Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Poverty Task Force

Poverty Task Force/United Way Community Update # 53

Dear Colleagues, 

Our lives changed overnight again, with the announcement of another lockdown. However, for many of us, it feels like we’re exactly where we were over a year ago: still uncertain about what our next few months look like, unsure of what will happen once this is finally over and how long it will take to reverse the sacrifices everyone has had to make this year.

But in a lot of ways things are better. The vaccine rollout is happening. Partners have become competent at operating safely. We’ve learned a lot about how to pivot. And we will persevere like we have all year.

EQUITY ISSUES 

  • Vaccination rollout: the people who most need protection from the coronavirus are often the hardest to reach, with language barriers, poverty, erratic schedules at essential jobs and a mistrust of the government complicating efforts to access services. An Equity Approach to COVID19 is being taken. Just a few stats from the Phase 1 rollout.  
    • Overall, 21% of approximately 150,000 residents (36,028 total doses) are vaccinated with their first dose (as compared to 16% of Ontario population). 
    • All Long-term Care Home and Retirement Homes residents and staff have been offered first and second doses.
    • 77% of eligible First Nation residents living in First Nations communities have been vaccinated with first dose. 28% with the second dose. 
    • Ontario is moving into Phase 2 Vaccine Distribution Plan. Anne Marie Shaw (annemarie.shaw@grey.ca) is our social services sector representative on the Grey Bruce Vaccination Task Force.  A working group of the Task Force has been reaching out to organizations working with vulnerable populations. Don’t hesitate to contact Anne Marie if you are seeing gaps and/or have questions on vaccination clinics for vulnerable populations. 

COMMUNITY SURVEYS/ADVOCACY

  • All residents of Bruce and Grey Counties are invited to take part in the Community Safety and Well-Being Planning Survey. It will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and will examine resident’s experiences since March 2020 and measure the impact of COVID19 on people’s well-being. 
  • CERB repayment amnesty: Campaign 2000 has released a Call-to-Action to sign a parliamentary petition by April 23rd and a call-out for CERB stories  (https://forms.gle/egQh2zQzTL23jFHKA). 

INCOME SUPPORTS

In preparation during the current shut-down, here is a reminder of information about COVID-19 financial supports:

  • Employment Insurance – This is the first place to go if you lose your job. Because of COVID-19, there have been changes to this program. If you are not eligible for Employment Insurance, look at the other options below. 
  • Canada Recovery Benefit – gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are directly affected by COVID-19 and are not entitled to Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. The CRB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
    • If you are eligible for the CRB, you can receive $1,000 ($900 after taxes withheld) for a 2-week period.
    • If your situation continues past 2 weeks, you will need to apply again. You may apply up to a total of 19 eligibility periods (38 weeks)between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.
  • Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit – gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they are sick or need to self-isolate due to COVID-19, or have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk of getting COVID-19. The CRSB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). 
    • If you are eligible for the CRSB, you can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for a 1-week period. 
    • If your situation continues past 1 week, you will need to apply again. You may apply up to a total of 4 weeks between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021. You cannot apply for periods that are closed. 
  • Canada Recovery Caregiver Benefit – gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they must care for their child under 12 years old or a family member who needs supervised care. This applies if their school, regular program or facility is closed or unavailable to them due to COVID-19, or because they are sick, self-isolating, or at risk of serious health complications due to COVID-19. The CRCB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). 
    • If you are eligible for the CRCB, your household can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for each 1-week period. 
    • If your situation continues past 1 week, you will need to apply again. Each household may apply up to a total of 38 weeks between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021. 
  • Ontario Works – If you are not eligible for EI or any of the three COVID-19 related programs, Ontario Works is your next option. Contact your local Social Assistance Office: 

HOUSING SUPPORTS

  • Bruce County’s Corporate Services Committee voted to direct $1.75-Million of projected surplus to affordable housing. 
  • Students from the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning have worked closely with the Town of Saugeen Shores and the Municipal Innovation Council (MIC) for the last three months and facilitated a day-long Attainable Housing Research Symposium.
  • Homeless By-Name’s List: 
    • 54 people (34 chronic homeless)
    • 24 with complete sets of information (14 female, 7 male, 7 Indigenous)
    • Of 52 people with birthdates, 15 people were under 30 (28%) 

