Hamilton's homeless still face chronic health conditions

Hamilton's streets have not always been a healthy place to be, but now the reality is clearer than ever.

More than one-third of homeless residents face chronic health conditions, as revealed by The City of Hamilton's point-in-time count of local homelessness. The statistic for Hamilton, 38 per cent, is two times higher than the overall Canadian population.

There are no shortage of challenges.- Amanda DiFalco,  homelessness services coordinator 

The count is part of a Canada-wide effort to find permanent homes for 20,000 of the most vulnerable people across the country by July 1, 2018. Hamilton's survey took place on February 21-22, 2016 by a team of volunteers walking through the city's downtown core, as well as rural and suburban areas. 

The results show a picture of homelessness in Hamilton, detailing the issues and conflicts amongst the victims such as housing stability, chronic health conditions and age barriers. 

• Read More: Building a picture of Hamilton's homeless, block by block 
• Read More: 5 things to know about Hamilton's homelessness count

Of the 504 people surveyed during the count, 72% are male, while 28% are female. Of those surveyed,  28% reported having Aboriginal ancestry.

Housing barriers were revealed to be a major issue for people, with 77 percent stating that they don't have enough money to meet their housing needs. In addition, 138 people reported having severe issues and conditions that impact their housing stability. 

 Other information gathered:

• 40 percent of the surveyed population fell between the ages of 31-49.
• 34 percent were between the ages 50-64.
• 13 per cent were between the ages 16-25.
•  9 percent were between the ages 26-30.
• 2 percent were aged 65 or higher. 
• 215 reported being homeless for less than one year.
• 76 have been homeless for over five or more years.

The city held a community debrief at City Hall on Friday to discuss the Point-in-Time Count survey results with the public.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger highlighted the 'perplexing' long-term problem of homelessness in the city, while Amanda DiFalco, a homelessness services coordinator for the city, stressed the need for continual improvement.

Many challenges

"We can't help but feel compelled about what we learn from these statistics," DiFalco said. "There are no shortage of challenges, but we can't wait for them to go away. This is a time for us to be changemakers and to continue to build bridges."

DiFalco stated that the city would work to house 138 of the most acute individuals by this time next year, a process that is already underway by city staff and housing providers.

Overall, the city is confident that continued counts and detailed surveys can help them cater their services to the people who are living in Hamilton, rather than general one-size-fits-all programs. 

"Homelessness is in fact a solvable problem," said DiFalco. "Our community does great work, but I think there's a willingness to move into a time of action."