Federal Government Was Warned of Crisis in Shelter System
 
Car caravan in Toronto, May 6, 2020.
The National Union of Public and General
Employees (NUPGE) sent a letter to the Prime
Minister, the Premiers of the provinces and
territories, and the leaders of the other federal
parties, detailing the crisis brewing in shelters
across Canada in the conditions of the COVID-19
pandemic. In a press release dated May 8, the
union says that the letter urges the federal
government to take swift action and that the many
issues facing shelters and the vulnerable people
they serve are a ticking time bomb.
 In the
letter, NUPGE President Larry Brown outlines the
two key issues at play: first, people experiencing
homelessness aren't receiving any COVID-19
benefits or protections from the virus, and
second, Community Service Workers (CSWs) aren't
receiving adequate personal protective equipment
(PPE) or funding that enables them to do their
jobs safely.
"We've heard frightening stories from our
members. The shelter system was full before the
pandemic. Many facilities have shared common areas
and use bunk beds. There's no room for physical
distancing or self-isolation," says Brown. "On top
of that, there are knowledge gaps, so residents
don't or can't understand why they're being told
to wash their hands a lot and/or to wear a mask.
It's dangerous and mentally draining for residents
and community service workers."
The NUPGE press release makes the point that
people experiencing homelessness are part of
Canadian society and, as all Canadians, must be
protected. It states:
"People experiencing homelessness don't live
separately from the rest of society. They visit
food banks. They go to grocery stores. They
interact with people on the street. The same risks
exist for the CSWs that work with these
individuals. A single asymptomatic CSW could
potentially spread COVID-19 to hundreds in their
community.
"An outbreak in any sector of our society is
still an outbreak. People experiencing
homelessness should not be of less importance than
any other person living in Canada. The CSWs who
work with vulnerable populations deserve the same
protection as other public-facing workers."
In the last section of the letter, Brown outlines
short-term and long-term needs to deal with the
problem and avoid an all-out crisis breaking out
in the shelter system. He writes:
 "The immediate,
short-term asks are simple: we ask that
the federal government work with the provinces and
CSWs to create action plans for people
experiencing homelessness.Testing, tracking, and
protecting are top priorities. CSWs need adequate
PPE to safely interact with their clients. Staff
also need proper training on PPE procedures, and
employers need to collaborate with workers and
unions to develop risk assessments. Everyone in
the shelter system needs to be tested in order to
properly isolate those who test positive. All new
clients must be tested before entering, and they
must be able to receive their test results in a
timely manner. There needs to be widespread
movement to get all people experiencing
homelessness off the streets, tested, and into
accommodations. Employers must keep an open line
of communication with staff and be transparent
about protocols, such as those around shelter
cleaning. Access to mental health support for
people experiencing homelessness must be improved
and maintained. We recognize that the federal
government has reconfirmed its immediate
investment of $207.5 million to support
organizations that service vulnerable populations.
However that amount is insufficient to address the
needs of people experiencing homelessness in a
pre-pandemic world, let alone during the pandemic.
"The long-term
asks are more difficult to fulfill. But
these must be discussed now as we start thinking
about our new normal. There's likely to be an
increase in youth experiencing homelessness as a
result of closing drop-in centres and after-school
programs due to COVID-19. It's unclear how the
labour market will function as businesses begin to
reopen. While the federal government has done a
commendable job providing funding to individuals
and businesses, it's undeniable that some
businesses will never reopen, and some jobs will
be permanently lost. It's estimated that Canada
has around 50,000 "hidden homeless." These hidden
homeless are likely to become visible as friends
and family who are providing temporary refuge
become financially insecure and vulnerable
themselves. This means there's a high risk that
shelters will see a surge of new clients --
something they'll be unable to handle if COVID-19
is still running rampant in our shelters. Shelters
have been traditionally under-resourced and lacked
capacity to deal with demand before the pandemic
started. More funding must be allocated for the
immediate crisis, but we cannot allow the return
to a pre-pandemic status quo once it's over.
"There must be a 2-pronged strategy -- developed
in partnership with workers, unions, and other
stakeholders: 1. to properly fund organizations
that serve people experiencing homelessness; 2. to
provide stronger supports for low-income families
and individuals to prevent them from experiencing
homelessness in the first place."
Brown ends his letter by warning the Trudeau
government that "If stronger measures aren't taken
now, we're likely to see a crisis in our shelter
system like the one we saw in long-term care.
Society is only as strong as its most vulnerable
member. And our society has left people
experiencing homelessness in a very vulnerable
position."
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 17 - May 16, 2020
Article Link:
Federal Government Was Warned of Crisis in Shelter System
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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