FOOD SUPPORTS

  • Grey Bruce Public Health have pulled together all the Community Food Program related guidelines in one document: Guidance for Community Food Programs (17 February 2021) and included are the Community Gardens Guidelines (2019). 
  • Please note that the Provincial Outdoor Gathering Limits have changed.to a maximum of 5 socially distanced people.  
  • Chez Gilles: yesterday they served 396 meals. The  April 20th delivery will be postponed to April 27. Chef Gilles will be absent from April 19 to 24. You can register by email: info@chezgillesmeaford.ca or Chefathome1969@gmail.com or by phone at 519.538.9262. You can also contact the office at Christ Church Anglican Meaford 519.538.1330. 
  • Meaford Good Food Box for April is cancelled during this lockdown. They will move all current orders to the next available month we can get back up and running.  Volunteers will work on the list throughout the next week to ensure people are aware.

ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORTS

  • My Dad’s Group will run virtually starting this April. My Dad’s Group provides a supportive environment so men may learn, accept and embrace their roles and responsibilities as fathers in enhancing the well-being of their children. This program is free! For more information, call 519 372 2720.
  • Getting Ahead will be delayed and an in-person group start has been rescheduled on May 7th. Spaces remain for the Owen Sound group and referrals can be made via OW/ODSP workers.  

Stay well, Jill 

Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Poverty Task Force

Poverty Task Force/United Way Community Update # 52

Dear Colleagues, 

Today, the Province announced a provincewide emergency brake as a result of an alarming surge  in case numbers and COVID-19 hospitalizations across the province. The provincewide emergency brake will be effective Saturday, April 3, 2021 and the government intends to keep this in place for at least 4 weeks.   

Most community food programs and income/housing supports remain in place with many of them offering curbside services and by appointment in-person services. Please remember to update your services on 211 or to let 211 know that you are remaining the same services. 

EQUITY ISSUES

  • Yesterday was the Transgender Day of Visibility. We stand with Transgender persons, recognizing the struggle for equality they still face. Everyone should feel safe being who they are, but sadly that still isn’t the reality many members of the Transgender community face. With more visibility comes more understanding. 
    • The Gender, Violence and Resource Access Survey found that 50% of trans people have been raped or assaulted by a romantic partner. 
    • Trans people of colour are 6 times more likely to experience physical violence when interacting with the police than white cisgender survivors of violence. 
  • Launchpad YTC has created a What’s Your 9 to 5 Podcast featuring M’Wikwedong Building Gender Diverse Communities and Grey Bruce Pride. They interview Karen Houle, who shared about the M’Wikwedong Indigenous Friendship Center and about being Indigenous and Queer. 
  • Accessing vaccination bookings has been challenging for many vulnerable community members due to lack of internet/data plans/email address or ability to navigate the current online/telephone booking system.. 
    • Public Health has been working with community partners to reach targeted vulnerable populations – those in emergency shelters, congregate settings, Indigenous people, CMHA and those in precarious housing situations or street involved – to ensure that they are supported to access vaccination services. 

FOOD SUPPORTS

  • A big THANK YOU to John McLaughlin of Habitat for Humanity for all his delivery and transportation support in the past year!  
    • John has been on the road and delivering pandemic supplies, equipment and food to partners. When Habitat closed their stores doors, John stepped up with the use of their trucks! John has also been delivering surplus food to community food partners and the Meals2Motels program for people sheltered in motels.  It has been an incredible year and John has been an essential part of the machine that has supported food banks, community meal programs and homelessness response programs. 
    • Paul Wagenaar has replaced John for delivery support to community meal programs and the Meals2Motel program. 
  • Despite the snow today, many Community Gardeners are still planning for spring starts. We anticipate that there will be new Public Health regulations around the safe management of community gardens but anticipate they will be open for 2021. 
  • The Meaford Community Gardens have entered in the Gardens for Good Contest with Nature’s Path this year and we are reaching out to our community and friends to support us by sending us a humble vote for our gardens. You can find the garden profile by using the search function (type Meaford in search window) on this website followed by an email validation. 

