Steinbach grapples with homeless issue

Organizers of a community program in Steinbach say there are things people can do to help address the homeless situation.

Irene Kroeker of Southeast Community Outreach said there are challenges and though the issue of a growing homeless population isn’t new, it has been exacerbated by recent events.

“We’ve been aware for at least 15 years that we have homeless,” she said. “We’ve always known that there are homeless people on the street.”

Kroeker said they have become more visible lately because they’re tenting together in encampments, the result she said of four houses in the city that formerly were available for shelter.

Kroeker said two of those homes were taken out of the mix thanks to fires, one was shutdown for safety reasons and the other was shut down by the landlord.

“Now they’re literally on the street,” she said of those who sought shelter there.

City council is also looking to address the issue.

At the Sept. 17 meeting, Coun. Jake Hiebert took his turn to offer the opening to the meeting by sharing his interactions with homeless people in the community that were part of a Main Street encampment.

Those people have since been moved from the space that is slated to be home to a new homeless shelter.

Hiebert said those people told him they were not looking for communal housing, but long-term places to live, a job, mental health and drug addiction intervention.

“The people in our encampments, in my opinion, require long-term drug and mental health intervention followed by housing and employment,” he said.

Councillors also looked to administration for guidance on how to deal with the challenge and were told no policy existed but instead things were handled on a case-by-case basis.

Coun. Michael Zwaagstra said something must be done.

“It’s clearly unacceptable,” he said. “We cannot have people simply encamping in areas like that in Steinbach. It’s not safe, it’s not appropriate.”

Zwaagstra also cautioned against people supporting the homeless by directly bringing them food.

“One of the things that I’ve certainly heard reports of is that when people are dropping off food and donations there, that is not the most helpful thing people can do,” he said. “If you want to help… donate to the organizations that are actively working with at-risk people who actually know how to target it better.”

He offered as ideas Steinbach Community Outreach, Helping Hands and Soup’s On.

While Kroeker agreed that all three agencies could use more support, she said it’s not a bad idea to help out in person when it’s possible.

After saying it’s a better idea to bring the food they want to donate to Steinbach Community Outreach, she said that’s not the only path.

“If you meet them on the street or they are out and about and you see them, absolutely go up to them and say, ‘Would you like something to eat, can I buy you something at the closest store, something to tide you over.’ That part for sure is a good idea too.”

Kroeker said going into an encampment should be avoided unless one is invited, since that is their home.

“You want to go into a place where somebody lives if you have permission,” she said. “Respect is what is needed.”

Steinbach Community Outreach sees firsthand the issues of a lack of proper access to some supports.

Kroeker told the story of a young woman who needed mental health help.

A call to the crisis stabilization unit concluded she needed more help than they could offer, and she was told to go to the emergency room at Bethesda Health Centre. Staff of Steinbach Community Outreach accompanied her where they sat for three days in the waiting room, going home at night when the psychiatric nurse had gone home. After trying a second hospital that turned out not to have a psych nurse on staff, they finally drove her to Boundary Trails Health Centre emergency where Kroeker said she received amazing help.

Kroeker knows what would be most helpful to those living on the streets, saying they need long-term housing with supports for people that are experiencing addictions and mental health issues.

Housing first is the solution, but one that is impossible when the city has housing challenges.

“You can’t house them first if you don’t have affordable housing,” she said.

But Kroeker said as people begin to talk more about the homeless, it’s important to remember they want the same thing.

“Just know that everyone is trying their best to try and figure out what to do, including the city, including Steinbach Community Outreach and the other agencies that are working with the people,” she said. “It takes time. It isn’t going to be solved in a day.”

Steinbach Community Outreach is always looking for more funds from the public.

“The more donations we receive, the more we can do,” she said.

As the temperatures begin to drop, SCO is also looking for good heavy duty winter mitts and socks.

To help or learn more about their services, go to steinbachcommunityoutreach.com.