Support group seeks declaration of State of Emergency over homelessness

Elevate NWO is calling on Thunder Bay city council to step up its support for homeless individuals by declaring a municipal state of emergency and helping to implement Indigenous-led housing initiatives.

Elevate NWO executive director Holly Gauvin said declaring a state of emergency would allow the city to act with urgency to coordinate resources “and bring people indoors immediately, while fast-tracking Indigenous-led housing solutions that are already planned, submitted and ready to move forward.”

According to Elevate NWO, almost 80 people are currently wintering outdoors in encampments, tents, and other unsafe environments around the city.

Gauvin said some individuals are even sleeping in doorways.

Her organization believes the city has the capacity to unlock and leverage municipal and other governmental resources to deal with what it describes as Thunder Bay’s worsening housing and homelessness crisis.

Elevate NWO cited local data to underscore the urgency of the situation, noting that the 2024 point-in-time count surveyed 557 people and found that Indigenous people represented 78 per cent of this group, despite making up only 14 per cent of the city’s population.

It said the data also shows encampment living and chronic homelessness are increasing, which it said reflects systemic failures rather than individual circumstances.

Among the things it wants the city to do right away is to endorse three Indigenous-led housing projects, including one shovel-ready supportive housing development for those experiencing chronic homelessness.

Elevate NWO is a partner in one of these proposed projects.

“Many people experience homelessness at a young age, and without timely intervention remain unhoused for extended periods,” it stated in a news release. “Immediate indoor solutions are needed now to prevent further harm and loss of life.”

Elevate NWO’s formal call to action will take place Thursday at a news conference which city councillors have been invited to attend. – tbnewswatch.com

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…Among the things it wants the city to do right away is to endorse three Indigenous-led housing projects, including one shovel-ready supportive housing development for those experiencing chronic homelessness….

…Elevate NWO is a partner in one of these proposed projects….

OK, lets see if I got this straight.  Elevate NWO wants the City of Thunder Bay to declare a state of emergency soo that the city can unlock and leverage funding from senior levels of government and give it Elevate NWO.

Sounds like a definite conflict of interest to me.

Why can’t Elevate NWO get funding via individual public donations and private sector funding streams?

My solution is easy.  Governments have to make donations to registered charities 100% tax deductible again. They used to be. Now only donations to political parties are 100% tax deductible.

Then, governments can get out of the handing out cash business.