INCOME/EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS

  • Income Tax Filing for Newcomers: because COVID19 has affected how many newcomers manage their taxes, the Canada Revenue Agency has made available different resources to guide immigrants through the process. To learn about filing a tax return, go to https://bit.ly/39cHkHH. To understand the benefits and credits for newcomers, watch this video: https://bit.ly/2NLROGw.   
  • Precarious Employment Report: 4 County Labour Market Planning Board has released a new Report and is seeking your feedback. .Please complete the Report Survey and Partnership Survey. 
  • Four County Labour Market Planning Board reported in January 2021 the job classification with the highest demand included home support workers, personal care aides, personal home support and more. The government has announced a total of $709,893 in SkillsAdvance program training dollars for Grey Bruce. For more information contact YMCA Owen Sound Grey Bruce Employment Services at 519-371-9222 and press 6.
  • A second Grey Bruce Virtual Job Fair has been announced  In March, more than 1,200 job seekers and 125 employers connected through the Grey Bruce Virtual Job Fair to explore 1,500 local job opportunities. As a response to this high demand, a second Grey Bruce Virtual Job Fair focused on student and seasonal opportunities will take place Wednesday, April 7 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
    • The Student and Seasonal Edition is a partnership between YMCA Employment Services, Grey County, Bruce County, VPI Solutions, the Four County Labour Market Planning Board, Georgian College, the City of Owen Sound and the Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership.

HOUSING SUPPORTS

  • The Meeting Place and the SPARKS Housing Initiative has released an investigative report on long term housing rental housing for seasonal workers. The report digs into the issues and identifies the challenges and possible next steps. 
  • Grey County has recommended the elimination of  the Vacant Unit Rebate Program as one strategy to encourage more development. 
  • Housing and utility support requests remain the highest calls to 211 this month. See the attached latest 211 Bruce Grey Needs Summary. 
  • The By-Name List has 50 people on the list at the end of March 2021. 31 are chronically homeless, 22 full data sets exist and people range from 16-67 years of age. 
  • Safe ‘N Sound‘s transitional housing is full. They will be moving to curbside service for food and reduced the number of people in their space under the lockdown order. 
  • Evictions are still happening. The Landlord-Tenant Board is meeting and Sheriffs are acting on very recent notices issued in March 2021. Steps to Justice has issued a COVID19 Evictions Q&A on the current eviction ban lifted in January 2021. 
  • Suite Meter disconnects are happening. Suite meters are not regulated like other utility services. A disconnection fee can be $237.00. Contact the United Way for advocacy support.  
  • The Y Housing Stability Workers remains in the office servicing people during the lockdown. 
    • The Y Youth in Transition Worker Program (16-17 years old) has been working with partners (BGCFS, OW & Grey County) to address the issues of more timely support funds to youth.  Challenges exist for youth to access trustees, Voluntary Service Youth Agreements (VSYA)  
    • If you have any questions about the program or would like to refer a youth to the program please contact us at 519-371-9230 ext. 233 or e-mail yitw@osgb.ymca.ca.
  • Indigenous youth are also challenged with finding landlords to rent to youth under 25 without a cosigner. M’Wikwedong housing support staff are also seeing a lot of queer youth living at home and seeking althernative housing. 

TRANSPORTATION SUPPORTS

  • The Province has announced new funding through the Safe Restart Agreement.for SMART, City of Owen Sound and Meaford transit systems. 

ADDICTIONS SUPPORTS

  • Grey Bruce Harm Reduction Program: In 2019, 139,807 needles were given out as part of Public Health’s needle syringe program, available at 16 sites in Grey-Bruce. Nearly 32,000 used needles were returned. in 2020, the number of needles given out dropped slightly – to 136,283 – but the number of used sharps returned increased by about 55% to 49,025. Several initiatives with community partners – Safe ‘N Sound, the United Way of Bruce Grey, the City of Owen Sound and Public Health have supported this program.  
    • Safe ‘n Sound has seen an “influx of people” bringing full sharps containers to the centre. About 8,000 sharps were returned last month alone – nearly 5 times more than in the previous month.
    • Grey Bruce Health Unit, United Way of Bruce Grey and Safe ‘n Sound came together Saturday at the Owen Sound Farmers’ Market to share information on the local opioid crisis and available harm reduction services. 50 naloxone kits were distributed and a memorial was held for lives lost. The Health Unit has confirmed a 4th death last week. 

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS

  • CARE Project Grey-Bruce is continually growing and learning how they can best serve our community. They are developing a Volunteer Team that will help when they engage in projects or events, as well as assist with training and educational information sessions that they will be hosting in the future.

