presented some of the homeless and unsheltered communities’ biggest challenges. Then we speak with Lesley Crompton, a local anti-homelessness advocate for a more in-depth analysis of the issues raised at the meeting.

At the recent Waterloo Regional Council meeting, Council approved two dorm-style shelters with 24-hour access and supports in an unusually long meeting during which Region staff presented the Emergency Shelter Planning Update followed by short presentations by five housing advocates.

Each speaker advocated for specific areas of need in the unsheltered communities and the shelter system. This included

*stressing the need for more transition housing and more permanent affordable housing; decriminalizing homelessness;

*considering a human rights approach to obtaining zero homelessness;

*lowering specific barriers and reforming shelters generally  in partnership with a variety of communities, including the homeless themselves; and

*providing basic amenities, such as water and sanitation for encampments and more Lot42-style housing communities.

Each delegate agreed that more spaces need to be made available and more work needs to be done to get people into permanent housing.

Download Audio: https://soundfm.s3.amazonaws.com/CKMSNews-2020-08-11-WRC-MeetingEmergencyMensShelters.mp3
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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

CKMS News – 2020-08-03 – A Better Tent City Update and A Recent Eviction from a Shelter

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Host: Trish Holmes

This episode begins with a chat with Jeff Willmer who gives us an update on the “A Better Tent City” project at Lot42 in Kitchener.

The second half of the show is a story about a recent eviction from an emergency shelter. In the last week of July, during which the province of Ontario continued an emergency order due to the COVID-19 crisis, Monica Place in Cambridge gave a young single mother, Emma, and her one-year-old child 48 hours notice to move off their premises with little explanation. The unusual move was precipitated by a post on a local Facebook group page, in which a woman asserted that Emma left her child in 35-degree heat while she was smoking. Emma maintains the child was not in danger, she was not acting in anyway illegally or neglectfully.  When contacted, Monica House confirmed the eviction but would not comment further.

Download Audio: https://soundfm.s3.amazonaws.com/CKMSNews-2020-08-03-EvictionAndAnABTCUpdate.mp3

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

CKMS News – 2020-05-25 – Increasing Housing Affordability by Increasing Housing Density: An Interview with WR YIMBY

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Host: Trish Holmes

Waterloo Region Yes In My Backyard (WR YIMBY) is advocating to increase housing density and in doing so they hope to increase affordable housing supply in Waterloo Region.

WR YIMBY co-founder Martin Asling speaks to us about the principles that drive YIMBY’s advocacy, the affordable housing and housing density challenges specific to Waterloo Region and how the response to the current COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated that solutions can be found.

 

The references Martin mentions:

Conor Dougherty –  Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America (2020) https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/585765/golden-gates-by-conor-dougherty/9780525560210

Richard Rothstein – The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America (2017) https://www.epi.org/publication/the-color-of-law-a-forgotten-history-of-how-our-government-segregated-america/

WR YIMBY Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/Waterloo-Region-Yes-in-My-Backyard-2256614188002363/about/

download audio: https://soundfm.s3.amazonaws.com/YIMBY-CKMS-interview-May25–1.mp3

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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.