Here’s Something that Mississauga is Doing for Homeless Residents

While homelessness and poverty receive year-round (and much-needed) attention from all levels of government, the extreme cold that accompanies winter often prompts advocacy groups to express increased concern for residents who struggle to find adequate shelter.

Fortunately for Mississauga residents who are struggling with homelessness, the Mississauga Library (which is funded by the City of Mississauga), recently received a generous grant for its homelessness initiative.

The Mississauga Library says the $390,000 donation from the P. and L. Odette Charitable Foundation will go towards its Open Window Hub.

The pilot project helps homeless, at-risk individuals and vulnerable youth and adults in Mississauga.

According to the library, the program connects individuals with resources, outreach programs and better access to services to help raise their quality of life. Over the span of three years, the library will receive $130,000 per year to support the program.

“We are really grateful to be the recipient of this very generous donation from the P. and L. Odette Charitable Foundation who has a history supporting homelessness prevention initiatives in the Greater Toronto Area,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie.

“We remain committed to doing everything we can to elevate the quality of life for our most vulnerable citizens. This past week, during our budget deliberations, our city council agreed to allocate additional library funding that would transition the Open Window Hub from a pilot program to a permanent community service allowing us to continue to assist at-risk and homeless individuals rebuild their lives.”

While Mississauga isn’t typically associated with homelessness, recent reports paint an alarming picture of “hidden homelessness” in the Region of Peel (Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon).

In Peel, homelessness is difficult to tackle in part because it’s often invisible. There’s immense shame associated with extreme poverty and people will often hide their circumstances from friends, family and the overall community. In many situations, poverty and homelessness are the result of mental illness, addiction and domestic abuse.

The problem is compounded by the fact that there aren’t enough shelters and emergency lodgings in Peel.

United Way says that, in 2015, over 14,000 people — including close to 4,000 children and youth — used homeless shelters and transitional housing in the region.

The Mississauga Food Bank has also expressed concern about growing poverty in a city that’s becoming increasingly more expensive to live in. A recent report points out that, in the last year, the food bank recorded an 18 per cent increase in the number of neighbours accessing their network—something the organization is calling an unprecedented jump in the organization’s 32-year history.

While homelessness is complex and often associated with mental health challenges, addiction issues and family breakdown (which can lead to significant financial distress), the library system is working to tackle the growing–and alarming–issue.

As for why the the Foundation chose the Open Window Hub for its donation, the library says it did so after learning about the work of the initiative from the city’s homelessness prevention outreach worker, Kevin Berry.

“Open Window Hub addresses the growing needs of individuals experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness, in Mississauga. There has been an increase in individuals connecting with services, so we know there is a direct need for it,” said Lori Kelly, Director, Library Services.

“Libraries are evolving community spaces. The programs and services offered through the Open Window Hub are a reflection of the expanding role libraries play in providing support to customers experiencing homelessness. The work we do every day makes a difference in the lives of so many individuals. The P. and L. Odette Charitable donation will provide us with the additional funding we need to effectively explore ways to help prevent and reduce homelessness and support our most vulnerable customers.”

Over the course of this year, the library will use the donation to:

• Provide training in mental health first aid to enhance all staff’s skills in supporting vulnerable individuals.
• Invest in Social Work Masters students to intern and provide more hours of service delivery to support both staff and vulnerable individuals.
• Sustainably fund items and services in high demand for vulnerable individuals, such as the hygiene kits and Presto cards.

The library says it will develop plans for the second and third-year funds in response to public needs. 

“Through the course of the one year pilot, we’ve been able to support and empower more than 500 individuals, connecting them with information, support and referrals to agencies across the region. In addition, we have also removed barriers to Library services and increased social inclusion. We have seen incredible support from the community for this program with initiatives like Put a Sock on it Sauga Sock Drive and the Milk Bag donations which have helped raise funds and supplies for our most vulnerable customers,” Kelly says.

The Open Window Hub launched in September 2017. It was funded in part by the federal government’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS). It’s designed to help people in Mississauga by promoting inclusiveness of vulnerable youth and adults, providing outreach services in the library, allowing the homeless to work with a professional to prepare plans to address their situation and offering referral services.

Program partners for the Open Window Hub include the Region of Peel and the University of Toronto Mississauga.