NEWCOMERS SUPPORTS

Stay well, Jill

Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Poverty Task Force

Poverty Task Force/United Way Community Update # 51

Dear Colleagues, 

Our community has come together, to keep it together under this Pandemic. One of the heartbreaking crises continuing to hit our community hard has been the increase of overdoses in the City of Owen Sound and other locations.  This Saturday, March 27th from 9am to 12:30pm the United Way, Safe ‘N Sound and Grey Bruce Public Health will be at the Owen Sound Farmer’s Market to create more awareness and to remember those we have lost. The public is invited to take a carnation, walk the block around the 8th and 9th Street bridges and then drop the flower into the river, to symbolize the loss of those who have died, gone permanently from our community. 

PLANNING AND SYSTEM CHANGE

  • We still have spaces for partners to join the The End of Poverty Summit – a nationwide gathering of poverty reduction organizations/cities hosted by Tamarack from 11am May 5th to 5pm May 6th, 2021. Learn more about the guest speakers and workshops at: https://events.tamarackcommunity.ca/the-end-of-poverty.  Contact Jill Umbach, povertytaskforce@unitedwaybg.com, if you are interested in attending this virtual summit. 
  • Plan the Bruce: Bruce County is looking for input as it begins work on a new Official Plan to guide development and growth for the next 25 years. There are currently input surveys open for Housing and Agriculture. You can also contact planthebruce@brucecounty.on.ca to ask about any project and/or provide input. 
  • The Bruce Grey Ontario Health Team has submitted its full application to the Ministry of Health and is now seeking community council advisors. http://ow.ly/HwkF50E3jJ8 

The Province has released Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy. The 2021 Budget is the next phase of Ontario’s response to COVID-19 and is the second Budget the government has delivered during the pandemic. 

  • The 2021 Budget builds on the government’s record investments in response to the global pandemic, bringing total investments to $16.3 billion to protect people’s health and $23.3 billion to protect our economy. Ontario’s COVID-19 action plan support now totals $51 billion.
  • Some HEALTH SUPPORTS include: 
    • A $175 million initiative will provide mental health and addiction supports including mobile clinics for rural communities. 
    • $2.1 million to support victims of crime and domestic abuse survivors. 
    • $1.6 million to address systemic racism.
    • $1 billion over 2 years for vaccine rollout, including $135 million already spent
    • Reiterates plans for hundreds of millions of dollars to build new long-term care beds and improve ventilation. 
    • $4.9 billion over 4 years for hiring 27,000 nurses and PSWs
    • Budget made no promise to retain the planned increase for front-line long-term care workers past June 2021; under review.  
    • Learn more about Ontario’s plan to protect people’s health.  
  • Some INCOME/EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS include: 
    • Extending existing grant program, offering $10,000 to $20,000 to about 120,000 affected businesses, for an additional $1.7 billion. 
    • An additional $400 million for tourism industry
    • New Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit for 2021. It would provide up to $2,000 per recipient for 50% of eligible expenses, for a total of an estimated $260 million in support to about 230,000 people in 2021.  
    • 3rd round of Ontario COVID19 Child Benefit with payments being doubled to $400 for children up to Grade 12 and $500 for children and youth under 21 who have special needs. 
    • Proposed 20% top up of CARE tax credit for childcare expenses to help families earning under $150,000. Will cost $75 million and will increase support from $1,250 to $1,500 on average/family
    • Task force to address women’s economic barriers will be created. 
    • $2.8 billion for province-wide reliable broadband services in all regions by 2025, part of an overall $4 billion investment. 
    • Learn more about Ontario’s plan to protect our economy.

INCOME/EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS 

  • The Federal government has extended COVID19 Benefits to support workers for longer. 
  • Getting Ahead: April 20th is first Getting Ahead for 2021 to be held in Owen Sound. It will be in-person with all the Public Health safety protocols. Individuals on Ontario Works (OW) or ODSP are eligible. People interested should contact their OW or ODSP worker for more info or to register.
  • Ontario Works shall move to a central intake through the Province on April 26th, 2021. A Vision for Social Assistance has been released by the government.

TRANSPORTATION SUPPORTS

  • For people who are without transportation to access COVID19 vaccination clinics they can call the Public Health Unit Helpline at 519-376-9420, ext 3000 or call 211 and ask about transportation services.
    • MOVIN’GB will arrange transportation for individuals to COVID-19 vaccination clinics and waive the 48 hour requirement to schedule a ride (as long as resources are available to supply ride) Call 519-370-0558 or Intake: 519-372-2091. Email schedulers@hcssgreybruce.com 
  • GTR will start to take cash payment on March 29th, 2021. All riders are required to book their seat in advance, riders wishing to pay by Cash must book their ride over the phone at226-910-1001. Fares range from $5.00 to $3.00 (Adults with student/senior rates and children under 5 ride for free. 
  • GTR will be piloting a new Sauble Beach route from Friday to Monday starting in May to September for the tourism season. This will give an opportunity for employees and tourists to access affordable rides. 

