This past week, the city mandated that two downtown libraries provide warming shelters to homeless people. Mayor Brian Bowman decided to transform these libraries into shelters as a “last line of defence” as the temperature drops to the coldest it’s been all year. But as many critics have noted, the move is just a “band-aid” quick fix to the city’s long-standing homelessness crisis, a crisis that needs real and lasting solutions.
People experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg is an ongoing issue, not a new one, but the issue is thrust into the spotlight every winter when frigid temperatures descend as they recently have. According to the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, there are currently 1,915 short-term or crisis sheltered people and 350 living on the streets of Winnipeg. A recent report from the City of Winnipeg’s public service asserts that the city is undergoing a “critical need” for safe and affordable housing and for emergency shelters for our homeless population. Where shelters do exist, barriers continue to prevent certain groups from using the space. The report also notes that public outreach services are facing challenges when it comes to funding and staff.
As funding for other services and programs has been cut across North America, a greater number of people have been turning to libraries as safe spaces. However, librarians dealing with people in need sometimes face abuse and aggression from people who are in need of greater support (Salon). In 2018, the Toronto Public Library hired a full-time social worker to better assist vulnerable people who access the library and to connect them with social services within the city. Winnipeg has also employed two social workers based at Millennium library, and while their services have been helpful for staff, there are not enough resources and services in the city to provide adequate assistance for homeless patrons who take refuge in libraries.
Under the new warming shelter mandate, how many people will be in the libraries at a time? How long will they be allowed to stay before returning to the street? The libraries are open during the daytime, but where will people go at night? Who will help people if they need assistance? Who will ask them to leave the library when it’s time?
The decision to transform the libraries into shelters also transforms the roles of librarians into social workers. Librarians in our city are not trained to deal with the needs of our homeless population, and that expectation should not be placed upon them. They do not have the resources or training to properly assist people in vulnerable circumstances, especially those with addictions and mental health challenges. Difficult situations are created when needs are increasingly not being met by the social service system.
In one of the wealthiest countries of the world, why are people still living on the street? We can afford to do more. Providing the resources and assistance that many of these people need could break the poverty-homeless cycle. Instead, over the past years, our provincial government has cut public services. Both those who visit the library in desperation and the staff who work with them deserve better programs and resources.
The report released by Winnipeg’s public service in September 2020 put forward recommendations to governments about how to address the homeless situation in our city, recommendations that included the creation of affordable housing, the opening of 24/7 safe spaces; and further work with community agencies and partners to support their work in the city. These are the humane societal responses to this dilemma and all seem like reasonable and realistic goals that are well within our means to provide, not only for the homeless but also for the public employees who try to assist.
Letter to MLA
Dear
Recent plummeting cold weather has once again shone a harsh light on the plight of homeless individuals living in Winnipeg.
According to the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, there are currently 1,915 short-term or crisis sheltered people and 350 living on the streets of Winnipeg. A recent report from the City of Winnipeg’s public service asserts that the city is undergoing a “critical need” for safe and affordable housing and for emergency shelters for our homeless population. Where shelters do exist, barriers continue to prevent certain groups from using the space. The report also notes that public outreach services are facing challenges when it comes to funding and staff.
The report released by Winnipeg’s public service in September 2020 put forward recommendations to governments about how to address the homeless situation in our city, recommendations that included the creation of affordable housing, the opening of 24/7 safe spaces; and further work with community agencies and partners to support their work in the city. These are the humane societal response to this dilemma and all seem like reasonable and realistic goals that are well within our means to provide, not only for the homeless but also for the public employees who try to assist.
We are demanding action on behalf of those who live at the margins of society. Please ensure these already recommended programs are given long-term funding and implemented rapidly. We do not want to see this news cycle repeated next winter.