HOUSING SUPPORT 

  • Bruce County is experiencing well-recognized and complex housing opportunities and challenges, influencing supply and demand of housing in the region. Give your input and help plan for the supply and mix of homes in Bruce County.  Good planning decisions now can have a positive impact on housing diversity and availability over the next 25 years. There is an Homes: A Guide to Giving Feedback to assist in providing input. 
  • YMCA Housing Stability Workers have been picking up Motel kits from United Way of Bruce Grey. These kits are given to people being provided shelter while they seek out permanent housing. With the rising cost of housing in our area we continue to see high numbers of people seeking assistance. 
  • Motels will be increasing their rates soon for the tourist season and housing services remain busy with trying to find permanent housing solutions. 
  • The Province has announced its new strategy to combat homelessness. The Grey Bruce Homeless Response Table currently has between 45-50 people on the By-Name list with 3 people recently housed. A point-in-time homeless enumeration will be carried out and completed by December 2021. 
  • North Bruce Peninsula has approved the formation of a Municipal Housing Task Force which starts in May 2021. 
  • The Women’s Centre of Bruce Grey will launch its Anti-HumanTrafficking Program on April 5th. Named, “Our Place”, the program is aimed at supporting youth victims and survivors of human trafficking in our community. The program will partner with community agencies to provide wrap-around victim support and will include an educational component for school-aged children that focuses on the signs of human trafficking to youth under 16 years of age.

Stay well, Jill 

Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force Poverty Task Force

Poverty Task Force/United Way Community Update # 50

Dear Colleagues,

Precarious employment is one important variable influencing the extent to which individuals are able to withstand the economic fluctuations caused by COVID-19. The Four County Labour Market Planning Board has been delving deeper into precarious employment with a series of COVID-19 Impact Surveys. 

  • National and provincial research both show that those who were more vulnerable to economic changes and labour market instability before COVID-19 have experienced greater hardships due to the pandemic. They are more likely to be currently unemployed or working in jobs with less stability. They are also more likely to be working in sectors where work cannot be performed remotely, thereby creating stress due to the often additional risk of exposure, as well as needed access to childcare for parents required to work outside the home during this pandemic. The local survey data aligns with these overall findings.
  • Compared to those who are not precariously employed, individuals who are currently precariously employed are more likely to be: younger, have lower educational attainment and approximately 1 in 4 respondents has at least one dependent child living at home. 
  • The Spring 2020 survey analyzes the results in order to understand the initial impact COVID-19 had on our local workforce. 
    • Locally, the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Economic Region saw unemployment move from 5.9% in March to 9.3% in May 2020, with a corresponding decrease in the number of people employed in the region. In order to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the local workforce, the Four County Labour Market Planning Board conducted an anonymous and confidential survey  between April and June 2020. 
    • When asked about the extent to which respondents felt confident in their ability to continue to work or to find work after the COVID-19 crisis, 22% responded that they strongly disagreed or somewhat disagreed with this statement. 
    • Respondents were also asked about the extent to which COVID-19 was impacting key household considerations. As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, the following percentage of respondents are somewhat or significantly more worried about their ability to pay bills, have enough food and to pay rent/mortgage.
  • The Fall 2020 surveyreviews the results when there were signs of economic recovery in order to understand the ongoing impacts of the pandemic. 
    • The survey reveals that approximately 25% of respondents are concerned about their ability to continue working or find new work after the pandemic.
    • This finding may provide opportunities for local training programs, employment counsellors and other supportive services to assist those whose employment status may be more uncertain than it was before COVID-19.
    • Similarly, the 33% of respondents who reported that COVID-19 has had a substantial impact on their ability to pay for basic necessities could be targeted for additional support and services in our local communities. 

The Planning Board is working on an ongoing project exploring the impact of different scenarios that may emerge in the next 12-24 months, and how they will impact both the workforce and employers in our region. For more information about the COVID-19 Scenario-Based Planning project, please see www.planningboard.ca or contact Tingting Zhang tingting@planningboard.ca

  • The Ontario government has announced it is expanding the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) to include nearly 600 micro-credential programs. Through this initiative, the province is ensuring loans and grants will be available to more learners looking to rapidly upskill and reskill for the in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow. 

The Community Foundation Grey Bruce has been surveying the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Not-For-Profit Sector. Two surveys have been carried out with the first in April/May 2020 and the second in early 2021. 
In April/May 2020 local organizations remained optimistic about the future. The survey results revealed that many local organizations are concerned about financial difficulties, even possibly facing closures in the future, but anticipate an increased need for their services, particularly related to food security and mental health support. 

  • Of the respondents, 87% identified the cancellation of events and/or fundraising activities as a challenge being experienced. 
  • Over 40% of the organizations face financial difficulties and many will need to adjust how they operate to remain viable in the future. 
  • The current restrictions have resulted in 60% of local organizations closing until these restrictions can be lifted with many organizations concerned about how they will generate momentum for public gatherings. Aside from their own impact from COVID-19, many respondents identified the loss of income and jobs as the biggest concern for our community and are worried about the closure of many small businesses and organizations. As the community continues to face uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, many organizations have found new ways to work and are encouraged by the way locals have come together to help each other demonstrate a strong sense of community. 

Recently, these same organizations were surveyed to see how they are doing as the pandemic continues: 

  • The survey results show that fundraising continues to be a challenge for many area charities.  About a third (34%) of organizations responding to the survey, indicated they have only been able to maintain less than 25% of their fundraising compared to the previous years while 22% reported that they were able to maintain 75 to 100% of their fundraising goals.
  • In terms of ranking the type of funding that their organization needs to keep their doors open, 42% of respondents identified operational funding as their top need.  Program grants were second in ranking overall.
  • Other comments made by respondents included the challenges of technology for themselves and their clients, increased operating costs of program delivery, donor fatigue and struggles with engagement of members, volunteers, clients, and the community during these difficult times.
  • Community knowledge helps the Community Foundation grant strategically. Local charities and non-profits organizations across Grey and Bruce counties are invited to apply for Community Grants with a deadline of April 15, 2021.  For this intake only, the allowance for operational support for projects has been increased to a total of 25% of the budget. Visit ://communityfoundationgreybruce.com/grants/community/ to access the online application form.

HOUSING SUPPORTS

  • Housing vacancy rates remain low and finding available housing for vulnerable people is still very challenging. 
    • Women’s Shelters still remain at 50% capacity and second stage housing is maintaining wait lists as they are extending stays and searching for homes for women and their families. 
    • Organizations are seeing an increase in Indigenous people needing housing – those that are leaving jails, moving off-reserve or coming from other regions. 
    • The YMCA Housing and M’Wikwedong are working with children’s services with many young people age 16-17 to find appropriate housing and supports. 
    • The YMCA completed a recent update of COVID19 protocols with motels that are serving as shelters and re-stocked COVID19 PPE. 
    • While affordable housing is a key topic for many municipalities and new housing task forces are being created, we are also seeing a need do more community education with more “Yes, In My Backyard” or YIMBY campaigns. 
  • The province has announced funding to retirement homes. It will provide Grey Bruce retirement homes with $417,920.10 in funding to assist with COVID-19 costs such as hiring, training and testing additional staff, and sanitizing residences and purchasing supplies to prevent and contain the spread of infection. This funding is in addition to the $30.9 million that the province provided retirement homes earlier in the pandemic.

ADDICTION SUPPORTS

  • An OPIOID Alert has gone out from the Grey Bruce Health Unit. Please see the attached alert for more details on the warning and available supports. Please circulate!  
  • Safe ‘N Sound and the United Way of Bruce Grey have worked together to provide compensation for returning needles or “sharps” in sharp containers. In June 2020, some 16,000 needles were returned. To date, 33,540 needles have been returned. 

FOOD SUPPORTS

  • 9 Grey Bruce Community Partners have provided more than 150,000 free, hot and frozen meals to vulnerable residents in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • The Food Bruce Grey app shows an average of nearly 400 of the prepared meals are now provided each day and a monthly record was set in February of 15,900 meals distributed. 
  • Many of these programs are “at capacity” and cannot do much more with the staffing and volunteer resources they have. The volunteer efforts have been incredible and along with the staff of these agencies they are heroes in responding to the pandemic! Most likely these meals will continue throughout the spring and summer as curbside services. 

EQUITY ISSUES

SAVE THE DATE – the next Poverty Task Force meeting is Friday, April 23rd, 10am-11:30am.

Stay well, Jill